I imagine you’re gonna have a lot of Le Guin on this ask! This is her sci-fi classic. It is a truly brilliant book, and I absolutely adored it, even as someone who tends to prefer grounded sci-fi. It manages to contain such lush writing alongside astute political and anthropological understanding. Some sentences in it literally took my breath away. The world building is astounding, and the use of gender was entirely groundbreaking.
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I mean. Wow. I wish I could formulate coherent literary analysis but I think I just need to sit with this for a month. Humanity, gender, politics, fear, love. The heart of culturally long-lasting, impactful sci fi is when the sci is merely a background to the fi, ya know?
Tried to pick a quote but can’t right now. If you hear shrill screaming in the distance just know it’s me wailing over this book
Illustration by David Lupton
Jan 30, 2025
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ursula le guin just generally eats but the way she constructed Gethenian mores,,, so interesting to see how the environment shaped norms / how she interprets the formation of cultures. myths and legends of Gethen are interspersed to deepen the worldbuilding while also providing context to specific character beats chapters later; it's really satisfying to piece together.
since it's le guin, you've gotta expect some really artful political commentary, and this book just nails it. the development of nationalism, despotism, and (fascistic) bureaucracy in this world,, goddamn. god damn. one beautiful passage about the complete illogic of the nation-state and i'm crying.
le guin struggles a bit with her own premise (for a book about a genderfluid society it follows remarkably conventional gender and sexual norms) but regardless i found it thought-provoking to see what i liked, where i immediately found issues, and where i had to work a bit harder to figure out what the fuck i thought.
also!! reading this in a particularly snowy winter made the oppressive cold of the planet hit so much harder. def recommend for a winter read
Feb 21, 2025
for cogent commentary on gender, nationalism, politics, platonic love, and much more through the lens of beautiful science fiction
Oct 5, 2024
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I used to be envious of people who had “MySpace friends” or “tumblr friends”. Now I have PI.FYI friends. Thank you capyboppy for your lovely letter and this illustration of a capybara and a mouse with fruit on our heads, it made me weirdly emotional ❤️
Jun 11, 2024
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is gig etiquette dead? Don’t go to a gig if you wanna just talk to your mates! go to a pub it’s what they’re for!
Dec 8, 2024
IT'S OUT MY RECORD IS OUT I LITERALLY AM CRYING. The culmination of 4 plus years of work. I'm...gonna go to bed now!
May 3, 2024