The Left Hand of Darkness

'Ursula LeGuin's world of Winter is real; from the first page you find yourself totally immersed in it, and at the last page you come out of it with a start and a shiver. Anybody who can write a novel like this has my respect and admiration.'

- Damon Knight

This outstanding classic of science fiction, which won both the Hugo the Nebula Awards when first published, is the story of

Winter, an Earth-like planet with two major differences: conditions are semi-arctic even at the warmest time of the year, and the inhabitants are all of the same sex. Tucked away in a remote corner of the universe, they have no knowledge of space travel or of life beyond their own world. And when a strange envoy from space brings news of a vast coalition of planets which they are invited to join, he is met with fear, mistrust and disbelief....