Caleb
Le Guin's introduction to this novel is incredible and the insights she gives into the nature of science fiction as a genre, about it's purpose and misconceptions are brilliant. This novel feels like it could have been written today with the thoughtfulness that it explores the cultural significances of gender, not to mention the fact that the main character is black, something that is strangely unusual in science fiction novels. The world she builds is fascinating and I appreciate that she doesn't attempt to dictate each and every aspect of the whole world of Winter, but rather builds our knowledge of it by introducing bits and pieces of mythology such that we understand the planet of Winter similarly to how the the main character Genly understands it. The idea that a human society could develop completely different cultural norms and etiquette is also an interesting notion. The concept of shiftgrethor, a sort of honor and social etiquette code in the Gethenian societies that is constantly baffling to Genly is something I found super neat. What would social appropriateness look like in an alien society? The main intrigue of this novel is its exploration of a society in which individuals are completely androgynous except for a few days of the month in which they transition into a man or a women known as kemmer. The implications of this is that there are no socially constructed gender roles. Consequently there is no rape (being physiologically impossible most of the time and during kemmer most individuals are willing to have sex), no war (this one is a bit more perplexing but Genly supposes that violence on a mass scale is a trait of manhood and sexual frustration), and no associations or expectations that come with raising a child. There is also a liberal view of sex for the most part, with sex being seen as a right during kemmer (interestingly, incest in some cases is also seen as ok). This is a really fascinating society that Le Guin has built and the implications of the absence of gender are far reaching and in some cases very unexpected. Genly, a human in our sense of the word, struggles with untangling our traditional notion of gender with the people he interacts with, refering to most as 'he'. Genly also struggles to differentiate gender from positions that we typically see as being gender based such as the king or ruler of some Gethenian country, who at one point even gives birth to a child. The struggle for Genly is seeing these people as what they are: Human, without the association of gender to go along with it. A brilliant science fiction novel and one of the most interesting worlds I've seen in a novel!
Le Guin's introduction to this novel is incredible and the insights she gives into the nature of science fiction as a genre, about it's purpose and misconceptions are brilliant. This novel feels like it could have been written today with the thoughtfulness that it explores the cultural significances of gender, not to mention the fact that the main character is black, something that is strangely unusual in science fiction novels. The world she builds is fascinating and I appreciate that she doesn't attempt to dictate each and every aspect of the whole world of Winter, but rather builds our knowledge of it by introducing bits and pieces of mythology such that we understand the planet of Winter similarly to how the the main character Genly understands it. The idea that a human society could develop completely different cultural norms and etiquette is also an interesting notion. The concept of shiftgrethor, a sort of honor and social etiquette code in the Gethenian societies that is constantly baffling to Genly is something I found super neat. What would social appropriateness look like in an alien society? The main intrigue of this novel is its exploration of a society in which individuals are completely androgynous except for a few days of the month in which they transition into a man or a women known as kemmer. The implications of this is that there are no socially constructed gender roles. Consequently there is no rape (being physiologically impossible most of the time and during kemmer most individuals are willing to have sex), no war (this one is a bit more perplexing but Genly supposes that violence on a mass scale is a trait of manhood and sexual frustration), and no associations or expectations that come with raising a child. There is also a liberal view of sex for the most part, with sex being seen as a right during kemmer (interestingly, incest in some cases is also seen as ok). This is a really fascinating society that Le Guin has built and the implications of the absence of gender are far reaching and in some cases very unexpected. Genly, a human in our sense of the word, struggles with untangling our traditional notion of gender with the people he interacts with, refering to most as 'he'. Genly also struggles to differentiate gender from positions that we typically see as being gender based such as the king or ruler of some Gethenian country, who at one point even gives birth to a child. The struggle for Genly is seeing these people as what they are: Human, without the association of gender to go along with it. A brilliant science fiction novel and one of the most interesting worlds I've seen in a novel!
One of the best novels I've read recently. The language is so disorienting and foul but at the same time is very evocative of this chaotic, drugged up, and sweaty landscape these characters live in. Also has almost every messed up thing you can think of in it and very graphic descriptions at that so not for the faint of heart.
One of the best novels I've read recently. The language is so disorienting and foul but at the same time is very evocative of this chaotic, drugged up, and sweaty landscape these characters live in. Also has almost every messed up thing you can think of in it and very graphic descriptions at that so not for the faint of heart.
Answered a promptWhat are your favorite books of all time?
Really good jeez
Such a cool world and really cool style that takes a bit to get used to.
Really good jeez
Such a cool world and really cool style that takes a bit to get used to.
Some of the stories are super good and some of them are just eh. The writing in general never really elevates itself above just passable but the ideas in PKDs stories is what shines.
My favorites were: I Hope You Arrive Soon (my favorite in the collection), Beyond Lies the Wub, The King Of The Elves, and Rautavarras Case.
Some of the stories are super good and some of them are just eh. The writing in general never really elevates itself above just passable but the ideas in PKDs stories is what shines.
My favorites were: I Hope You Arrive Soon (my favorite in the collection), Beyond Lies the Wub, The King Of The Elves, and Rautavarras Case.
The guy who wrote this is probably so insufferable and annoying. Half the book is him making very surface level pseudo-intellectual claims. Most of the time this is very annoying.
The guy who wrote this is probably so insufferable and annoying. Half the book is him making very surface level pseudo-intellectual claims. Most of the time this is very annoying.
