The Dispossessed

It's a shame (but maybe not a surprise) that Huxley and Orwell get all the love in the world of utopian fiction because The Dispossessed really should be considered (as of now) the apotheosis of the genre. Le Guin doesn't give herself the easy way out, and every time you think you have her perspective figured out she introduces more subtly, and more complexity, but never too much for you to handle - it's artful.

It's hard to find faults in the book, it's dense with beautiful ideas and even more beautiful prose. The only fault one could find in the book is that it contains so many great sentences in a row that unless you're vigilant to remain appreciative, you're likely to stop noticing them. Any of Le Guin's sentences in any other novel would be a rare gem, the kind that makes you stop for a second to digest and appreciate. But here - they are like pebbles on a beach.

One of the things that's amazing about this book (There are too many to list) is how well Ursula manages to wind together the threads of the “Big Ideas”: Anarchism, Mysticism, Taoism, Science, Technology, with the threads of “Small Ideas”: Love, Work, Play, Relationships, etc.. Creating a beautiful tapestry that somehow seems to contain everything that you could ever care about (and more).

If you haven't read this book, read it now! (It might change your life)