The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Series)

Genly Ai is an emissary from the human galaxy to the lost, stray world of Gethen, or Winter - as the planet is known by outsiders who have experienced its arctic climate. His mission is to bring the planet back into the fold of an evolving galactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own culture and prejudices and those that he encounters. On a planet where people are of the same gender, this is a broad gulf indeed. The inventiveness and delicacy with which Ursula K. Le Guin portrays her alien world are not only unusual and inspiring, they are fundamental to almost all decent science fiction that has been written since. She takes a lot of time to explore her characters, the world of her creation, and the philosophical themes that arise.

The Left Hand of Darkness is science fiction for the thinking reader, and should be read attentively in order to properly savor the depth of insight and the subtleties of plot and character. It is one of those pleasures that requires a little investment at the beginning, but pays back tenfold with the joy of raw imagination that resonates through the subsequent 30 years of science fiction storytelling. Not only is the bookshelf incomplete without owning it, so is the reader without having read it.