The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
The novel is a groundbreaking work of science fiction that explores themes of gender, politics, and identity. Set on a planet called Gethen, where the inhabitants are ambisexual, shifting between male and female, the story follows an envoy from Earth who struggles to understand this alien society. As he navigates the complex political landscape of Gethen, he must also grapple with his own preconceptions about gender and sexuality. The book is a profound exploration of difference, otherness, and what it means to be human.
The 363rd greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 936
This book was first published in 1969
29 Lists
- score: 180 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers - 2024 (Weight: 170)
- score: 160 -- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time In English - 2026 (Weight: 160)
- score: 124 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 140)
- score: 120 -- The 100 Stories that Shaped the World - 2019 (Weight: 120)
- score: 105 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 105)
- score: 82 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 80)
- score: 38 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 28 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 33)
- score: 26 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 30)
- score: 21 -- Nebula Award - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 100)
- score: 10 -- 25 Books to Read Before You Die - 2023 (Weight: 10)
- score: 9 -- Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books - 2011 (Weight: 10)
- score: 6 -- The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books for Every Kind of Reader - 2024 (Weight: 6)
- score: 6 -- Hugo Award for Best Novel - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 30)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Top 200 Science Fiction Books (Pre-2000) - 2021 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 25 Best Science-Fiction Books of All Time - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 125 Books We Love for Adults - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Novels that Changed The World - 2022 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Powell's Essential List: 25 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Isn't Enough: Our 25 Honorable Mentions - 2022 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Best Science Fiction Books of All Time - 2019 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels That Everyone Should Read - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- A Response to David Handlin’s “One Hundred Best American Novels” - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read - 2008 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 501 Must-Read Books - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels - 1985 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Western(United States) Works of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years From 1953-2002 - 2003 (Weight: 1)