WEEK 10: The Fiction of Ideas | The Left Hand of Darkness Response

The book The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin follows a similar pattern that I have observed over the course of studying science fiction novels. The writing is very vague and metaphorical which is sometimes hard for me to decode. However, after I continued reading and did some research afterwards, I have a better understanding that this book is somewhat a revolution for feminists. It deals with the concept of what it means to be a man and a woman.

This story tackles gender issues, about the Gethenians and their interesting states of kemmer. The Gethenians can be either gender for a few days a month and switch to somer which means they are basically neutered for the majority of the time. I found that what makes this book enjoyable to read is not necessarily it's historical curiosity but its fascinating culture. In addition to the weirdly gendered aliens, I felt like I was a part of the discovery of the planet and journey across the ice. I loved Ursula's writing style as it breathed life into the story and wasn't try or uninteresting. 

-Abigail