Ursula K Le Guin - The Left Hand Of Darkness; A Wizard of Earthsea
Two books. Same author.
Both with copyrights that are 1yr apart from each other, in the late 1960s.
The Left Hand of Darkness is sci-fi. (TLHOD)
A Wizard of Earthsea is fantasy. (AWOE)
Received the sci-fi book as a birthday gift this year. The fantasy book is a family member's.
Reading both concurrently, a few pages at-a-time.
The AWOE story is fun right out-of-the gate, and a lot of interesting things happen in the first chapter. It's a fun read, so far. Enjoying it.
The science fiction story has been awarded both the Hugo and Nebula, according to wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness).
In comparison to AWOE, the TLHOD book is conversational, well written, but not very action-y so far. Have read about 40% of the book, so far. Am at Chapter 9, Estraven The Traitor, and, well, it has been mostly about an Envoy, stationed on the world Winter, observing and interacting with the governmental officials of different districts, and citizenry, and a visit to a group of "seers." The Envoy spends time describing the natives of Winter, and that their bodies change during their lives, and have windows of fertility, whereas the rest of the time they do not have fertility or interest in physical intimacy. Um, okay.
Hoping TLHOD will have more interesting things happen from Ch9 to the End. Otherwise, for me, I do not yet understand how/why it was awarded the Hugo and Nebula.
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EDIT 2023-12-17 Finished TLHOD. Was conversational. Didn't grab me. I do not think I would recommend it.
Basically: Envoy visits world, Winter. Then visits a few governments. States goal is to have the governments join a league of other worlds, and become a member. One government imprisons him. A member of Winter, Estraven, takes a liking to the Envoy, and is able to have the Envoy escape. After escape, goal is to get to a radio transmitter, so the Envoy can leave the planet, and back to safety. The relationship of the Enjoy and the person that helps them deepens. They become a kind of partnership.
Two quotes, to me, kinda sum it all up.
"Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light. Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers in kemmer, like hands joined together, like the end and the way."
and
"You crossed the Gobrin Ice together," Sorve de- manded, "you and he?" "We did." "I should like to hear that tale, my Lord Envoy," said old Esvans, very calm. But the boy, Therem's son, said stammering, "Will you tell us how he died?--Will you tell us about the other worlds out among the stars--the other kinds of men, the other lives?"
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EDIT 2023-12-30 Now approaching half way through AWOE. Much more fun and entertaining for me. Already the main character:
Discovered to have magical talent as a child. When older, sent to sorcerer school. Hubris and humility of trying to conjure something beyond their understanding, and almost being destroyed. Scarred from the experience. Then sent to a rural island, and confronting a cluster of dragons.
EDIT 2024-01-10 Finished AWOE. 1st half was adventures of main character, a lad, learning and growing in sorcery, as well as creating something bad and shadow-y. Second half was battling the shadow-y nemesis, and at the end of the book, merging with it and thereby becoming whole.
Liked it.