Books

Ace Books, 1969. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket as issued. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. Leo & Diane Dillon, cover art.. This Ace Science Fiction Special in pictorial wraps is the true First Edition. The book has slight wear and rubbing to the covers and light browning of the pages (Ace Books, 47800, $0.95). Signed by the author on the title page.

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.

Look for the mention of 'Ace Books' as the publisher, lack of subsequent ISBN, and the presence of a statement of 'First edition'.