The Dispossessed: A Novel (Hainish Cycle) (Paperback)

The Dispossessed: A Novel (Hainish Cycle) By Ursula K. Le Guin Cover Image
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Description


“One of the greats. . . . Not just a science fiction writer; a literary icon.” Stephen King

"Engrossing. . . . [Le Guin] is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscape of the mind." —Cincinnati Enquirer

Ursula K. Le Guin’s award-winning classic—a profound and thoughtful tale of anarchism and capitalism, individualism and collectivism, and one ambitious man’s quest to bridge the ideological chasm separating two worlds

A bleak moon settled by utopian anarchists, Anarres has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras—a civilization of warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Now Shevek, a brilliant physicist, is determined to reunite the two planets, which have been divided by centuries of distrust. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart.

To visit Urras—to learn, to teach, to share—will require great sacrifice and risks, which Shevek willingly accepts. But the ambitious scientist's gift is soon seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change.

About the Author


Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (1929-2018) was a celebrated author whose body of work includes twenty-three novels, twelve volumes of short stories, eleven volumes of poetry, thirteen children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation. The breadth and imagination of her work earned her six Nebula Awards, seven Hugo Awards, and SFWA’s Grand Master, along with the PEN/Malamud and many other awards. In 2014 she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2016 she joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetimes by the Library of America.

Praise For…


“Written with thought, care—even love.” — Times Literary Supplement (London)

“Le Guin’s characters, sepecially Shevek and his family, are complex and haunting, and her writing is remarkable for its sinewy grace.” — Time magazine

“Engrossing . . . Ursula Le Guin is more than just a writer of adult fantasy and science fiction . . . she is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscapes of the mind.” — Cincinnati Enquirer

“A seamless creation: every thing is made up, nothing seems arbitrary...Le Guin’s book [is] written in her solid, no-nonsense prose.” — New York Times Book Review

“Brilliantly conceived and stunningly executed . . . The setting is science fiction, but the tradition is humanistic, reducing life to its essentials and examining human beings in a real world.” — Chicago Daily News

"The Dispossessed is still one of Sci-Fi's' smartest books." — Wired

“The novel flashes back and forth . . . and delicately develops both the strengths and weaknesses of the two social systems, the contrasting textures of the two kinds of social experience . . . All through, this impresses with small but incalculably right choices which add up solidly and confirm Ms. Le Guin as one of our finest projectionists of brave old and other worlds.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Excellent characterization and meaningful ideas make this one of the most important [science fiction] novels of the last several years.” — Library Journal

“The combination of intelligence and imagination sends ideas dancing endlessly around the brain.” — Christian Science Monitor

"I would be hard pressed to think of another novel that made as strong an impression on me." — Anthony Ha, author of Love Songs for Monsters

"[Ursula Le Guin] . . . is science fiction’s best ambassador to the rest of the world, ever. She has done more to show people why this is an important genre—and maybe the mode of literature we need to navigate our way into a very uncertain future—than anyone else ever will.” — Lisa Yaszek, Professor of Science Fiction Studies in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech

"This remains a challenging and urgent book." — The Guardian

"Deeply worthwhile reading — subtle, challenging, exquisitely crafted." — sfsite.com

The Dispossessed paints a hopeful and complex portrait of a society rooted in collectivism.”

Naomi Klein, The Week

“Le Guin’s most philosophical novel. . . . The Dispossessed is a study of character, ideology and the constant of change." — New York Times



Product Details
ISBN: 9780060512750
ISBN-10: 006051275X
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Publication Date: June 10th, 2014
Pages: 400
Language: English
Series: Hainish Cycle