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Hainish Cycle#1-3
Worlds of Exile and Illusion: Rocannon’s World, Planet of Exile, City of Illusions
THREE REMARKABLE JOURNEYS INTO THE STARS. These novels, Rocannon's world, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions, are set in the same Hanish universe as Le Guin's groundbreaking classic, The Left hand of Darkness, which told the story of Genly Ai, a man from Earth, a lone human emissary sent as an envoy to the planet Winter, a world without sexual prejudice, to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization...a civilization full of politics and a convoluted bureaucracy.
Contents:
Rocannon's World [Hainish] (1966) / novel by Ursula K. Le Guin: A world shared by three native humanoid races, the cavern-dwelling Gdemiar, elvish Fiia, and warrior clan Liuar, is suddenly invaded and conquered by a fleet of ships from the stars. Earth scientist Rocannon is on that world, and he sees his friends murdered and his spaceship destroyed. Marooned among alien peoples, he leads the battle to free this new world -- and finds that legends grow around him even as he fights.
Planet of Exile [Hainish] (1966) / novel by Ursula K. Le Guin: The Earth colony of Landin has been stranded on Werel for ten years, and ten of Werel's years are over 600 terrestrial years. The lonely & dwindling human settlement is beginning to feel the strain. Every winter, a season that lasts for 15 years, the Earthmen have neighbors: the humanoid hilfs, a nomadic people who only settle down for the cruel cold spell. The hilfs fear the Earthmen, whom they think of as witches and call the farborns. But hilfs & farborns have common enemies: the hordes of ravaging barbarians called gaals and eerie preying snow ghouls. Will they join forces or be annihilated?
City of Illusions [Hainish] (1967) / novel by Ursula K. Le Guin: He was a fully grown man, alone in dense forest, with no trail to show where he had come from and no memory to tell who, or what, he was. His eyes were not the eyes of a human. The forest people took him in and raised him almost as a child, teaching him to speak, training him in forest lore, giving him all the knowledge they had. But they could not solve the riddle of his past, and at last he had to set out on a perilous quest to Es Toch, the City of the Shining, the Liars of Earth, the Enemy of Mankind. There he would find his true self...and a universe of danger.
Tor is pleased to return these previously unavailable works to print in this attractive new edition.
Contents:
Rocannon's World [Hainish] (1966) / novel by Ursula K. Le Guin: A world shared by three native humanoid races, the cavern-dwelling Gdemiar, elvish Fiia, and warrior clan Liuar, is suddenly invaded and conquered by a fleet of ships from the stars. Earth scientist Rocannon is on that world, and he sees his friends murdered and his spaceship destroyed. Marooned among alien peoples, he leads the battle to free this new world -- and finds that legends grow around him even as he fights.
Planet of Exile [Hainish] (1966) / novel by Ursula K. Le Guin: The Earth colony of Landin has been stranded on Werel for ten years, and ten of Werel's years are over 600 terrestrial years. The lonely & dwindling human settlement is beginning to feel the strain. Every winter, a season that lasts for 15 years, the Earthmen have neighbors: the humanoid hilfs, a nomadic people who only settle down for the cruel cold spell. The hilfs fear the Earthmen, whom they think of as witches and call the farborns. But hilfs & farborns have common enemies: the hordes of ravaging barbarians called gaals and eerie preying snow ghouls. Will they join forces or be annihilated?
City of Illusions [Hainish] (1967) / novel by Ursula K. Le Guin: He was a fully grown man, alone in dense forest, with no trail to show where he had come from and no memory to tell who, or what, he was. His eyes were not the eyes of a human. The forest people took him in and raised him almost as a child, teaching him to speak, training him in forest lore, giving him all the knowledge they had. But they could not solve the riddle of his past, and at last he had to set out on a perilous quest to Es Toch, the City of the Shining, the Liars of Earth, the Enemy of Mankind. There he would find his true self...and a universe of danger.
Tor is pleased to return these previously unavailable works to print in this attractive new edition.
370 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
About the author
Ursula K. Le Guin
975books26.3kfollowersUrsula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novelLavinia,an essay collection,Cheek by Jowl,andThe Wild Girls.She lived in Portland, Oregon.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness,The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling,The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" andThe Tellingbut even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness,The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling,The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" andThe Tellingbut even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
August 27, 2019
These are incredible. Once again, I'm in awe of Le Guin.
The opening of the first book alone is worth the price. I thought it was breath taking, an incredibly thoughtful piece of alien civilizations in contact.
And wow, if you thought science fantasy was a relatively new genre, here you go. Le Guin was always ahead of her time.
Now I'm excited to find other lesser known gems of hers because apparently everything she wrote was worth reading.
The opening of the first book alone is worth the price. I thought it was breath taking, an incredibly thoughtful piece of alien civilizations in contact.
And wow, if you thought science fantasy was a relatively new genre, here you go. Le Guin was always ahead of her time.
Now I'm excited to find other lesser known gems of hers because apparently everything she wrote was worth reading.
October 20, 2015
I am glad I made the decision to read the Hainish cycle from the start, even though I owe this to my OCD reading style. While each novel is entirely capable of standing alone, has very different protagonists and raises very different issues, the continuity of the world-building was satisfying. I especially liked how protagonists from each novel became so legendary that they are mentioned much later in time in subsequent novels. The ethical concerns become deeper and more elaborate over the course of the cycle. To me what's most impressive is how deftly Le Guin navigates and celebrates cultural difference.
February 16, 2022
“Why hide? The army using the planet as their base for interstellar warfare were not going to be very badly scared by the sight of ten men and five overgrown housecats bobbing in the rain in a pair of leaky boats…”
Rocannon's World - 4*
Originally published in 1966,Rocannon's Worldwas Le Guin's literary debut and her introduction to the Hainish Cycle. The premise of the Hainish Cycle is that the Hain, a post-Earth human society, have seeded the galaxy with new colonies and after thousands of years they are returning to the seeded planets to check in on them. One such planet is Fomalhaut II, a temperate planet in a binary system with four moons (not that important to the story, but cool for a sci-fi nerd). FII is home to two documented intelligent species, one split into two sub-species and one split into two distinct races.
Our protagonist is Rocannon, a member of the League of All Worlds (the organization comprising the Hainish and cooperative intelligent species) Ethnological Survey and the fella in charge of the survey of Fomalhaut II. After falling victim to an attack by an organization rebelling against the LAW, Rocannon (the lone survivor) is stranded on the planet with no way of contacting home and so he sets his sights on finding the enemy base and using their ansible to send back a warning regarding their presence on the planet.
Rocannon makes for a great protagonist, in large part due to his relationships with the various characters he spends time with on his mission and through his eyes we get to learn a lot about the peoples of Fomalhaut II, the landscape and the wider political elements of life in the Hainish galaxy.
Due to the technology level of the world, the plot essentially becomes a typical fantasy journey plot though it still has some sci-fi interspersed with Rocannon's knowledge of life outside of FII and some of the technology he and the enemy carries. Le Guin did a great job of creating a world to house this story that while not completely unlike our own has enough alien-ness to it that the journey through it leads to some interesting reveals, particularly the unusual creatures found on the planet.
I had a great time reading this one, in particular the scene where Rocannon and his companions attack a castle on their flying cats, and I'm excited to visit other planets in the subsequent two novellas before I move on to the Hainish novels.
World of Exile - 2*
After enjoying the previous novella so much, my feelings on this one are as surprising as they are disappointing. I don't even have the energy to type out a long review. Basically you have some League humans exiled on a planet I can't even remember the name of and they share this planet with an offshoot of the main human species that lives in a tribal society. There's some exploration of sexual politics but beyond that there's hardly any substance and certainly nothing that's interesting or entertaining. By the end of this novella I had found nothing to care about and was extremely relieved to be done with it.
City of Illusions - DNF @ Chapter 4.I'll come back to it after I've read some of Le Guin's other work, which I'm keen to get to.
Rocannon's World - 4*
Originally published in 1966,Rocannon's Worldwas Le Guin's literary debut and her introduction to the Hainish Cycle. The premise of the Hainish Cycle is that the Hain, a post-Earth human society, have seeded the galaxy with new colonies and after thousands of years they are returning to the seeded planets to check in on them. One such planet is Fomalhaut II, a temperate planet in a binary system with four moons (not that important to the story, but cool for a sci-fi nerd). FII is home to two documented intelligent species, one split into two sub-species and one split into two distinct races.
Our protagonist is Rocannon, a member of the League of All Worlds (the organization comprising the Hainish and cooperative intelligent species) Ethnological Survey and the fella in charge of the survey of Fomalhaut II. After falling victim to an attack by an organization rebelling against the LAW, Rocannon (the lone survivor) is stranded on the planet with no way of contacting home and so he sets his sights on finding the enemy base and using their ansible to send back a warning regarding their presence on the planet.
Rocannon makes for a great protagonist, in large part due to his relationships with the various characters he spends time with on his mission and through his eyes we get to learn a lot about the peoples of Fomalhaut II, the landscape and the wider political elements of life in the Hainish galaxy.
Due to the technology level of the world, the plot essentially becomes a typical fantasy journey plot though it still has some sci-fi interspersed with Rocannon's knowledge of life outside of FII and some of the technology he and the enemy carries. Le Guin did a great job of creating a world to house this story that while not completely unlike our own has enough alien-ness to it that the journey through it leads to some interesting reveals, particularly the unusual creatures found on the planet.
I had a great time reading this one, in particular the scene where Rocannon and his companions attack a castle on their flying cats, and I'm excited to visit other planets in the subsequent two novellas before I move on to the Hainish novels.
World of Exile - 2*
After enjoying the previous novella so much, my feelings on this one are as surprising as they are disappointing. I don't even have the energy to type out a long review. Basically you have some League humans exiled on a planet I can't even remember the name of and they share this planet with an offshoot of the main human species that lives in a tribal society. There's some exploration of sexual politics but beyond that there's hardly any substance and certainly nothing that's interesting or entertaining. By the end of this novella I had found nothing to care about and was extremely relieved to be done with it.
City of Illusions - DNF @ Chapter 4.I'll come back to it after I've read some of Le Guin's other work, which I'm keen to get to.
June 2, 2011
Just finished the first of these, Rocannon's World, and enjoyed it a great deal. This is very early LeGuin, and her powers, while evident, are not yet fully developed here. It's rather interesting the number of different societies she sites on this single world, with multiple intelligent building and technology-using species. In many ways it's much more a typical or even formula science fiction story than her usual. But still you can hear her sparse poetic voice, her simple language that goes straight to the heart and spirit, and the power of her words. She was showing us then what she would become, a master writer, adept, wizard, mage. She has the sort of deep and simple wisdom that the earth has, or the water, just a pure and powerful presence that shines through behind and despite, even, the words. All her work comes highly recommended from me. I've started the second novel, Planet of Exile, already.
(Later) Planet of Exile is better than the first novel. It was a page turner. Not sure when this was originally published, but it must be an early work of hers because the language is the old sexist language that used to be standard until the 1970s or 80s. She uses "man" for "human" and so on. All the leaders of both societies shown are male. In many ways this is pre-gender-awakened UKL. She did have a great female viewpoint character who was very strong and definite in her choices and actions. I liked her a great deal. We can also see the beginnings of UKL's later moral complexity. Her characters are thoughtful but very much people of their time and place. However, the badguys aren't really shown at all. They aren't given any real humanity in the book, or not that any of her viewpoint characters are exposed to. They are rather like orcs, attacking in huge numbers and pretty easy to kill. This changes later in UKL's work, as pretty much all the characters are shown as real people, and even given sympathetic viewpoints which are nevertheless in conflict with the main characters. That is a hallmark of her later work, I think. In this one there's still a feeling of being more of a standard, normal work of science fiction. Her palpable sense of reality is starting to develop here, and her ability to show nuanced emotions and make us really feel them is still in nascent form. The love story in this one is nice, but not as organic and convincing as her love stories usually are. She's at the early stages, here, of learning how to say so much so powerfully without using words, as she does later.
Between the first and second novel in this book, I also reread the Annals of the Western Shore trilogy and loved it. UKL continues to develop as a writer, getting better and better with time. Now on to novel 3 in this book, which is called City of Illusions.
(later still) Just finished the last one, City of Illusions, and here she's getting to be a very good writer. I really couldn't put it down from the first to the end. Within the first page I already cared about the viewpoint character, and his family, the group with which he shared a home. By the way, these novels were written in the 1960s, so that explains the jarring sexism that runs through them, even though, obviously, written by a woman. The main characters are mostly male, the actors and do-ers, the ones we identify with. The women are strangely passive throughout, with a few notable exceptions. Hard to believe things can change so profoundly about our worldview in a few decades, and what an enormous relief it is to see how much better things have become in that time.
UKL's made up words have always sounded to me not at all made up. They're like Tolkien's words. They're part of the fabric of the world she's telling about, discovered and not invented. In this story, though, while there are many of the organic, realistic names and words, a few strike me as odd and made-up-sounding. There's also a false note of cheeziness introduced by the reference to the Tao Te Ching, all that far in the future long after the fall of any civilization we know. This brought to mind, hilariously, Captain Kirk reciting the preamble to the U.S. Constitution in the year 26 hundred whatever, apparently a cherished document of Federation history. UKL is a philosophical Taoist, of course, and it's rather sweet that she invokes its central text, but also somewhat of a false note to my ear. The more experienced UKL who wrote the Earthsea books never hit any notes that didn't ring completely clear to me. So it's rather neat to see her development.
Though I seem to be finding a lot to complain about here, that's deceptive. I loved this third novel, and on the basis of it I believe I'll raise my rating another star. The things that matter most she gets exactly right here. An uncanny ability to make me care about a character within the first couple of pages of the story, and a narrative that has depth, originality, variety, and great interest. Definitely recommended for fans of UKL, and for science fiction fans in general! This is a fascinating read.
(Later) Planet of Exile is better than the first novel. It was a page turner. Not sure when this was originally published, but it must be an early work of hers because the language is the old sexist language that used to be standard until the 1970s or 80s. She uses "man" for "human" and so on. All the leaders of both societies shown are male. In many ways this is pre-gender-awakened UKL. She did have a great female viewpoint character who was very strong and definite in her choices and actions. I liked her a great deal. We can also see the beginnings of UKL's later moral complexity. Her characters are thoughtful but very much people of their time and place. However, the badguys aren't really shown at all. They aren't given any real humanity in the book, or not that any of her viewpoint characters are exposed to. They are rather like orcs, attacking in huge numbers and pretty easy to kill. This changes later in UKL's work, as pretty much all the characters are shown as real people, and even given sympathetic viewpoints which are nevertheless in conflict with the main characters. That is a hallmark of her later work, I think. In this one there's still a feeling of being more of a standard, normal work of science fiction. Her palpable sense of reality is starting to develop here, and her ability to show nuanced emotions and make us really feel them is still in nascent form. The love story in this one is nice, but not as organic and convincing as her love stories usually are. She's at the early stages, here, of learning how to say so much so powerfully without using words, as she does later.
Between the first and second novel in this book, I also reread the Annals of the Western Shore trilogy and loved it. UKL continues to develop as a writer, getting better and better with time. Now on to novel 3 in this book, which is called City of Illusions.
(later still) Just finished the last one, City of Illusions, and here she's getting to be a very good writer. I really couldn't put it down from the first to the end. Within the first page I already cared about the viewpoint character, and his family, the group with which he shared a home. By the way, these novels were written in the 1960s, so that explains the jarring sexism that runs through them, even though, obviously, written by a woman. The main characters are mostly male, the actors and do-ers, the ones we identify with. The women are strangely passive throughout, with a few notable exceptions. Hard to believe things can change so profoundly about our worldview in a few decades, and what an enormous relief it is to see how much better things have become in that time.
UKL's made up words have always sounded to me not at all made up. They're like Tolkien's words. They're part of the fabric of the world she's telling about, discovered and not invented. In this story, though, while there are many of the organic, realistic names and words, a few strike me as odd and made-up-sounding. There's also a false note of cheeziness introduced by the reference to the Tao Te Ching, all that far in the future long after the fall of any civilization we know. This brought to mind, hilariously, Captain Kirk reciting the preamble to the U.S. Constitution in the year 26 hundred whatever, apparently a cherished document of Federation history. UKL is a philosophical Taoist, of course, and it's rather sweet that she invokes its central text, but also somewhat of a false note to my ear. The more experienced UKL who wrote the Earthsea books never hit any notes that didn't ring completely clear to me. So it's rather neat to see her development.
Though I seem to be finding a lot to complain about here, that's deceptive. I loved this third novel, and on the basis of it I believe I'll raise my rating another star. The things that matter most she gets exactly right here. An uncanny ability to make me care about a character within the first couple of pages of the story, and a narrative that has depth, originality, variety, and great interest. Definitely recommended for fans of UKL, and for science fiction fans in general! This is a fascinating read.
July 26, 2022
I gave this book 4 stars because the beginning can be a bit off putting. But don’t give up. The rest of the book is wonderful.
I enjoyed the ways how LeGuin described many things in detail. It helps you wrap your mind around the events of the story.
The parts of the Hainish Series that I haven’t gotten to yet are definitely now added to my TBR.
I enjoyed the ways how LeGuin described many things in detail. It helps you wrap your mind around the events of the story.
The parts of the Hainish Series that I haven’t gotten to yet are definitely now added to my TBR.
January 13, 2024
Три много ранни, но много хубави стегнати, остри и пищни фантастики на Ле Гуин.
В”Светът на Роканон”последният оцелял от изследователска експедиция на екзотична планета се бори за живота си. 4,5⭐️
В”Планета на изгнаници”зимата иде и носи ужаси, а добрият стар Джордж Р.Р. Мартин с неговия огън и лед е много обиколки назад спрямо старата дама Ле Гуин. 5⭐️
В”Градът на илюзиите”един странник се събужда без никакви спомени. 4⭐️
Оцеляване, еволюция, избор, прогрес, самоличност са само за загрявка в необятния Космос.
Броя това за първа среща с Ле Гуин, въпреки “Землемория”, която ми беше потресаващо скучна. И напред към втората тройка на Хейнския цикъл.
April 18, 2022
3.0 Stars
The Hainish Cycle is an incredibly famous classic science fiction series. Yet, I feel like everyone (myself included) only reads the Left Hand of Darkness even though it's technically the fourth book in a series. So I was very grateful for the opportunity to finally read the first three books.
The Hainish Cycle is a companion series so it can be read in any order. Personally I found The Left Hand of Darkness to be the strongest of the series so I understand why it's commonly the recommendation where to start. Each of the books is set on a different planet, following a different character.
If you enjoy the slow anthropological aspects of Le Guin's work then you will likely enjoy those same elements in this book. The author admitted that she was not big on plot. Instead these novels explore ideas and reflect on aspects of humanity. Admittedly I prefer more narrative driven fiction, but I can still appreciate her prose.
If you are fan of Le Guin or simply looking to expand your experience with classic, then you may want to check out these stories. While not a personal favourite, I was still grateful to the opportunity to read them.
Disclaimer I received a copy of the new Essential bindup edition.
The Hainish Cycle is an incredibly famous classic science fiction series. Yet, I feel like everyone (myself included) only reads the Left Hand of Darkness even though it's technically the fourth book in a series. So I was very grateful for the opportunity to finally read the first three books.
The Hainish Cycle is a companion series so it can be read in any order. Personally I found The Left Hand of Darkness to be the strongest of the series so I understand why it's commonly the recommendation where to start. Each of the books is set on a different planet, following a different character.
If you enjoy the slow anthropological aspects of Le Guin's work then you will likely enjoy those same elements in this book. The author admitted that she was not big on plot. Instead these novels explore ideas and reflect on aspects of humanity. Admittedly I prefer more narrative driven fiction, but I can still appreciate her prose.
If you are fan of Le Guin or simply looking to expand your experience with classic, then you may want to check out these stories. While not a personal favourite, I was still grateful to the opportunity to read them.
Disclaimer I received a copy of the new Essential bindup edition.
April 18, 2020
Rocannon’s World
⇝ 3.5 stars
Planet of Exile ⇝ 3 stars
City of Illusions ⇝ 4.5 stars
Planet of Exile ⇝ 3 stars
City of Illusions ⇝ 4.5 stars
January 8, 2021
Marvelous planetary romances, not to be missed.
35 years on, Planet of Exile hasn't aged a bit. As I just rediscovered [in 2003] -- my copy (with an evocative Josh Kirby cover) dates from the early 70's, and I don't recall rereading it since then. I was prompted to do so by a recent reread of her stunning "Semley's Necklace" (1964), another story in Le Guin's Hainish universe, which she recycled as the prologue to Rocannon's World.
While Planet of Exile doesn't have the depth or complexity of her best work, this is a grand, mythic story of love and death; fear of the stranger, and the sad consequences; a bitter battle to save one's home; the joys and ashes of victory. And the grey, grinding cold of Great Winter: 5,000-some days of darkness, cold and ice (UKL does winters really well). Strong stuff. My God, this was her apprentice work!
The rest of Rocannon's World, after "Semley's Necklace", isn't up to Planet of Exile, but is very readable. I haven't reread City of Illusions recently, but recall enjoying it way back when.
The review you should read is Jo Walton's. One of her better ones!
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/03/thre...
35 years on, Planet of Exile hasn't aged a bit. As I just rediscovered [in 2003] -- my copy (with an evocative Josh Kirby cover) dates from the early 70's, and I don't recall rereading it since then. I was prompted to do so by a recent reread of her stunning "Semley's Necklace" (1964), another story in Le Guin's Hainish universe, which she recycled as the prologue to Rocannon's World.
While Planet of Exile doesn't have the depth or complexity of her best work, this is a grand, mythic story of love and death; fear of the stranger, and the sad consequences; a bitter battle to save one's home; the joys and ashes of victory. And the grey, grinding cold of Great Winter: 5,000-some days of darkness, cold and ice (UKL does winters really well). Strong stuff. My God, this was her apprentice work!
The rest of Rocannon's World, after "Semley's Necklace", isn't up to Planet of Exile, but is very readable. I haven't reread City of Illusions recently, but recall enjoying it way back when.
The review you should read is Jo Walton's. One of her better ones!
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/03/thre...
June 20, 2022
Este libro es una recopilación de 3 novelas que se publicó en inglés de esta forma y también está traducido en español. Me resulta raro que hayan hecho esto dos veces con los libros delciclo Hainishpara englobarlos en este libro y en el que leí antesLos mundos de Ursula K. Le Guin.En esta ocasión este tomo incluye los siguientes que he reseñado individualmente:
►El mundo de Rocannon (Ciclo Hainish, #1)
►Planeta de exilio (Ciclo Hainish, #2)
►La ciudad de las ilusiones (Ciclo Hainish, #3)
A este tomo que ya está descatalogado en digital que es como yo me lo compré y que lo mismo lo podéis encontrar de segunda mano en papel le doy4 estrellas ****y me parece un complemento interesante e imprescindible a sus dos principales novelas de ciencia ficción como son las premiadas «Los desposeídos» y «La mano izquierda de la oscuridad».
Una curiosidad es que aunque la numeraciónciclo Hainishes en orden de publicación,la propia autora recomienda en su web leerlos en cualquier orden.Sin embargo, hay un orden más o menos como lo he leído yo y que sería:
► Los desposeídos (Ciclo Hainish #6)
► El nombre del mundo es Bosque (Ciclo Hainish #5)
► El mundo de Rocannon (Ciclo Hainish #1)
► Planeta de exilio (Ciclo Hainish #2)
► La ciudad de las ilusiones (Ciclo Hainish #3)
► La mano izquierda de la oscuridad (Ciclo Hainish #4)
En realidad leí «La mano izquierda de la oscuridad» el tercero, pero creo que hubiese estado mejor como final del ciclo.
►El mundo de Rocannon (Ciclo Hainish, #1)
►Planeta de exilio (Ciclo Hainish, #2)
►La ciudad de las ilusiones (Ciclo Hainish, #3)
A este tomo que ya está descatalogado en digital que es como yo me lo compré y que lo mismo lo podéis encontrar de segunda mano en papel le doy4 estrellas ****y me parece un complemento interesante e imprescindible a sus dos principales novelas de ciencia ficción como son las premiadas «Los desposeídos» y «La mano izquierda de la oscuridad».
Una curiosidad es que aunque la numeraciónciclo Hainishes en orden de publicación,la propia autora recomienda en su web leerlos en cualquier orden.Sin embargo, hay un orden más o menos como lo he leído yo y que sería:
► Los desposeídos (Ciclo Hainish #6)
► El nombre del mundo es Bosque (Ciclo Hainish #5)
► El mundo de Rocannon (Ciclo Hainish #1)
► Planeta de exilio (Ciclo Hainish #2)
► La ciudad de las ilusiones (Ciclo Hainish #3)
► La mano izquierda de la oscuridad (Ciclo Hainish #4)
En realidad leí «La mano izquierda de la oscuridad» el tercero, pero creo que hubiese estado mejor como final del ciclo.
October 30, 2015
Am așteptat cu mare nerăbdare acest volum încă de când s-a anunțat că va apărea și la noi în traducere, pentru că este un ciclu ce n-a fost niciodată publicat începând cu primul volum. Așteptarea a meritat, pentru că Urslua Le Guin creează lumi absolut fascinante în interiorul unor lumi la fel de fascinante, și asta nu în romane de mare întindere, de 500-600 de pagini, ci în trei nuvele care de-abia se întind pe 400 și ceva de pagini. Însă scriitura este atât de densă și de compactă, plină de idei și de întrebări, încât simți că participi la un adevărat maraton. De genialitate, bineînțeles. Un pic datate nuvelele, dar la fel de profunde. Recenzia, aici:https://fansf.wordpress.com/2015/10/3....
July 1, 2021
It's so difficult to describe Ursula LeGuin's writing style. Sometimes I feel as if she's shoved me off a cliff, and I am falling into an unfamiliar world, snatching at fragments, descending through darkness and stars and treetops. At other times it seems that she speaks from an immeasurably great distance, that I'm straining with all that's in me to hear and understand her. Such is the sharp, spare complexity of her writing.
This collection was remarkable.
This collection was remarkable.
May 20, 2021
Worlds of Exile and Illusionis an omnibus of three different stories set in theHainish Cycle:Rocannon’s World,Planet of Exile,andCity of Illusions.I decided to work through the series in more-or-less publication order, which is my usual preference, and these three were published first. The stories each stand alone, but each has some connection with the story that came before it.
All three stories focus on a different person or group of people stuck on a planet that is not their home, facing some sort of adversity. I enjoyed them pretty well. It’s been several years since I’ve read any Le Guin, but she had a great ability to create interesting settings and stories. Her characters are often interesting to read about too, although some work for me better than others.
Of the three stories, I think I likedCity of Illusionsthe best. The story starts with a man stumbling out of the forest, incapable of speech, knowing and remembering nothing. I enjoyed the mystery of speculating where he came from and what happened to him, and seeing where his adventures took him. I did enjoyRocannon’s Worldquite a lot, and that actually may be the one that held my attention the most consistently while I was reading it, but.The middle story,Planet of Exile,didn’t do much for me and it took me quite a while to get through that one.
My interest fluctuated while I read though the omnibus, and I often found it easy to put down, although at other times it held my attention fully. Part of it was probably just lack of reading time and/or the distraction of other activities I needed or wanted to spend some time on. I don’t have anything tangible to complain about, except that the endings were a bit too open-ended for my tastes. Each one left me unsatisfied as I wondered, “but what happens next?” The 2nd and 3rd stories do give some hints to that for the previous stories, but nothing very substantial.
I’m going to rate this at 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding down to 3 on Goodreads.
All three stories focus on a different person or group of people stuck on a planet that is not their home, facing some sort of adversity. I enjoyed them pretty well. It’s been several years since I’ve read any Le Guin, but she had a great ability to create interesting settings and stories. Her characters are often interesting to read about too, although some work for me better than others.
Of the three stories, I think I likedCity of Illusionsthe best. The story starts with a man stumbling out of the forest, incapable of speech, knowing and remembering nothing. I enjoyed the mystery of speculating where he came from and what happened to him, and seeing where his adventures took him. I did enjoyRocannon’s Worldquite a lot, and that actually may be the one that held my attention the most consistently while I was reading it, but.The middle story,Planet of Exile,didn’t do much for me and it took me quite a while to get through that one.
My interest fluctuated while I read though the omnibus, and I often found it easy to put down, although at other times it held my attention fully. Part of it was probably just lack of reading time and/or the distraction of other activities I needed or wanted to spend some time on. I don’t have anything tangible to complain about, except that the endings were a bit too open-ended for my tastes. Each one left me unsatisfied as I wondered, “but what happens next?” The 2nd and 3rd stories do give some hints to that for the previous stories, but nothing very substantial.
I’m going to rate this at 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding down to 3 on Goodreads.
March 1, 2024
https://www.instagram.com/p/C30d112oY...
„Лявата ръка на мрака” на Урсула Ле Гуин,изд. Бард, превод Силвана Миланова, Катя Манчева, Юлиян Стойнов. Изданието, което притежавам съдържа 3 книги, които си част от Хейнския цикъл.
Първи досег с творчеството на Урсула Ле Гуин в месеца на научната фантастика. Книгата контрастира доста от предходните ми четива.
Историята е в неопределено бъдеще, където космоса е подвластен на Вселенския съюз, който води дългогодишна война и при инвазия на нов свят Съюза го привлича на негова страна. В "Лявата ръка на мрака" действието се развива на планетата Зима (или Гетен), както я наричат местните. Планета с дълъг цикъл на зимата, което е една от причините за липсата на технологичен прогрес.
Стилът на писане на Урсула е доста типичен за 90те години, може да се усети духа на класическото епично фентъзи на Толкин, Маргарет Вайс и Робърт Джордан. Изключително уютно се чувствам в света на Хейнския цикъл създаден от Ле Гуин през повечето време имах усещането, че чета "Приказка без край" на Михаел Енде, особено в книга първа. Няма как да не отбележа, че в началото историята тръгва мудно, типично за всеки добре изградена свят няма инфо дъмпинг, но това естествено изисква усилия да навлезе ритъма на историята. За разлика от доста "класици" в жанра Ле Гуин пише много поетично с прекрасни описания на природни картини.
В "Лявата ръка на мрака" естествено се засягат доста философски, социални и етични въпроси. На първо място местното население е патриархално, които до някъде се намеква, че е причината за технологичен прогрес. Хората са безполови, липсвата мъжка тестостеронова агресия и макар, че на планетата има престъпления, те са "дребни" и липсват войни.
Сякаш не бих могла да препоръчам книгата освен, ако не сте фен на фантастиката преди 2000 година. Книгата на моменти е доста нелогична и трудна може разберем идеята на автора. За мен красивия език на Урсула Ле Гуин беше елемента, който изнесе историята. Към момента разбиранията за пола и еманципацията сякаш няма да си харесат на масовата публика поради липсата на скандалност, но пък лично аз не съм намирала книга с връзка между технологичния скок и правата на жените, което е повод за доста интересна дискусия
„Лявата ръка на мрака” на Урсула Ле Гуин,изд. Бард, превод Силвана Миланова, Катя Манчева, Юлиян Стойнов. Изданието, което притежавам съдържа 3 книги, които си част от Хейнския цикъл.
Първи досег с творчеството на Урсула Ле Гуин в месеца на научната фантастика. Книгата контрастира доста от предходните ми четива.
Историята е в неопределено бъдеще, където космоса е подвластен на Вселенския съюз, който води дългогодишна война и при инвазия на нов свят Съюза го привлича на негова страна. В "Лявата ръка на мрака" действието се развива на планетата Зима (или Гетен), както я наричат местните. Планета с дълъг цикъл на зимата, което е една от причините за липсата на технологичен прогрес.
Стилът на писане на Урсула е доста типичен за 90те години, може да се усети духа на класическото епично фентъзи на Толкин, Маргарет Вайс и Робърт Джордан. Изключително уютно се чувствам в света на Хейнския цикъл създаден от Ле Гуин през повечето време имах усещането, че чета "Приказка без край" на Михаел Енде, особено в книга първа. Няма как да не отбележа, че в началото историята тръгва мудно, типично за всеки добре изградена свят няма инфо дъмпинг, но това естествено изисква усилия да навлезе ритъма на историята. За разлика от доста "класици" в жанра Ле Гуин пише много поетично с прекрасни описания на природни картини.
В "Лявата ръка на мрака" естествено се засягат доста философски, социални и етични въпроси. На първо място местното население е патриархално, които до някъде се намеква, че е причината за технологичен прогрес. Хората са безполови, липсвата мъжка тестостеронова агресия и макар, че на планетата има престъпления, те са "дребни" и липсват войни.
Сякаш не бих могла да препоръчам книгата освен, ако не сте фен на фантастиката преди 2000 година. Книгата на моменти е доста нелогична и трудна може разберем идеята на автора. За мен красивия език на Урсула Ле Гуин беше елемента, който изнесе историята. Към момента разбиранията за пола и еманципацията сякаш няма да си харесат на масовата публика поради липсата на скандалност, но пък лично аз не съм намирала книга с връзка между технологичния скок и правата на жените, което е повод за доста интересна дискусия
March 30, 2022
This bind-up includes the first three novels Le Guin ever published and they are well worth the read. Each book stands alone, but they are connected by existing in the same universe and sharing characteristics such as mind-speaking abilities. Each is set on a different planet, using elements of anthropology to explore ideas about culture and humanity.
Rocannon's World blends science fiction and fantasy in a way that was groundbreaking for the time it was published. Set on a world with medieval levels of development, it follows a woman who goes on an epic journey to recover a lost gem, and along the way encounters travelers from space, there to study her planet and the species on it.
Planet of Exile follows a group of humans struggling to survive and make a place for themselves on a planet where one complete rotation lasts the length of a person's life. We see how that impacts the cultural practices of the people native to the planet.
Finally City of Illusions takes place generations after the events of Planet of Exile, following a man left in the woods of a future Earth with no memory of who he is or his live before.
I don't want to say much more, but these books are all fascinating, inventive, and casually diverse. There are a few places that don't entirely hold up to current standards of what is appropriate but overall, this is a really solid set of books written in the 1960's. I've enjoyed finally diving into more of Le Guin's writing and look forward to continuing with that. Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review, all opinions are my own.
Rocannon's World blends science fiction and fantasy in a way that was groundbreaking for the time it was published. Set on a world with medieval levels of development, it follows a woman who goes on an epic journey to recover a lost gem, and along the way encounters travelers from space, there to study her planet and the species on it.
Planet of Exile follows a group of humans struggling to survive and make a place for themselves on a planet where one complete rotation lasts the length of a person's life. We see how that impacts the cultural practices of the people native to the planet.
Finally City of Illusions takes place generations after the events of Planet of Exile, following a man left in the woods of a future Earth with no memory of who he is or his live before.
I don't want to say much more, but these books are all fascinating, inventive, and casually diverse. There are a few places that don't entirely hold up to current standards of what is appropriate but overall, this is a really solid set of books written in the 1960's. I've enjoyed finally diving into more of Le Guin's writing and look forward to continuing with that. Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review, all opinions are my own.
April 24, 2017
I'm reviewingRocannon's World.I'll get to the others later. [EDIT: Three years later! D'oh!]
I wouldn't put this up there with the likes ofThe Left Hand of DarknessorThe Dispossessed(two of my favorite books of all time), but it's not bad for LeGuin's first Hainish novel (and, I think, her first novel). This is an interesting mix of science fiction and mythic fantasy. Sometimes this kind of thing doesn't work for me, but here it does, maybe because of the interesting interactions between the off-world visitors and the inhabitants of what comes to be called Rocannon's World or maybe just because LeGuin is so good. As much as it pains me to criticize LeGuin, I did find the book slow going or hard to follow at times, but she makes it worthwhile and pulls off a satisfying - but not necessarily "happy" - ending.
Somehow it took me three years to get toPlanet of Exile,but I'm glad I did! Le Guin's writing style seems to have evolved slightly for the better in this one. It still has a mythic feel to it, but it's also a bit more lyrical and engaging. We meet two groups of people: the farborns (who descend from Hainish colonists who arrived hundred of years earlier) and the people of Tevar who are native to the planet. A young woman of Tevar, Rolery, sneaks into the farborn area where she meets several farborn including a young man named Agat. Eventually they fall in love and there are numerous tumultuous cross-cultural incidents. It turns out a third group, the Gaal, have assembled an army to attack both the Tevarans and the farborn, which serves to drive the plot more effectively than inRocannon's World.The most interesting part of the book for me is the idea that the farborn have been bound by the laws of their ancestors, one of which is somewhat like Star Trek's Prime Directive, although it also requires them to give up some of their own technology (like air cars). They retain a lot of basic scientific knowledge. A biochemical explanation for why they don't get local diseases is a big plot point, but could it be that they are finally adapting to their planet? Is their planet of exile becoming home? If Buddhists are right that everything is impermanent, is it folly to try to keep traditions unchanging or to wish that external influence won't change us? Do relationships inevitably change both partners in the relationship? These are just some of the deeper questions that the novel provokes, reminding me of why Le Guin is one of my all time favorites.
(See a version of this review on my blog:http://examinedworlds.blogspot.com/20...)
Onward toCity of Illusions!It took me awhile to get into this one, which is also the longest of the three but still relatively short (it feels longer than its 170 pages, but in a good way). Once I plunged a bit into its depths, I came to see that it's my favorite of the three. This feels just a bit closer to the heights of genius Le Guin achieved inThe Left Hand of Darkness,which was published just two years later. A novel that focuses so heavily on personal identity, memory, illusion, deception, and directly quotes theDao De Ching,all with the backdrop of the Hainish universe is pretty much guaranteed to be a favorite for me.
On a far future Earth, our protagonist (later called Falk) is found naked in the woods with no memory of his identity. He is physiologically different from the native Earthlings (with yellow cat eyes), but this sort of human variation is not unheard of in the Hainish universe since humans were seeded on numerous worlds in the deep past. Falk eventually becomes more-or-less integrated into the native Earth village, but eventually goes on a quest to understand his identity in the city of Es Toch. Eventually (skipping a lot here) he gets to the city and meets the Shing, the alien overlords of Earth (or so everyone believes). They offer to restore his original memory, which it seems they may be doing for less than entirely benevolent reasons. Their ability to "mind lie" and the story they tell to ensure their domination of Earth are just some of the many eponymous illusions. Also, restoring Falk's old memories might kill off his identity as Falk, thus presenting us with something like the personal identity issue of fusion/fission and the moral issue of whether it would be murder to kill off one identity to resume the other. And who is Falk anyway? The person he is now? The person he used to be? Both? Neither? Does it matter? This issue is also found in Total Recall/We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, although Le Guin's treatment of the issue is a bit more subtle than Dick's - this is Ursula Le Guin after all!
The plot is complicated for such a short novel and as usual with the Hainish novels, the reader gets the feeling that there's a lot more going on in the vast historical background than meets the eye, which is a necessary ingredient for any sufficiently believable universe. Le Guin's world building is right up there with Herbert's Dune or Tolkien's Middle Earth, although Le Guin does more with less than Herbert or Tolkien, relying mostly on hints and half-remembered legends than historical appendices or epigraphs.
The Daoist distrust of language comes through, too. The famous first lines of theDao De Chingare quoted directly. Not only can the true Dao not be named, the ability of mind lying shows that it can't even be telepathically transmitted! Nor is the Falk who can be named the true Falk! But then, who is he? While Le Guin is generally more drawn to the mystical/naturalist elements of Daoism (see especiallyThe Lathe of Heaven), the last page of the novel leaves us on a note more in line with Zhuangzi's playful skepticism than Laozi's inscrutable mystery.
Thus ends my three-year journey through these three books. Perhaps someday I'll finish all the Hainish novels, but then I have to ask in appropriately Le Guinian terms: can one ever finish reading Le Guin, or does one merely start again making a new beginning of an old ending?
I wouldn't put this up there with the likes ofThe Left Hand of DarknessorThe Dispossessed(two of my favorite books of all time), but it's not bad for LeGuin's first Hainish novel (and, I think, her first novel). This is an interesting mix of science fiction and mythic fantasy. Sometimes this kind of thing doesn't work for me, but here it does, maybe because of the interesting interactions between the off-world visitors and the inhabitants of what comes to be called Rocannon's World or maybe just because LeGuin is so good. As much as it pains me to criticize LeGuin, I did find the book slow going or hard to follow at times, but she makes it worthwhile and pulls off a satisfying - but not necessarily "happy" - ending.
Somehow it took me three years to get toPlanet of Exile,but I'm glad I did! Le Guin's writing style seems to have evolved slightly for the better in this one. It still has a mythic feel to it, but it's also a bit more lyrical and engaging. We meet two groups of people: the farborns (who descend from Hainish colonists who arrived hundred of years earlier) and the people of Tevar who are native to the planet. A young woman of Tevar, Rolery, sneaks into the farborn area where she meets several farborn including a young man named Agat. Eventually they fall in love and there are numerous tumultuous cross-cultural incidents. It turns out a third group, the Gaal, have assembled an army to attack both the Tevarans and the farborn, which serves to drive the plot more effectively than inRocannon's World.The most interesting part of the book for me is the idea that the farborn have been bound by the laws of their ancestors, one of which is somewhat like Star Trek's Prime Directive, although it also requires them to give up some of their own technology (like air cars). They retain a lot of basic scientific knowledge. A biochemical explanation for why they don't get local diseases is a big plot point, but could it be that they are finally adapting to their planet? Is their planet of exile becoming home? If Buddhists are right that everything is impermanent, is it folly to try to keep traditions unchanging or to wish that external influence won't change us? Do relationships inevitably change both partners in the relationship? These are just some of the deeper questions that the novel provokes, reminding me of why Le Guin is one of my all time favorites.
(See a version of this review on my blog:http://examinedworlds.blogspot.com/20...)
Onward toCity of Illusions!It took me awhile to get into this one, which is also the longest of the three but still relatively short (it feels longer than its 170 pages, but in a good way). Once I plunged a bit into its depths, I came to see that it's my favorite of the three. This feels just a bit closer to the heights of genius Le Guin achieved inThe Left Hand of Darkness,which was published just two years later. A novel that focuses so heavily on personal identity, memory, illusion, deception, and directly quotes theDao De Ching,all with the backdrop of the Hainish universe is pretty much guaranteed to be a favorite for me.
On a far future Earth, our protagonist (later called Falk) is found naked in the woods with no memory of his identity. He is physiologically different from the native Earthlings (with yellow cat eyes), but this sort of human variation is not unheard of in the Hainish universe since humans were seeded on numerous worlds in the deep past. Falk eventually becomes more-or-less integrated into the native Earth village, but eventually goes on a quest to understand his identity in the city of Es Toch. Eventually (skipping a lot here) he gets to the city and meets the Shing, the alien overlords of Earth (or so everyone believes). They offer to restore his original memory, which it seems they may be doing for less than entirely benevolent reasons. Their ability to "mind lie" and the story they tell to ensure their domination of Earth are just some of the many eponymous illusions. Also, restoring Falk's old memories might kill off his identity as Falk, thus presenting us with something like the personal identity issue of fusion/fission and the moral issue of whether it would be murder to kill off one identity to resume the other. And who is Falk anyway? The person he is now? The person he used to be? Both? Neither? Does it matter? This issue is also found in Total Recall/We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, although Le Guin's treatment of the issue is a bit more subtle than Dick's - this is Ursula Le Guin after all!
The plot is complicated for such a short novel and as usual with the Hainish novels, the reader gets the feeling that there's a lot more going on in the vast historical background than meets the eye, which is a necessary ingredient for any sufficiently believable universe. Le Guin's world building is right up there with Herbert's Dune or Tolkien's Middle Earth, although Le Guin does more with less than Herbert or Tolkien, relying mostly on hints and half-remembered legends than historical appendices or epigraphs.
The Daoist distrust of language comes through, too. The famous first lines of theDao De Chingare quoted directly. Not only can the true Dao not be named, the ability of mind lying shows that it can't even be telepathically transmitted! Nor is the Falk who can be named the true Falk! But then, who is he? While Le Guin is generally more drawn to the mystical/naturalist elements of Daoism (see especiallyThe Lathe of Heaven), the last page of the novel leaves us on a note more in line with Zhuangzi's playful skepticism than Laozi's inscrutable mystery.
Thus ends my three-year journey through these three books. Perhaps someday I'll finish all the Hainish novels, but then I have to ask in appropriately Le Guinian terms: can one ever finish reading Le Guin, or does one merely start again making a new beginning of an old ending?
July 9, 2008
This is actually reprinted in a collection called World’s of Exile and Illusion, which collects three of LeGuin’s earlier works into a single book. I haven’t gotten around to reading the other two yet, and since I’m not sure when I’ll get back to it, I figured I’d just review this one now. The publishing info/ISBN is for the collection.
All three books are part of LeGuin’s ongoing “Hanish” universe. The conceit of the universe is pretty simple; long ago, there was an enormous interstellar human empire (Hain), which collapsed (as empires are wont to do). Thousands of years later, the Hanish people are rediscovering their universe, and the lost colonies that have survived without them…some in very odd and interesting ways.
The Basics: Rocannon’s World is really a story in two parts. The prologue, which was originally published as “Semley's Necklace”, is a fairy tale with sci-fi trappings. It tells the story of the princess Semley, who goes on a quest to find her ancestral necklace. Her journey takes her to strange lands, and eventually into the kingdom of the Claymen, cave dwelling humanoids with fantastic technology. After much negotiation, they agree to take her to where the necklace is, and she is transported to a strange place, where she meets a man named Rocannon, who gives her the necklace, and sends her home. Though the journey lasts only a night, she returns to find that eight years have passed, and that her husband has since passed away.
That’s the prologue.
The rest of the book picks up years later, with the story of Rocannon himself, who is now living on that world, doing research on the people who live there. When a group of men with helicopters and other advanced weaponry begin destroying local villages, Rocannon sets out with some companions to try and stop them. Like the prologue, it’s a fantasy epic shrouded in sci-fi trappings (or perhaps the other way around). Rocannon’s technology makes him more powerful than mortal men, he encounters violent men, strange creatures, and has all sorts of adventures before finally reaching his destination.
The Good: As stated earlier, I love LeGuin’s prose. It’s just gorgeous. Very simple, but it flows beautifully. This is the sort of story you can just glide through, enjoying every minute of it, and not realizing just how many minutes it’s really been.
LeGuin is a great world builder, and while Rocannon’s World isn’t her most unique creation, she still does a marvelous job of filling in the details in a believable way. And there are a few surprising twists about the world, especially regarding the nature of the “fourth sentient race” that is hinted at from the prologue on…
Rocannon himself is an interesting character—he’s an anthropologist and scientist who has had a fight thrust on him, and is not entirely glad about it. He definitely fills the “reluctant hero” role, but he does it well. The supporting characters are all equally interesting.
The Bad: I wasn’t bothered by this, but Rocannon’s World really is a fantasy novel with some sci-fi trappings. This might bother some readers.
The ending is a little vague; not awful, certainly not JMS level of disappointing, but definitely vague. Could have been better.
The Ugly: Meh. I got nothing.
Overall, it was a good read. It’s particularly impressive when you consider that this was one of LeGuin’s early offerings—her later stuff is even better.
All three books are part of LeGuin’s ongoing “Hanish” universe. The conceit of the universe is pretty simple; long ago, there was an enormous interstellar human empire (Hain), which collapsed (as empires are wont to do). Thousands of years later, the Hanish people are rediscovering their universe, and the lost colonies that have survived without them…some in very odd and interesting ways.
The Basics: Rocannon’s World is really a story in two parts. The prologue, which was originally published as “Semley's Necklace”, is a fairy tale with sci-fi trappings. It tells the story of the princess Semley, who goes on a quest to find her ancestral necklace. Her journey takes her to strange lands, and eventually into the kingdom of the Claymen, cave dwelling humanoids with fantastic technology. After much negotiation, they agree to take her to where the necklace is, and she is transported to a strange place, where she meets a man named Rocannon, who gives her the necklace, and sends her home. Though the journey lasts only a night, she returns to find that eight years have passed, and that her husband has since passed away.
That’s the prologue.
The rest of the book picks up years later, with the story of Rocannon himself, who is now living on that world, doing research on the people who live there. When a group of men with helicopters and other advanced weaponry begin destroying local villages, Rocannon sets out with some companions to try and stop them. Like the prologue, it’s a fantasy epic shrouded in sci-fi trappings (or perhaps the other way around). Rocannon’s technology makes him more powerful than mortal men, he encounters violent men, strange creatures, and has all sorts of adventures before finally reaching his destination.
The Good: As stated earlier, I love LeGuin’s prose. It’s just gorgeous. Very simple, but it flows beautifully. This is the sort of story you can just glide through, enjoying every minute of it, and not realizing just how many minutes it’s really been.
LeGuin is a great world builder, and while Rocannon’s World isn’t her most unique creation, she still does a marvelous job of filling in the details in a believable way. And there are a few surprising twists about the world, especially regarding the nature of the “fourth sentient race” that is hinted at from the prologue on…
Rocannon himself is an interesting character—he’s an anthropologist and scientist who has had a fight thrust on him, and is not entirely glad about it. He definitely fills the “reluctant hero” role, but he does it well. The supporting characters are all equally interesting.
The Bad: I wasn’t bothered by this, but Rocannon’s World really is a fantasy novel with some sci-fi trappings. This might bother some readers.
The ending is a little vague; not awful, certainly not JMS level of disappointing, but definitely vague. Could have been better.
The Ugly: Meh. I got nothing.
Overall, it was a good read. It’s particularly impressive when you consider that this was one of LeGuin’s early offerings—her later stuff is even better.
August 29, 2021
These three books- some of Le Guin’s first- are such interesting reads. She is not at the height of her Le Guinness yet; the first book, Rocannon’s World, is strangely (for Le Guin) traditional- elves, dwarves, humans, more rigid depictions of men and women. Yet one can see glimpses of the writer she becomes, and her elastic imagination is fully on display. These were all published in the 60’s and, and even though these three books do not leave the gender/sexuality binary as her later works do, her characters are still light years ahead of her peers at the time, and unfortunately some still writing today.
Planet of Exile and City of Illusions were page turners for me, and better realized than RW; these two are more similar to later Le Guin novels.
Also! As a Star Trek fan I was delighted to see a reference to what Le Guin terms a cultural embargo in Planet of Exile, what Star Trek calls the prime directive. Which came first? Did Le Guin influence Roddenberry? Or the other way around? I’ll have to research later, but either way, I love this: two great minds using a similar idea.
Overall, a 4.5 and fascinating reading for any fan of Le Guin.
Planet of Exile and City of Illusions were page turners for me, and better realized than RW; these two are more similar to later Le Guin novels.
Also! As a Star Trek fan I was delighted to see a reference to what Le Guin terms a cultural embargo in Planet of Exile, what Star Trek calls the prime directive. Which came first? Did Le Guin influence Roddenberry? Or the other way around? I’ll have to research later, but either way, I love this: two great minds using a similar idea.
Overall, a 4.5 and fascinating reading for any fan of Le Guin.
June 27, 2017
Interesanta.
Multe descrieri de locuri, de personaje, de ginduri.
Cartea este compusa din 3 povesti care se leaga pe o durata de citeva mii de ani.
Are ceva actiune, te pune pe ginduri, te face sa cauti diverse scenarii.
E ok.
Multe descrieri de locuri, de personaje, de ginduri.
Cartea este compusa din 3 povesti care se leaga pe o durata de citeva mii de ani.
Are ceva actiune, te pune pe ginduri, te face sa cauti diverse scenarii.
E ok.
October 1, 2011
Three Hainish Novelsis an omnibus collection of UKL’s early novelsRocannon’s World, Planet of ExileandCity of Illusions.
Rocannon’s World: This is the earliest and the least satisfying of the three. Rocannon is an ethnologist of the League of All Worlds (what would become the precursor of the Ekumen of later novels when Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle actually took shape) who’s intrigued by the natives of Fomalhaut II when one of its representatives visits the nearest League outpost. Coupled with his interest is the League’s in recruiting allies in a coming war with a vaguely defined enemy so an expedition is eventually dispatched. Said expedition is destroyed by the enemy and the only survivor is Rocannon. He enlists the aid of one of the native species (the Angyar) to reach the enemy’s base and use their ansibleto contact the League.
It’s an old-fashioned quest story and, while Rocannon is a sympathetic character, it would be an otherwise forgettable novel except that it lays the foundation for how the worlds of the League developmindspeech,telepathy.
Planet of Exile: The second novel takes place at a later time on the world of Werel, γ Draconis (about 150 LYs from Earth). The planetary year lasts for about 60 Earth years with correspondingly longer seasons. When the story opens, Autumn is ending, and the natives are preparing for the coming Winter. The southern cultures have traditionally holed up in largely subterranean fortresses. In part, this is to survive the Winter; in part, this is to survive the depredations of their northern cousins, who are fleeing the cold. In this cycle, however, the northerners have been united under a Genghis Khan-like figure who is destroying the Winter refuges, slaughtering the men and enslaving the women and children.
Added to the complications is the presence of a colony of exiles. Humans who were stranded on the planet several seasons ago when the long-anticipated war with the “enemy” came and Werel was cut off from the League.
Relations between these humans and the natives are strained but largely peaceful. The entente is threatened by the northerners and – on a more personal level – the relationship between the leader of the humans, Jakob Agat, and Rolery, a little-regarded granddaughter of the natives’ leader.
In terms of the overall cycle, this story lays the groundwork for the Werelians development of mental disciplines that will be instrumental in finally defeating the “enemy.”
City of Illusions: The most polished of the three novels,Citytakes place over a thousand years later. The League has been destroyed by the “enemy,” who finally receive a name – the Shing. Their ability to liewith mindspeech has allowed them to shatter the League and isolate its worlds, which they rule over, strictly controlling technology and not allowing the emergence of any large center of power. The book opens on Earth, where a nameless amnesiac is discovered by a human settlement. Eventually, this man – named Falk by his discoverers – decides to set out for the Shing city of Es Toch and tries to recover his identity.
As standalones, all three novels are decent reads and would earn my recommendation to Le Guin fans and, I think, SF enthusiasts in general.
Rocannon’s World: This is the earliest and the least satisfying of the three. Rocannon is an ethnologist of the League of All Worlds (what would become the precursor of the Ekumen of later novels when Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle actually took shape) who’s intrigued by the natives of Fomalhaut II when one of its representatives visits the nearest League outpost. Coupled with his interest is the League’s in recruiting allies in a coming war with a vaguely defined enemy so an expedition is eventually dispatched. Said expedition is destroyed by the enemy and the only survivor is Rocannon. He enlists the aid of one of the native species (the Angyar) to reach the enemy’s base and use their ansibleto contact the League.
It’s an old-fashioned quest story and, while Rocannon is a sympathetic character, it would be an otherwise forgettable novel except that it lays the foundation for how the worlds of the League developmindspeech,telepathy.
Planet of Exile: The second novel takes place at a later time on the world of Werel, γ Draconis (about 150 LYs from Earth). The planetary year lasts for about 60 Earth years with correspondingly longer seasons. When the story opens, Autumn is ending, and the natives are preparing for the coming Winter. The southern cultures have traditionally holed up in largely subterranean fortresses. In part, this is to survive the Winter; in part, this is to survive the depredations of their northern cousins, who are fleeing the cold. In this cycle, however, the northerners have been united under a Genghis Khan-like figure who is destroying the Winter refuges, slaughtering the men and enslaving the women and children.
Added to the complications is the presence of a colony of exiles. Humans who were stranded on the planet several seasons ago when the long-anticipated war with the “enemy” came and Werel was cut off from the League.
Relations between these humans and the natives are strained but largely peaceful. The entente is threatened by the northerners and – on a more personal level – the relationship between the leader of the humans, Jakob Agat, and Rolery, a little-regarded granddaughter of the natives’ leader.
In terms of the overall cycle, this story lays the groundwork for the Werelians development of mental disciplines that will be instrumental in finally defeating the “enemy.”
City of Illusions: The most polished of the three novels,Citytakes place over a thousand years later. The League has been destroyed by the “enemy,” who finally receive a name – the Shing. Their ability to liewith mindspeech has allowed them to shatter the League and isolate its worlds, which they rule over, strictly controlling technology and not allowing the emergence of any large center of power. The book opens on Earth, where a nameless amnesiac is discovered by a human settlement. Eventually, this man – named Falk by his discoverers – decides to set out for the Shing city of Es Toch and tries to recover his identity.
As standalones, all three novels are decent reads and would earn my recommendation to Le Guin fans and, I think, SF enthusiasts in general.
December 2, 2019
Поредица под надслова „Велики майстори на фентъзи и фантастика” не би могла да мине без нейно величество Урсула Ле Гуин. А след опиянението от „Землемория”, време е да изследваме Екумените от „Хейнски хроники”. „Светът на Роканон”, „Планета за изгнаници” и „Градът на илюзиите” са произведенията, вклучени в първият от двата тома на „Лявата ръка на мрака”. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
February 8, 2024
“Seen rightly, any situation, even a chaos or a trap, would come clear and lead of itself to its one proper outcome; for there is in the long run no disharmony, only misunderstanding, no chance or mischance but only the ignorant eye.”
Beautiful. I would recommend these first 3 novellas of the Hainish Cycle books to fantasy fans who want to try science fiction.
Rocannon’s World:⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you took that Arthur C Clarke quote about technology being indistinguishable from magic, and wrote a “High Fantasy” novel based on that premise, you’d get this book. It’s not my favorite because that kind of classic fantasy isn’t my favorite, but it’s still a beautifully written adventure tale, establishing many of the basic principles of the Hainish Cycle.
Planet of Exile:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Still fantasy, but focusing even more on the idea of interplanetary species interactions, evolution, and technology’s place in colonization and power. Dips a toe into the lie racial purity. Lovin it.
City of Illusions:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this. You spend the whole book trying to unravel what to believe and not believe right along with our hero. Are the Shing mindspeaking with Ramarren or mindFALKing him. Heeheehee (you would be laughing so hard at that pun if you’d read the book. I swear!) Anyways, this is my favorite of the three of them. Dips a toe into gender spectrums ideas, (which gets explored much more fully in the next book.) All the stars.
Thank you to the Brooklyn Public Library for the free ebook. Support your local library ❤️
Beautiful. I would recommend these first 3 novellas of the Hainish Cycle books to fantasy fans who want to try science fiction.
Rocannon’s World:⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you took that Arthur C Clarke quote about technology being indistinguishable from magic, and wrote a “High Fantasy” novel based on that premise, you’d get this book. It’s not my favorite because that kind of classic fantasy isn’t my favorite, but it’s still a beautifully written adventure tale, establishing many of the basic principles of the Hainish Cycle.
Planet of Exile:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Still fantasy, but focusing even more on the idea of interplanetary species interactions, evolution, and technology’s place in colonization and power. Dips a toe into the lie racial purity. Lovin it.
City of Illusions:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this. You spend the whole book trying to unravel what to believe and not believe right along with our hero. Are the Shing mindspeaking with Ramarren or mindFALKing him. Heeheehee (you would be laughing so hard at that pun if you’d read the book. I swear!) Anyways, this is my favorite of the three of them. Dips a toe into gender spectrums ideas, (which gets explored much more fully in the next book.) All the stars.
Thank you to the Brooklyn Public Library for the free ebook. Support your local library ❤️
May 15, 2021
Interesantă abordarea subiectului de dreptate - ce înseamnă (pentru fiecare), de ce alegem să o acceptăm într-o formă modificată și care sunt limitele acesteia.
February 1, 2022
This book collects the first three Hainish novels - novellas, really, but she packs a lot in, as usual. This is some of her earliest writing, but I only really felt that in the third story.
Rocannon's World: This was so close to just being a fantasy narrative, and frankly, I loved that about it. The juxtaposition of an almost Arthurian setting, complete with quests and featuring several 'high intelligence lifeforms' (that could arguably relate quite straightforwardly to well-known fantasy races) with spacemen and lasers worked so well, and I enjoyed every bit of it, but especially the flying cat mounts 🥺
Planet of Exile: This one had no space in it at all, except offscreen, but was concerned with the interactions between a community of Hainish colonists (the 'farborn'), who long ago lost contact with the stars and have been living on the planet for generations, and the Tevarans, who are native to the planet. Both groups consider themselves human, and the others alien, but they form an alliance in the face of a horde of raiders about to attack. The planet's orbit takes 60 Earth years to complete (I think), and its seasons are correspondingly long, so most of the characters don't remember a Winter - but one is coming, soon, and it's pushing the barbarians down from the North (yes, it does sound familiar, doesn't it? 🤔).
City of Illusions: I actually disliked this one a bit, and it took me aaaages to finish it. I didn't like the protagonist, I didn't like the plot, it felt smooth at the start and then laggy in the middle and a bit rushed at the end. I also felt that the inclusion of the actual Tao (as a religious text) was a bit jarring. I am very uncomfortable with finding a Le Guin that I am not so enamoured of, but this one just rubbed me the wrong way. I did still admire and appreciate her beautiful world-building, but it just wasn't as good as the first two, for me.
Ultimately, I think if you've enjoyed her other books, these have a lot of the same themes and features: worthy men, taking long journeys in uncomfortable weather; meeting other civilisations and coming to realise they have value despite being different/less advanced; beautiful landscapes, and moments of meditation on Simplicity equals Happiness, and how brilliant Nature is, and Community, and Art. It's all here, waiting to be expanded on in later novels.
The Hainish Cycle is so loosely linked that it's really unnecessary to read any of them to understand the others, but I'm glad to have filled in this gap; these are spread very far apart in time, but there are links between them, so if you're planning to tackle them, I'd still recommend you read all three in order.
Rocannon's World: This was so close to just being a fantasy narrative, and frankly, I loved that about it. The juxtaposition of an almost Arthurian setting, complete with quests and featuring several 'high intelligence lifeforms' (that could arguably relate quite straightforwardly to well-known fantasy races) with spacemen and lasers worked so well, and I enjoyed every bit of it, but especially the flying cat mounts 🥺
Planet of Exile: This one had no space in it at all, except offscreen, but was concerned with the interactions between a community of Hainish colonists (the 'farborn'), who long ago lost contact with the stars and have been living on the planet for generations, and the Tevarans, who are native to the planet. Both groups consider themselves human, and the others alien, but they form an alliance in the face of a horde of raiders about to attack. The planet's orbit takes 60 Earth years to complete (I think), and its seasons are correspondingly long, so most of the characters don't remember a Winter - but one is coming, soon, and it's pushing the barbarians down from the North (yes, it does sound familiar, doesn't it? 🤔).
City of Illusions: I actually disliked this one a bit, and it took me aaaages to finish it. I didn't like the protagonist, I didn't like the plot, it felt smooth at the start and then laggy in the middle and a bit rushed at the end. I also felt that the inclusion of the actual Tao (as a religious text) was a bit jarring. I am very uncomfortable with finding a Le Guin that I am not so enamoured of, but this one just rubbed me the wrong way. I did still admire and appreciate her beautiful world-building, but it just wasn't as good as the first two, for me.
Ultimately, I think if you've enjoyed her other books, these have a lot of the same themes and features: worthy men, taking long journeys in uncomfortable weather; meeting other civilisations and coming to realise they have value despite being different/less advanced; beautiful landscapes, and moments of meditation on Simplicity equals Happiness, and how brilliant Nature is, and Community, and Art. It's all here, waiting to be expanded on in later novels.
The Hainish Cycle is so loosely linked that it's really unnecessary to read any of them to understand the others, but I'm glad to have filled in this gap; these are spread very far apart in time, but there are links between them, so if you're planning to tackle them, I'd still recommend you read all three in order.
October 26, 2019
I never read these early Le Guin books; I always meant to, but something else always had priority. So I'm glad to have gotten to them now. All of them demonstrate her crystal-clear prose, her empathy for her characters, and her love of setting and environment.
Rocannon's Worldis basically pure space-opera adventure, with missing jewels and difficult quests and strange aliens who can be friend or foe. It must have been a real delight when it was new, because it was right in the mode of what people were writing and reading, but also a particularly good example of its genre.
Planet of Exileis a love story in a war-torn setting. It's sweet and caring, and does a particularly good job of some of theRomeo and Juliettropes of star-crossed lovers. It is marred by what I think was Le Guin's most serious flaw for much of her writing career: her empathy ends when the patriarchal barbarians arrive at the gates, and they are always portrayed as nearly cartoonish villains. It's hard to fault her for this in a book this early, given that she kept doing it for many decades.
City of Illusionsis the most complex and least satisfactory book of the three. It's the only Le Guin book I know of in which her reach simply exceeded her grasp. It's a shifting-realities story, where neither the protagonist nor the readers know what's true, and she didn't have the craft to keep track of the shifts. Lots of interesting bits, likable characters, and more, but in the end it's hard to care, because it's hard to follow.
Rocannon's Worldis basically pure space-opera adventure, with missing jewels and difficult quests and strange aliens who can be friend or foe. It must have been a real delight when it was new, because it was right in the mode of what people were writing and reading, but also a particularly good example of its genre.
Planet of Exileis a love story in a war-torn setting. It's sweet and caring, and does a particularly good job of some of theRomeo and Juliettropes of star-crossed lovers. It is marred by what I think was Le Guin's most serious flaw for much of her writing career: her empathy ends when the patriarchal barbarians arrive at the gates, and they are always portrayed as nearly cartoonish villains. It's hard to fault her for this in a book this early, given that she kept doing it for many decades.
City of Illusionsis the most complex and least satisfactory book of the three. It's the only Le Guin book I know of in which her reach simply exceeded her grasp. It's a shifting-realities story, where neither the protagonist nor the readers know what's true, and she didn't have the craft to keep track of the shifts. Lots of interesting bits, likable characters, and more, but in the end it's hard to care, because it's hard to follow.
February 10, 2021
Había leído a la Ursula K. Le Guin fantasista pero me faltaba leer más de la Ursula K. Le Guin escritora de ciencia ficción y por eso creí oportuno partir por sus primeras tres novelas, conocidas como la trilogía de Hainish, que son las que recopila este libro. Me gustaría destacar, en ese sentido, cómo Le Guin va construyendo los mundos y culturas donde se desarrollan estas historias, sintiéndose en algunos momentos mucho más cercanos al género de la Fantasía que a la Ciencia Ficción, algo que creo que, conociendo a la autora, es hecho de manera muy consciente por esta, difuminando los límites entre ambos. No pretendo explayarme mucho más sobre mis apreciaciones más específicas por un asunto de tiempo y espacio, sin embargo, la lectura en sí misma fue muy agradable, con el estilo y temáticas habituales en Le Guin, aunque se nota que en los tiempos en que se publicaron estos libros aún era una autora en formación. Mi idea ahora es poder introducirme en sus obras más conocidas y premiadas dentro del género (La mano izquierda de la oscuridad, El nombre del mundo es bosque y Los desposeídos), lecturas pendientes desde hace años, no por falta de interés sino que simplemente porque existen demasiados libros que quiero leer y releer y mi tiempo es limitado:/
April 28, 2021
Really interesting to read Le Guin's early novels. So many of the 'classic' Le Guin ideas & concepts are already present and identifiable even if they are not as fully developed/explored as they are in her later novels.
I wouldn't suggest starting with these novels if you've never read her before. But if you're already a fan of her work and/or a bit of a completionist, then I'd say go for it. Rocannon's World is speedrun Le Guin; Planet of Exile is proto-Winter written in that vivid, dreamlike prose she does so well; City of Illusions is really invested in Tao and has just a tiny hint of Always Coming Home.
I wouldn't suggest starting with these novels if you've never read her before. But if you're already a fan of her work and/or a bit of a completionist, then I'd say go for it. Rocannon's World is speedrun Le Guin; Planet of Exile is proto-Winter written in that vivid, dreamlike prose she does so well; City of Illusions is really invested in Tao and has just a tiny hint of Always Coming Home.
May 14, 2018
No me han gustado todas las novelas por igual, pero como la lectura va de menos a más, me quedo con la última nota. Mi primer contacto real con Le Guin, muy satisfactorio. Ahora a por sus obras más premiadas en este interesante universo.
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April 17, 2023
**spoiler alert**
A decade or so after the publication ofRocannon’s World– the first novel in a series which has variously had attached to it the name Hainish or Ekumen – it and the two following titles (published in relatively quick succession in 1966 and 1967) appeared in a compendium first entitledThree Hainish Novels(1978). When, two decades later, it appeared asWorlds of Exile and Illusionit cunningly combed key words from the titles ofRocannon’s World, Planet of ExileandCity of Illusions;under whatever name the collection demonstrated a loose unity in that it (a) referred to a League of All Worlds, and (b) shared some concepts and referred to some names in common.
There are also several themes, patterns and approaches in the trio of novels, though that’s not to say that Le Guin worked to any kind of formula: each title has its own musical notes and influences, landscape and personages, its own character. But at the risk of being, in her words, “fatally reductive” I do want to look a little at the “archetypal events and images” that form a large part of the journeys in these novels (and not a few of her other later ones, such as 1968’sA Wizard of Earthseaand 1969’sThe Left Hand of Darkness) so, as it were, to praise and not bury them.
Why? Because, despite superficial appearances, she doesn’t trade in fantasy clichés.
First, though, let’s consider labels. Can this trio of novels be considered as science fiction? The first has so many aspects of fantasy in it – flying cats and castles for example – that it could lead us to wonder if the label of ‘science fantasy’ would suit it better. The second, though superficially more sci-fi, throws in a lot of ethnographic details. It’s when we get to the third, set on a future Earth, that ‘speculative’ seems quite fitting a label.
And yet Le Guin already seems more focused on individuals, on their human psychology, which aligns them closer with mainstream fiction. In fact as far back as 1978 she emphasised her interest in people in a convention talk she gave entitled ‘Science Fiction and Mrs. Brown’. In it she talks about how, in a railway carriage, Virginia Woolf would envisage a seemingly ordinary Mrs Brown who had stories to tell which belied her ordinariness, and how she, Ursula Le Guin, sought out a Mrs Brown in her own stories whatever their veneer – science fiction, fantasy or other – and placed her at the centre of the picture. What reason does she give?
My point is that although I may here be considering “fatally reductive” themes and archetypes I never forget that Le Guin’s fiction features various Mrs Browns, whether dressed in spacesuits, wearing wintercloth, or sporting mythic heirlooms around their necks. She invents and invests in individual humans as much as any mainstream novel might do, albeit ones who inhabit other worlds in space or imagination.
In a review ofRocannon’s WorldI listed some of the themes that occurred fairly often in Le Guin’s fiction and very frequently in her speculative fiction: “balanced and sustainable living, environmentalism, psychology and anthropology, morality, human imagination…” These are all present in this early trio of novels. The relationship with the planet and with other life forms, all guided by respect as a keystone of morality, are the keynotes of all her Hainish novels and not just these three. On Formalhaut II (later called Rokanon) Rocannon respects the indigenous cultures he encounters, unlike the invading Faradayans who disregard the species they encounter, seek to exploit the planet’s resources and oppose the League of All Worlds.
Similarly the society and culture of the Tevarans of Gamma Draconis III (Werel or Alterra) inPlanet of Exileare not interfered with by the stranded colonists of the League until outside environmental (?) pressures, forcing the Gaal to mass migrate south like locusts, necessitates an alliance between the colonists and the Tevarians, with subsequent miscegenation between the two peoples. InCity of Illusionsset on Terra (Earth) the invasion of the Shing has resulted in a depopulated planet and the formation of isolated communities, all kept in fear of the Shing and often also mutually suspicious of each other.
Culture in all its manifestations also matters to Le Guin, as it matters in all her worlds. Music, whether it’s the Tevar stone-pounding rite which precedes important tribal decisions or the flat keyed instrument called atëambplayed in Zove’s House in Terra, is a cultural signifier; so too are texts and other lore such as ‘The Dowry of Angyar’ – a narrative also known as ‘Semley’s Necklace’ – inRocannon’s World(which recalls the legend of the torc or necklace called Brisingamen, owned by the goddess Freya), or inCity of Illusionsthe two canons surviving on Terra, the older Yahweh canon which seems to refer to the Bible and the other which reflects Daoist teachings as represented in theTao Te Ching.
Next I’d like to consider the quest or journey which forms the structure of all three novels. InRocannon’s Worldthe protagonist’s mission is to destroy the invading Faradayan base because it can become a launch pad to attack the League; to do this he has to make an epic journey from north to south through lands shaped by myth and legend. InPlanet of ExileRolery’s task is to enable an alliance with Agat’s colonists to be formed, but it is the Gaal who themselves make the journey south through Tevar lands as they try to escape the ravages of a particularly severe winter.
Finally, inCity of Illusionsit is Falk who undertakes a westward trek across a far future North American continent to confront the Shing and regain his identity. His quest is reminiscent of Arthurian epics undertaken by individuals such as Gawain, Perceval and Galahad, fighting mythical beasts and human assailants, aided by damsels and hermits before confronting a formidable opponent or achieving a mystical, visionary experience. But as with a gnomic saying from the Canon Le Guin keeps reminding us all these journeys aren’t at all the same, that we mustn’t cry “Ah, the Night Sea Journey!”
I referenced winter in preceding remarks, and this season resurfaces in quite a few of Le Guin’s Hainish novels, including this trio. The approach of winter triggers the migration of the Gaal inPlanet of Exileand its arrival forms the climax of the action. The season is ever a threat to humans in these stories, requiring appropriate clothing:Rocannon’s Worldintroduces the notion of an impermasuit, a garment which protects the whole body, while inCity of Illusionshumans survive the harsh season with clothing made of wintercloth. Le Guin’sidée fixereturns inThe Left Hand of Darknesswhich is set on Gethen, a world also known as Winter. It too features an epic journey.
My last remarks before a final (?) conclusion concern Le Guin’s nods towards including science fiction elements in these Hainish tales, without ever going the whole hog into ‘hard SF’ by explaining the science behind them. Spaceships identified as FTL (‘faster than light’) simply exist, despite seeming to contravene the laws of astrophysics; later novels mention NAFAL (‘nearly as fast as light’) transport for humans; and instant communication devices – ansibles or ‘answerable’ communicators – transcend even light speed.
InCity of Illusionswe also hear of patterning frames, a construct that seems to combine abacus with dreamcatcher and computer, being a meditation device with the predictive abilities ofI Ching,while also reminiscent of the notional focus of Hesse’sThe Glass Bead Game.These multivalent concepts are typical of Le Guin’s speculative fictions, characterising these early pieces as novels of ideas rather less than of the fays and bug-eyed monsters of much of the genre up to the 1960s.
But pivotal to them all are individuals – Gaverel Rocannon, Jakob Agat and Rolery of Wold’s kin, and Falk. They, each one the “subject at the center”, may be on journeys but they are all reaching towards very different human goals: Rocannon initially to stop an aggressor but ultimately to be part of a community; Agat to reverse the dwindling population of his stranded colony by fortuitously being able to breed with the hilf Rolery; and Falk to recover his identity and ensure the survival of his own people.
By sharing their difficult journeys we start to understand their several human natures and, hopefully, avoid being fatally reductive.
"Jungians such as Joseph Campbell have generalized such journeys into a set of archetypal events and images. Though these generalities can be useful in criticism, I mistrust them as fatally reductive. “Ah, the Night Sea Voyage!” we cry, feeling that we have understood something important—but we’ve merely recognized it. Until we are actually on that voyage, we have understood nothing. "—Ursula K Le Guin
A decade or so after the publication ofRocannon’s World– the first novel in a series which has variously had attached to it the name Hainish or Ekumen – it and the two following titles (published in relatively quick succession in 1966 and 1967) appeared in a compendium first entitledThree Hainish Novels(1978). When, two decades later, it appeared asWorlds of Exile and Illusionit cunningly combed key words from the titles ofRocannon’s World, Planet of ExileandCity of Illusions;under whatever name the collection demonstrated a loose unity in that it (a) referred to a League of All Worlds, and (b) shared some concepts and referred to some names in common.
There are also several themes, patterns and approaches in the trio of novels, though that’s not to say that Le Guin worked to any kind of formula: each title has its own musical notes and influences, landscape and personages, its own character. But at the risk of being, in her words, “fatally reductive” I do want to look a little at the “archetypal events and images” that form a large part of the journeys in these novels (and not a few of her other later ones, such as 1968’sA Wizard of Earthseaand 1969’sThe Left Hand of Darkness) so, as it were, to praise and not bury them.
Why? Because, despite superficial appearances, she doesn’t trade in fantasy clichés.
First, though, let’s consider labels. Can this trio of novels be considered as science fiction? The first has so many aspects of fantasy in it – flying cats and castles for example – that it could lead us to wonder if the label of ‘science fantasy’ would suit it better. The second, though superficially more sci-fi, throws in a lot of ethnographic details. It’s when we get to the third, set on a future Earth, that ‘speculative’ seems quite fitting a label.
And yet Le Guin already seems more focused on individuals, on their human psychology, which aligns them closer with mainstream fiction. In fact as far back as 1978 she emphasised her interest in people in a convention talk she gave entitled ‘Science Fiction and Mrs. Brown’. In it she talks about how, in a railway carriage, Virginia Woolf would envisage a seemingly ordinary Mrs Brown who had stories to tell which belied her ordinariness, and how she, Ursula Le Guin, sought out a Mrs Brown in her own stories whatever their veneer – science fiction, fantasy or other – and placed her at the centre of the picture. What reason does she give?
“…when science fiction uses its limitless range of symbol and metaphor novelistically, with the subject at the center, it can show us who we are, and where we are, and what choices face us, with unsurpassed clarity, and with a great and troubling beauty.”
My point is that although I may here be considering “fatally reductive” themes and archetypes I never forget that Le Guin’s fiction features various Mrs Browns, whether dressed in spacesuits, wearing wintercloth, or sporting mythic heirlooms around their necks. She invents and invests in individual humans as much as any mainstream novel might do, albeit ones who inhabit other worlds in space or imagination.
In a review ofRocannon’s WorldI listed some of the themes that occurred fairly often in Le Guin’s fiction and very frequently in her speculative fiction: “balanced and sustainable living, environmentalism, psychology and anthropology, morality, human imagination…” These are all present in this early trio of novels. The relationship with the planet and with other life forms, all guided by respect as a keystone of morality, are the keynotes of all her Hainish novels and not just these three. On Formalhaut II (later called Rokanon) Rocannon respects the indigenous cultures he encounters, unlike the invading Faradayans who disregard the species they encounter, seek to exploit the planet’s resources and oppose the League of All Worlds.
Similarly the society and culture of the Tevarans of Gamma Draconis III (Werel or Alterra) inPlanet of Exileare not interfered with by the stranded colonists of the League until outside environmental (?) pressures, forcing the Gaal to mass migrate south like locusts, necessitates an alliance between the colonists and the Tevarians, with subsequent miscegenation between the two peoples. InCity of Illusionsset on Terra (Earth) the invasion of the Shing has resulted in a depopulated planet and the formation of isolated communities, all kept in fear of the Shing and often also mutually suspicious of each other.
Culture in all its manifestations also matters to Le Guin, as it matters in all her worlds. Music, whether it’s the Tevar stone-pounding rite which precedes important tribal decisions or the flat keyed instrument called atëambplayed in Zove’s House in Terra, is a cultural signifier; so too are texts and other lore such as ‘The Dowry of Angyar’ – a narrative also known as ‘Semley’s Necklace’ – inRocannon’s World(which recalls the legend of the torc or necklace called Brisingamen, owned by the goddess Freya), or inCity of Illusionsthe two canons surviving on Terra, the older Yahweh canon which seems to refer to the Bible and the other which reflects Daoist teachings as represented in theTao Te Ching.
Next I’d like to consider the quest or journey which forms the structure of all three novels. InRocannon’s Worldthe protagonist’s mission is to destroy the invading Faradayan base because it can become a launch pad to attack the League; to do this he has to make an epic journey from north to south through lands shaped by myth and legend. InPlanet of ExileRolery’s task is to enable an alliance with Agat’s colonists to be formed, but it is the Gaal who themselves make the journey south through Tevar lands as they try to escape the ravages of a particularly severe winter.
Finally, inCity of Illusionsit is Falk who undertakes a westward trek across a far future North American continent to confront the Shing and regain his identity. His quest is reminiscent of Arthurian epics undertaken by individuals such as Gawain, Perceval and Galahad, fighting mythical beasts and human assailants, aided by damsels and hermits before confronting a formidable opponent or achieving a mystical, visionary experience. But as with a gnomic saying from the Canon Le Guin keeps reminding us all these journeys aren’t at all the same, that we mustn’t cry “Ah, the Night Sea Journey!”
The way that can be gone
is not the eternal Way.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
I referenced winter in preceding remarks, and this season resurfaces in quite a few of Le Guin’s Hainish novels, including this trio. The approach of winter triggers the migration of the Gaal inPlanet of Exileand its arrival forms the climax of the action. The season is ever a threat to humans in these stories, requiring appropriate clothing:Rocannon’s Worldintroduces the notion of an impermasuit, a garment which protects the whole body, while inCity of Illusionshumans survive the harsh season with clothing made of wintercloth. Le Guin’sidée fixereturns inThe Left Hand of Darknesswhich is set on Gethen, a world also known as Winter. It too features an epic journey.
My last remarks before a final (?) conclusion concern Le Guin’s nods towards including science fiction elements in these Hainish tales, without ever going the whole hog into ‘hard SF’ by explaining the science behind them. Spaceships identified as FTL (‘faster than light’) simply exist, despite seeming to contravene the laws of astrophysics; later novels mention NAFAL (‘nearly as fast as light’) transport for humans; and instant communication devices – ansibles or ‘answerable’ communicators – transcend even light speed.
InCity of Illusionswe also hear of patterning frames, a construct that seems to combine abacus with dreamcatcher and computer, being a meditation device with the predictive abilities ofI Ching,while also reminiscent of the notional focus of Hesse’sThe Glass Bead Game.These multivalent concepts are typical of Le Guin’s speculative fictions, characterising these early pieces as novels of ideas rather less than of the fays and bug-eyed monsters of much of the genre up to the 1960s.
But pivotal to them all are individuals – Gaverel Rocannon, Jakob Agat and Rolery of Wold’s kin, and Falk. They, each one the “subject at the center”, may be on journeys but they are all reaching towards very different human goals: Rocannon initially to stop an aggressor but ultimately to be part of a community; Agat to reverse the dwindling population of his stranded colony by fortuitously being able to breed with the hilf Rolery; and Falk to recover his identity and ensure the survival of his own people.
By sharing their difficult journeys we start to understand their several human natures and, hopefully, avoid being fatally reductive.
February 18, 2022
These are the first books that Ursula K Le Guin had published, but you could never have guessed. These three short novels are beautifully written, poetic and otherworldly; as if myths and fairytales have inhabited a future time.
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One of the strengths of Le Guin's work is how she navigates unique relationships between her races; each race has been attributed varying degrees of knowledge of the broader Universe, including those who are left in the dark, which allows the book to capture a mythology-like flavour; full of mystique and adventure.
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The races and clans are creatively varied, ranging from loyal to insane to regal and at times downright creepy. You can feel the paranoia and tensions between people, two of the recurring themes are trust and racism, which manifests through the way these different races and clans react to each other and to our protagonists. The variety is enriching and allows for a riviting range of interactions, some genuinely heartwarming, and many outrageously hostile; this is especially true because you are following protagonists who are alien to those around them, in worlds that are under constant fear of something we never quite get to understand. The mysteries of "the enemy" are ever-present and never explained fully, and I bloody love that.
.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Le Guin garnished her fantasy-esque settings with speculative technologies: sparingly and tastefully without ever letting it take away from the storytelling. Utterly unique and intelligent.
Rocannon's World: 7.8/10
Planet Of Exile: 7.5/10
City Of Illusions: 8/10
Overall: 7.8/10
.
One of the strengths of Le Guin's work is how she navigates unique relationships between her races; each race has been attributed varying degrees of knowledge of the broader Universe, including those who are left in the dark, which allows the book to capture a mythology-like flavour; full of mystique and adventure.
.
The races and clans are creatively varied, ranging from loyal to insane to regal and at times downright creepy. You can feel the paranoia and tensions between people, two of the recurring themes are trust and racism, which manifests through the way these different races and clans react to each other and to our protagonists. The variety is enriching and allows for a riviting range of interactions, some genuinely heartwarming, and many outrageously hostile; this is especially true because you are following protagonists who are alien to those around them, in worlds that are under constant fear of something we never quite get to understand. The mysteries of "the enemy" are ever-present and never explained fully, and I bloody love that.
.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Le Guin garnished her fantasy-esque settings with speculative technologies: sparingly and tastefully without ever letting it take away from the storytelling. Utterly unique and intelligent.
Rocannon's World: 7.8/10
Planet Of Exile: 7.5/10
City Of Illusions: 8/10
Overall: 7.8/10
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