Changes

I can't see the Vietnam allegory being the problem here, however blatant it is and however dated it may be. No, we still get the feel to watch ''Apocalypse Now'' every now and again and it's not bound to date. This book, though, has, and not just because it's been pretty much usurped, to borrow another cinematic metaphor, by ''Avatar''. The varying chapters are fine at bringing the different mindsets to play – human and other – but too many of the characters have to have Basil Exposition-styled interior monologues to get the story points across, and that doesn't work. There's the way humans are racist – not only amongst their own species, but against other intelligent life-forms, even those that are linked to us through a planet-populating mutual ancestor. There's the way the book is part of a greater le Guin universe, so we're given too light a short-hand introduction to all the characters, meaning some only get seen in a clear way through a bigoted commentary from our anti-hero and not through the storytelling.

Still, despite that there remain plusses that do make the book worth a quick look – and it's not hugely long by many genre standards. The whole world of the indigenous peoples comes across very nicely, through both ends of the lens shone on it. There's the whole character of the main human, Davidson – even if, like me, you hold no truck with the idea women should not be expected to write great male characters and vice versa, this is a fine creation. And the plot isn't as one-note or formulaic as things would have you suggest. In the end, though, for me , the book was proselytising too much – too clearly written for conveying a political point – to be completely entertaining.

I must thank the publishers for my review copy. We also have a review of [[The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose by Ursula K Le Guin]].

We think [[The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin]] is a much more successful visit to this universe. Any other fans wishing to catch-up with the whole genre should examine [[What Makes This Book So Great: Re-Reading The Classics Of Science Fiction And Fantasy by Jo Walton]]. You might also enjoy [[Bill, the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison]].