Books

(London): Macdonald, 1969. About fine in about fine jacket.. Signed first UK edition of the famous radical science fiction novel on gender and isolation by one of the most influential writers in the genre — an exceptionally beautiful copy. In this novel, inhabitants of the alien planet "Winter" are androgynous, becoming temporarily male or female at periods of fertility. The protagonist is a male visitor from another world, thrown into political machinations that take him on a journey of survival across the ice with a single companion: a native whom he instinctively distrusts. While reckoning with different ways to envision gender, they develop a deep human bond that becomes central to their survival. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, this UK edition was issued the same year as the US first. One of the great science fiction novels that feels more significant with each passing year. Signed copies are quite scarce. 7.75'' x 5''. Original textured purple paper boards,…

The Left Hand of Darkness is a science fiction novel by U.S. writer Ursula K. Le Guin, published in 1969. The novel became immensely popular and established Le Guin's status as a major author of science fiction. The book is a part of the Hainish Cycle, a series of novels by Le Guin, all set in the same universe, where the people of different planets are attempting to co-operate with one another. The novel follows the story of Genly Ai, a human native of Terra, who is sent to the planet Gethen as an envoy of the Ekumen, a loose group of planets. Ai's mission is to persuade the nations of Gethen to join the Ekumen, but he is hindered by lack of understanding of Gethenian culture. Individuals on Gethen are ambisexual, with no fixed sex, which is a central theme in the novel.