September Books 14) Powers, by Ursula Le Guin

[nwhyte]

A rather laid-back novel by Le Guin, tracing the life story of a slave boy with very limited powers of seeing into his own future. We are taken in detail through several carefully and intensely described settings - the slave-holding city of his boyhood, a rebel stronghold, his birth village and culture, a flight to freedom which draws from both

Comments

[altariel]

I love this book. I wrote a short piece about it that was included in a festschrift for Le Guin's 80th:
http://www.aqueductpress.com/books/80.html

[yea_mon]

Having the power to see into your own future would be very useful, I would think. What limits does LeGuin place on the power?

[nwhyte]

In this case, it's just a few advance glimpses of key moments - rather like deja vu but in reverse, if you see what I mean. So in fact of less practical use than Lovejoy's psychic ability to detect genuine antiques!

[yea_mon]

Ah, extremely limiting indeed. There are usually loopholes to be exploited in precognition, like are things pre-ordained or changeable, but with limited views into the future you might have to play a very long game - if it were possible at all.

[raycun]

Yes, the sequence seems very deliberately low-key, and no worse for it.

[nwhyte]

No, I haven't; and I take your recommendation seriously!