The Left Hand of Darkness

Terrific. Outsider's view of an ambisexual planet. Similar formula as The Disposessed, but it's more about gender explorations. I'd absolutely #recommend this to anyone interested in viewing our own bustling capitalist full-steam-ahead live-like-it's-always-summer culture mirrored back at us from the slow, more socially equitable planet of Winter.

My favourite idea was that prophecy telling was perfected as an art form to learn what questions not to ask; the idea that uncertainty is what gives us hope, that there would be no religion if we knew for certain whether god existed or not.

It also highlights our unquestioned axiom towards progress; when we ask if a car should go faster, we say "why not?" where Winter would say "why bother?". The rate of economic and technological progress on this planet is far slower, but I would argue this allows culture, politics and legality to catch up in time before we unleash the next Terrible Mistake™.

The kinship is touching and redeeming. 10/10 would cross the glacier with my ambisexual friend.