Why people recommend it
Ursula K. Le Guin's acclaimed science fiction novel The Left Hand of Darkness explores a genderless human society on a distant ice planet. Jerry Jonas recommended the 1969 novel on The Book Review, noting that everyone should read it, and mentioned that he originally read it during the sixties. Tyler Cowen also discussed the book in multiple episodes of Conversations with Tyler, engaging with guests like Ada Palmer and Jerusalem Demsas. Cowen noted that the novel presents a thought experiment where peace is achieved by altering human biology so that people possess genders only a fraction of the time, prompting discussions on whether Le Guin's fiction suggests that narrowing or abolishing gender distinctions is the sole path to eliminating war and achieving lasting societal harmony.
Who recommended it
- Jerry Jonas Recommended
- Tyler Cowen Discussed
Jerry Jonas — 2 mentions
“I guess the leftand of Darkness and when was that published 1969”
“no onew the left hand of darkness which I think everyone should read and why”
Tyler Cowen — 2 mentions
“In Ursula Le Guin, if you read the major novels At least in the fiction, there seems to be this suggestion that the only way you can get rid of war is to really narrow or abolish or limit distinctions between men and women. Do you think that's in you know, Left Hand of Darkness or Dispossessed?”
“I think she is and left hand of darkness which I assume you know the way you get peace is by having genders that only are capable of sex a small percentage of the time and the implication is that's the one thing you have to do that will get you peace and nothing else will work”