The Left Hand of Darkness

This book was dense!

It's so difficult to sum up everything else the story covers. Gender and sexuality is front and center since the Gethenians are a human species that do not have a static sexuality and the author has done an amazing job of building two societies of people that are very different from each other and from us.

On top of gender and sexuality, it also takes place on an ice age planet with a drastically different ecosystem from our own, and the Gethenians have developed some really advanced technologies to cope with their climate, while also ignoring entire fields of study. It gives some really cool alternate history vibes that I really enjoyed reading about.

It's also one of the best examples (that I can think of) of a story where you can read it twice and have two different experiences. Gethenian politics and rhetoric is all about subtly and many of the early conversations will read completely differently after gaining a better understanding of shifgrethor (their honor system).

It's probably not for everyone... it's a slower read and I think very character driven, but if you can get through the earlier parts and get comfortable with the onslaught of new words and concepts it's very rewarding.

I'm really glad I read this book, and it's going to be an excellent source of conversation at book club!