The Left Hand of Darkness cover

explorer / books · 1970

The Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

Published 1969 by Walker and Company · 286 pages

Hugo · 1970

Winner

Nebula · 1970

Winner
Science Fiction

On the ballot with

Each row shows the full Best Novel ballot for that award and ceremony year. Winners appear first.

Ursula K. Le Guin on these ballots

9 award entries · 6 books · 6 wins · 1970–2009

WinHugo finalistNebula finalistThis book

Synopsis

Genly Ai, an envoy from a confederation of worlds, is sent to the planet Gethen to persuade its nations to join the interstellar community. The Gethenians are ambisexual beings who have no fixed gender, and Ai must overcome his own deep-seated assumptions to understand their culture. When political intrigue forces him and a disgraced Gethenian politician into a desperate journey across a frozen wasteland, the two forge an extraordinary bond.

Experimental tags

AI-assisted labels that have not been validated consistently across the catalogue. Read the dataset methods →

Space Opera
Gender & SexualityPolitics & RevolutionReligion & Spirituality

Details

Series
Hainish Cycle · Book 4
Author nationality
United States
ISBN
9780441478125