Le Guin, Ursula K. - The Left Hand of Darkness

1TheEkumen04UrsulaK.LeGuin–TheLeftHandofDarknessIntroduction-addedin19761.AParadeinErhenrang2.ThePlaceInsidetheBlizzard3.TheMadKing4.TheNineteenthDay5.TheDomesticationofHunch6.OneWayintoOrgoreyn7.TheQuestionofSex8.AnotherWayintoOrgoreyn9.EstraventheTraitor10.ConversationsinMishnory11.SoliloquiesinMishnory12.OnTimeandDarkness13.DownontheFarm14.TheEscape15.TotheIce16.BetweenDrumnerandDremegole17.AnOrgotaCreationMyth18.OntheIce19.Homecoming20.AFool'sErrandTheGethenianCalendarandClockIntroductionSCIENCEFICTIONISoftendescribed,andevendefined,asextrapolative.Thesciencefictionwriterissupposedtotakeatrendorphenomenonofthehere-and-now,purifyandintensifyitfordramaticeffect,andextenditintothefuture.Ifthisgoeson,thisiswhatwillhappen.Apredictionismade.Methodandresultsmuchresemblethoseofascientistwhofeedslargedosesofapurifiedandconcentratedfoodadditivetomice,inordertopredictwhatmayhappentopeoplewhoeatitinsmallquantitiesforalongtime.Theoutcomeseemsalmostinevitablytobecancer.Sodoestheoutcomeofextrapolation.StrictlyextrapolativeworksofsciencefictiongenerallyarriveaboutwheretheClubofRomearrives:somewherebetweenthegradualextinctionofhumanlibertyandthetotalextinctionofterrestriallife.Thismayexplainwhymanypeoplewhodonotreadsciencefictiondescribeitas‘escapist,’butwhenquestionedfurther,admittheydonotreaditbecause‘it'ssodepressing.’Almostanythingcarriedtoitslogicalextremebecomesdepressing,ifnotcarcinogenic.Fortunately,thoughextrapolationisanelementinsciencefiction,itisn'tthenameofthegamebyanymeans.Itisfartoorationalistandsimplistictosatisfytheimaginativemind,whetherthewriter'sorthereader's.Variablesarethespiceof2life.Thisbookisnotextrapolative.Ifyoulikeyoucanreadit,andalotofothersciencefiction,asathought-experiment.Let'ssay(saysMaryShelley)thatayoungdoctorcreatesahumanbeinginhislaboratory;let'ssay(saysPhilipK.Dick)thattheAllieslostthesecondworldwar;let'ssaythisorthatissuchandso,andseewhathappens…Inastorysoconceived,themoralcomplexitypropertothemodernnovelneednotbesacrificed,noristhereanybuilt-indeadend;thoughtandintuitioncanmovefreelywithinboundssetonlybythetermsoftheexperiment,whichmaybeverylargeindeed.Thepurposeofathought-experiment,asthetermwasusedbySchrodingerandotherphysicists,isnottopredictthefuture—indeedSchrodinger'smostfamousthought-experimentgoestoshowthatthe‘future,’onthequantumlevel,cannotbepredicted—buttodescribereality,thepresentworld.Sciencefictionisnotpredictive;itisdescriptive.Predictionsareutteredbyprophets(freeofcharge);byclairvoyants(whousuallychargeafee,andarethereforemorehonoredintheirdaythanprophets);andbyfuturologists(salaried).Predictionisthebusinessofprophets,clairvoyants,andfuturologists.Itisnotthebusinessofnovelists.Anovelist'sbusinessislying.TheweatherbureauwilltellyouwhatnextTuesdaywillbelike,andtheRandCorporationwilltellyouwhatthetwenty-firstcenturywillbelike.Idon'trecommendthatyouturntothewritersoffictionforsuchinformation.It'snoneoftheirbusiness.Allthey'retryingtodoistellyouwhatthey'relike,andwhatyou'relike—what'sgoingon—whattheweatherisnow,today,thismoment,therain,thesunlight,look!Openyoureyes;listen,listen.Thatiswhatthenovelistssay.Buttheydon'ttellyouwhatyouwillseeandhear.Alltheycantellyouiswhattheyhaveseenandheard,intheirtimeinthisworld,athirdofitspentinsleepanddreaming,anotherthirdofitspentintellinglies.“Thetruthagainsttheworld!”—Yes.Certainly.Fictionwriters,atleastintheirbravermoments,dodesirethetruth:toknowit,speakit,serveit.Buttheygoaboutitinapeculiaranddeviousway,whichconsistsininventingpersons,places,andeventswhichneverdidandneverwillexistoroccur,andtellingaboutthesefictionsindetailandatlengthandwithagreatdealofemotion,andthenwhentheyaredonewritingdownthispackoflies,theysay,There!That'sthetruth!Theymayuseallkindsoffactstosupporttheirtissueoflies.TheymaydescribetheMarshalseaPrison,whichwasarealplace,orthebattleofBorodino,whichreallywasfought,ortheprocessofcloning,whichreallytakesplaceinlaboratories,orthedeteriorationofapersonality,whichisdescribedinrealtextbooksofpsychology;andsoon.Thisweightofverifiableplace-event-phenomenon-behaviormakesthereaderforgetthatheisreadingapureinvention,ahistorythatnevertookplaceanywherebutinthatunlocalisableregion,theauthor'smind.Infact,whilewereadanovel,weareinsane—bonkers.Webelieveintheexistenceofpeoplewhoaren'tthere,weheartheirvoices,wewatchthebattleofBorodinowiththem,wemayevenbecomeNapoleon.Sanityreturns(inmostcases)whenthebookisclosed.Isitanywonderthatnotrulyrespectablesocietyhasevertrusteditsartists?Butoursociety,beingtroubledandbewildered,seekingguidance,sometimesputsanentirelymistakentrustinitsartists,usingthemasprophetsandfuturologists.Idonotsaythatartistscannotbeseers,inspired:thattheawencannotcomeuponthem,andthegodspeakthroughthem.Whowouldbeanartistiftheydidnotbelievethatthathappens?iftheydidnotknowithappens,because,theyhavefeltthegodwithinthemusetheirtongue,theirhands?Maybeonlyonce,onceintheirlives.Butonceisenough.NorwouldIsaythattheartistaloneissoburdenedandsoprivileged.Thescientistisanotherwhoprepares,whomakesready,workingdayandnight,sleepinganda