Paperback, 341 pages
English language
Published Aug. 11, 1999 by Gollancz.
Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.
It's a fascinating work of speculative fiction that explores the ideas around systems of self-governance (or lack thereof), written by a brilliant thinker and writer. Some of the passages in this novel are so achingly beautiful they could turn even a salty borderline-nihilist into an idealist - even if only for a few very pretty moments.
Good:
Speculative fiction at its finest.
Great society & world building, shown through a lens of a single life.
Two timelines nicely intertwine & support each other.
The scenes of hardship & revolution resonate deeply.
* Evokes the feeling of classic Sci-Fi without any problematic elements often associated with it.
Bad: ∅
For a depiction of a similar theme check out John Kessel's [b:The Moon and the Other|30753686|The Moon and the Other|John Kessel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491126501l/30753686.SY75.jpg|51302140].
Si hay algo que me gusta en especial de libros de esta época es que rescatan las preguntas sobre nuestra sociedad capitalista que hemos dejado de hacernos. LeGuin se atreve a soñar con nuevas maneras de aplicar el comunismo y el anarquismo haciendo que funcionen y puedan desarrollarse, dentro de los límites de nuestro gusto por la autodestrucción.
Como buena ciencia-ficción, se centra más en los mundos y en la especulación que en los personajes, y estos pueden parecer algo bidimensionales y vacíos. Shebek parece el epítome del hombre justo, pero parece increíble que nunca desfallezca, que su fe en el ser humano nunca decaiga o de que nunca tenga miedo cuando lucha por hacer lo correcto.
Cuesta hacerse al ritmo y a la prosa, al principio, pero LeGuin es buena poeta y acaba encandilando, aunque sea con su humanidad y afecto por lo que escribe.
