I loved both the book & the movie. The idea of a man that could change the world was unique the way she presented it. The few characters were perfect to drive her point home. Tremendous power that was so powerless. Unforeseen consequences mixed into a chaotic theory that defied harnessing.

The understated humor that ran through out the book was just perfect! It wasn't a funny book, but had it's moments, enough to lighten the overall depressing world & main character.

It was an eclectic blend of elements that made for a wild ride. ( )

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin is science fiction, but it's a science fiction of ideas, of what if's, not of technology and alien planets. There are aliens and technology in the novel, but they are beside the point really. This is a fable, like so many episodes of The Twilight Zone, a story about the improbable designed to tell us something about the every day.

In The Lathe of Heaven, George Orr has dreams that come true. His dreams come true, and he is the only one who notices the changes they make in the world around him. To stop his dreams he has been taking overdoses of various drugs which is a crime punishable by forced visits to a psychiatrist in Le Guin's anti-utopian future. The bulk of the novel is made up of Orr's sessions with Dr. Haber.

Dr. Haber does not try to cure Orr. Instead he tries to use his power to improve the world, to clean up pollution, reverse global warming, stop war. These all sound like good ideas, but it never works out that way in fiction, not for long. Soon Dr. Haber is creating a stifling, controlled society, where the individual is sacrificed for the greater good. George Orr tries to rebel but how can he when Dr. Haber has gained control of his dreams.

I found The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin to be entertaining and surprisingly pertinent to today's world. Considering the book was written in 1971 this is not exactly good news, but it is a very good book. Even if you're not a fan of science fiction there is much to enjoy in The Lathe of Heaven. I'm giving it five out of five stars. ( )

I've always enjoyed Le Guin's work for both her unique writing style and her incredibly creative imagination, and I wasn't disappointed here. It was refreshing to read a book set on Earth, albeit a dystopian future Earth.

As the main character and his psychiatrist slowly repair the world using the power of his dreams, the story carries us through a fascinating exploration of the nature of reality. Worked into this framework are a few cautionary tales about where current society might end up if we're not careful, but also a few cautions about wishing things were too different - because even in reshaping reality, the rules of reality still apply. In other words, be careful what you wish for.

Le Guin's own imagination is displayed in full force here, and the result is very enjoyable. This is not her best book, but it is very good. ( )

George Orr is referred to a psychologist named Doctor Haber, having been found to consume prescription drugs to deprive himself of deep sleep. George Orr's reasons for this is that he believes that his dreams can influence the past, changing reality to conform to his dreams. Haber, initially skeptical, tests Orr's claims, and finds that this is actually the case. What follows is Haber's earnest attempts to use Orr's dreaming to change the world for the better, with quite mixed results.

There's quite a lot that I like about this story. LeGuin does an excellent job of sketching the multiple realities that Orr manages to conjure up, and the changes in personality for the two supporting characters, quickly, efficiently, and without LeGuin lecturing to her readers. There are a lot of ideas here to mull over, from how dreams work to the vast differences in Haber's and Orr's views of how they should fit into the world - Haber desires to shape the world to how he sees it should be, while Orr merely seeks to exist within the world, changing it only when required.

I also enjoyed how LeGuin managed to keep Haber, the psychologist, as a realistic character, and not simply paint him as a caricartured villian. Haber, although intoxicated with the power he wields through Orr, is a character motivated to do good, even though his results are not always overly beneficial.

Original, thoughtful, and well-written - Philip K Dick, but with realistic characters and settings. Highly recommended. ( )

Superb imagining. Deep-sea, misty, heady. Stick with it till it grabs you good. ( )

A captivating read. A dream psychologist is tempted by the power of having a subject whose dreams become reality. Explores the impossible nature of a perfect utopia and how life is a balance rather than an ideal. Taoist quotes that start chapters are very fitting for the books subject matter. The technology, psychology and sociology are somewhat out of date but the concept is timeless.

This particular quote stood out to me. It's not relevant to the main subject matter of the book, but it captures so well for me that moment of meeting someone you are deeply attracted to;
"An irrelevant and poignant sensation of pleasure rose in him, like a tree that grew up and flowered all in one moment with its roots in his loins and its flowers in his mind. 'Hello,' he said again." ( )

A book about a man whose dreams alter reality? I was skeptical. I heard plenty of good things about this book and found it on several "Best Of Sci-Fi" lists but it just didn't seem like my kind of book. The main plot line, mentioned above, seemed like a good one, but my inner skeptic instantly recognized that it could be easily corrupted by poor writing. My mind raced with visions of religious symbolism, tedious philosophizing and page after page of vague, long-winded prose.In case you haven't guessed by the four star rating, I was sorely mistaken. The story turned out to be a lot more grounded than originally expected. It follows an ordinary man --in the future, yes, but still a very plausible and "normal" future-- who struggles with his reality-changing dreams. He ends up at a psychologist's office with hopes of curing or at least controlling these kinds of dreams. The psychologist, however, has different plans. Once he learns of his patient's extraordinary ability he starts trying to change the world for the better. I'll leave the plot synopsis at that so as to avoid spoilers.This book manages a nice balance that is rarely achieved. The action moves along at a steady pace but never at the expense of deeper discussion, and vice versa. Thus it avoids becoming a "yawn-fest," the kind of book you're forced to read at school; nor does it ever seem like a cheap thriller that stays on the sales charts for a few weeks then dies, never to be heard from again. As it grows older it is likely that many will label it as a classic sci-fi book, and I am hard pressed to disagree with that attitude. It has a certain timelessness that will keep it relevant, as well as an air of excitement that I am sure will convince people to actually, you know, read it. Little is more tragic than a good book that no one has ever read, after all. ( )

Surprisingly timeless, Lathe of Heaven explores what might happen if one man’s dreams had the power to change reality. Throughout are sprinkled such quotable thoughts as “What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?” and “Morality is an utterly meaningless term unless defined as the good one does to others.” Classic sci-fi and a definite must-read. ( )

In a near-future decimated by climate change and overpopulation, a perfectly ordinary man discovers an extraordinary talent: whatever he dreams becomes real. His efforts to escape what he considers his curse land him in the clutches of a psychotherapist, who uses a machine of his own invention and hypnosis to control the dreams and attempt to solve the world’s problems. What results is a bizarre merging of the “real” world with the infinite worlds of dreams until the two can no longer be told apart and all worlds are on the brink of the void. This is a fascinating novel that explores the unknown power of our dreams, the dangers of playing god and the possibilities of infinite worlds. ( )

Quite enjoyed reading this piece, Le Guin has some very interesting ideas and is always a pleasure to read. ( )

George Orr's dreams change reality. He is sent to a psychologist with a specialization in sleep and dream disorders and for the first time in his life, he has hope that he'll be able to stop his "effective dreaming", which is a responsibility he does not want. Instead, the doctor starts using his dreams to change the world. But dreams aren't as easy to control as the doctor would like to believe...

I was expecting another book as dense and difficult as The Left Hand of Darkness, but Lathe of Heaven was both shorter and much easier to read. That doesn't mean it was less powerful or fascinating, however. ( )

My copy of this was a long way from new when I bought it in Hiroshima: it had done time in the Roswell Public Library, New Mexico, and a bookshop in Missouri. Published in 1971 and set in the late 1990s, it makes much of the Greenhouse Effect, quotably if not always in line with currently favoured scenarios:

"'It's raining already.' In fact it was, the endless warm drizzle of spring -- the ice of Antarctica, falling softly on the heads of the children of those responsible for melting it."

The book, contrary to my expectations of Le Guin, is pretty much hard science fiction, the science at its centre being oneirology, the study of dreaming. But it's also got plenty of environmentalism, multiple realities and, in the end, aliens worthy of Doctor Who. Excellent, intelligent SF without pretensions, which makes me keen to read more of St Ursula. ( )

I watched this on PBS once long ago. It�s a modern take on the fairy tale about the fisherman�s wife. Whereas in the fairy tale the fisherman is the protagonist, here it would be the fish. George Orr is remarkable in only two ways. He is utterly, completely normal on virtually any scale; he is perfectly balanced. The other remarkable feature is that he sometimes changes reality in his dreams. In this distopian future George is busted for abuse of his pharm card, and for borrowing other people�s cards as well. He will not be charged as long as her enters voluntary therapy. Haber is a dream specialist with great ideals, as well as the inventor of a device called The Augmentor. With the machine hooked up to George, almost immediate REM is possible. By first giving George hypnotic suggestions, Haber can to some extent direct George�s dreams, granting himself wishes of a sort. It is a function of George�s talent that this entire reality will modify to make the dream fit naturally. And, of course, dreams are basically uncontrollable. Haber starts George dreaming about fairly inconsequential things: new murals in the office, a mountain cabin, a break in the constant rain. Gradually Haber�s ego builds up to momentous changes, all good changes for society: they dispose of racism by making everyone gray, the war in the Middle East ends when Aliens attack the moon. George makes two efforts to free himself of Haber: he enlists the assistance of a lawyer, Heather LeLache, who witnesses one of the sessions as an observer (overcrowding is cured by a Plague, years ago, that wiped out billions). Next he tries running away to the cabin, keeping himself awake for days. Heather finds him and tries to suggest a good dream, the result is that the Aliens attack and Haber admits he knows what�s going on.
Ultimately George is guided by his Aliens to a solution. Haber rids him of his power to dream effectively, then uses the Augmentor on himself, giving the entire world one half hour of confused, chaotic hell. After the Break, Haber is a vegetable, destroyed by his own effective dreams, and the world is a mess. Portland is left with the remains of five different public transportation systems, subway tunnels ending half way under the river, that sort of thing. George eventually runs into Heather again, who sort of remembers him, and things look like being fairly happy in the end.
Whereas the fisherman�s story is primarily about greed and the inability to be satisfied, Le Guin�s story is more about the futility of trying to solve all the problems in the world. It�s still about greed of a sort, Haber being greedy for a particular kind of power, but it�s greed with the Monkey�s Paw twist. In the modern world wishes can come true, but you�re always worse off if they do.

I watched this on PBS once long ago. It�s a modern take on the fairy tale about the fisherman�s wife. Whereas in the fairy tale the fisherman is the protagonist, here it would be the fish. George Orr is remarkable in only two ways. He is utterly, completely normal on virtually any scale; he is perfectly balanced. The other remarkable feature is that he sometimes changes reality in his dreams. In this distopian future George is busted for abuse of his pharm card, and for borrowing other people�s cards as well. He will not be charged as long as her enters voluntary therapy. Haber is a dream specialist with great ideals, as well as the inventor of a device called The Augmentor. With the machine hooked up to George, almost immediate REM is possible. By first giving George hypnotic suggestions, Haber can to some extent direct George�s dreams, granting himself wishes of a sort. It is a function of George�s talent that this entire reality will modify to make the dream fit naturally. And, of course, dreams are basically uncontrollable. Haber starts George dreaming about fairly inconsequential things: new murals in the office, a mountain cabin, a break in the constant rain. Gradually Haber�s ego builds up to momentous changes, all good changes for society: they dispose of racism by making everyone gray, the war in the Middle East ends when Aliens attack the moon. George makes two efforts to free himself of Haber: he enlists the assistance of a lawyer, Heather LeLache, who witnesses one of the sessions as an observer (overcrowding is cured by a Plague, years ago, that wiped out billions). Next he tries running away to the cabin, keeping himself awake for days. Heather finds him and tries to suggest a good dream, the result is that the Aliens attack and Haber admits he knows what�s going on.
Ultimately George is guided by his Aliens to a solution. Haber rids him of his power to dream effectively, then uses the Augmentor on himself, giving the entire world one half hour of confused, chaotic hell. After the Break, Haber is a vegetable, destroyed by his own effective dreams, and the world is a mess. Portland is left with the remains of five different public transportation systems, subway tunnels ending half way under the river, that sort of thing. George eventually runs into Heather again, who sort of remembers him, and things look like being fairly happy in the end.
Whereas the fisherman�s story is primarily about greed and the inability to be satisfied, Le Guin�s story is more about the futility of trying to solve all the problems in the world. It�s still about greed of a sort, Haber being greedy for a particular kind of power, but it�s greed with the Monkey�s Paw twist. In the modern world wishes can come true, but you�re always worse off if they do.

Originally available at http://sf-fantasy-books.blogspot.com

The Lathe of Heaven is a 1971 science fiction novel by much acclaimed Ursula K. Le Guin. The novel was nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula award and won the Locus in 1972. It has also been adopted into two films. The novel sprawls just over 170 pages, which is considered short by modern standards set by thousand plus pages long doorstopper tomes. That keeps the writer with limited maneuver space. This is not Le Guin's most known work – that would be certain novels from the Hainish Cycle (considerably The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia) and her YA fantasy Earthsea novels. But even if it is not her most known work it is still influential and resonating.

George Orr discovers that he has the ability to alter and/or shape reality with his dreams but is also vastly unnerved by that fact. He abuses drugs to help him suppress the vivid and reality-changing dreams. When he gets caught for it he is assigned to Obligatory Therapy. When his therapist, William Haber, discovers for himself what George is capable of, and all the possibilities of given situation, he starts developing agendas of his own.

Basically this is a story about the contest of ideological and binary opposites – such as the following motives: free will vs. authority, risk vs. safety, freedom vs. totalitarism, introvertedness vs. extrovertedness, pessimism vs. unbelated optimism, passivity vs. activity and last but not least the who protagonists that personify these polar ideals. It is an allegory of two god-head figures: the tinkerer or the interventionist (example: Judeo-Christian concept of god) and the being who is the World, who belongs rather than observes and dictates (example: god figure of many eastern religions). The tinkerer is personified in the therapist and the being who is the World is represented by George Orr (he in fact holds the power of creation in his hands, but is ironically in power of Haber himself). So the first one uses and the second is used. The revolt of George Orr seems mild and without outward aggression, but it is only that it happens on an introverted and intuitive level. Haber sees Orr only as a husk of a man, incapable of action, of progress, of evolution. Orr is not unintelligent, only meek and docile tool to be used. This is of course only Haber's view on things. We get to know the opposite angle on Orr as well – a completely wholesome person and a pillar of strength to lean on to. From this point of view Haber seems a complete control freak with narcissistic, aggressive, pushy, self-centered, uncaring and intrusive tendencies. Although neither is good or bad. Orr is convinced that he has no moral right to change the world. On the other hand, Haber believes that Orr's reality-bending dreams are just a tool to be used, a next step in evolution and he has a genuine wish to change the world for the better. But dreams are unpredictable, driven by subconscious irrational mind defying control.

***

“I don’t have nightmares more than most people, I think,” Orr was saying, looking down at his hands. “Nothing special. I’m afraid of dreaming.”
“Of dreaming bad dreams.”
“Any dreams.”
“I see. Have you any notion how that fear got started? Or what it is you’re afraid of, wish to avoid?”
As Orr did not reply at one, bat sat looking don at his hands, square, reddish hands lying too still on his knee, Haber prompted just a little. “Is it the irrationality, the lawlessness, sometimes the immorality of dreams, is it something like that that makes you uncomfortable?”
“Yes, in a way. But for a specific reason. You see, here…Here I…”
Here’s the crux, the lock, thought Haber, also watching those tense hands. Poor bastard. He has wet dreams, and a guilt complex about ‘em. Boyhood enuresis, compulsive mother-
“Here’s where you stop believing me.” (pg.14-15)

***

Just to state this one out loud – yes, Ursula K. Le Guin is a terrific and a very intelligent writer. She took some 170 pages and turned them into a psychological (psychoanalysis, dream studies etc.), sociological (issues of poverty, racism, population control, violence, tinkering with social structure etc.), philosophical (Nietzsche's will-to-power, ethical issues, question of freedom etc.) study with a pinch of pure fiction thrown in as well. I admit I find her writing style endearing and comfortable but in some way The Lathe of Heaven just fails to connect with me in the way it should. The book is short but I still found a lot of info-dumping and (for me) uninteresting speculations about and experimentations with the society's structure. Since I'm working on my degree in social studies I found much of that tinkering with society crude or just plainly under explored; I'm aware that the emphasis of the book lies elsewhere, but I still found this element of the story too disconcerting to give the book a higher grade. The alternative realities are so numerous that I never got a (firm) grasp on the setting of the novel. I'm mentioning this to justify my final grade and because I know some of you will not be bothered by this fact. On the other hand, her criticism of western societies and its constant will-to-progress is subtle and ingenious enough – played on individual level between two main protagonists.

***

You have to help another person. But it’s not right to play God with masses of people. To be God you have to know what you’re doing. And to do any good at all, just believing you’re right and your motives are good isn’t enough. You have to…be in touch. He isn’t in touch. No one else, no thing even, has an existence of its own for him; he sees the world only as a means to his end. (pg.150)

***

All in all, this one was a mixed bag of great to not so great for me (but never really bad though). It's just that it felt a bit rusty in some places and in my opinion does is not on the level with The Left Hand of Darkness, which is her other work that I've read. So if you'd like to start with Le Guin I'd recommend to start there. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I've read The Lathe of Heaven because it has some brilliant moments – it's a charming classic in its own special way.

(3 out of five) ( )

A coworker recommended I read some of Le Guin's work, and with how many books I recommend, I feel generally compelled to read recommendations.

This novel started out following my normal fiction interests-dystopias. It seemed like this was going to be a good psychiatrist dystopia, which was great because aside from 12 Monkeys, I don't think I've ever seen or read a psychiatric dystopia. Haber was an interesting character, a typical researcher who convinces himself that what he's doing is fo the good of all. And the entire book, I was wondering along-is this bad to happen-aside from the self-serving things Herber did...is it really that bad? And it was a very good internal conflict. I was glad Orr was never completely certain about it either.
The plot was good enough for me to ignore the awful grammar (she dangles quite a few participles in her novels, which is kind of distracting after a day of proofreading papers). Then came the aliens. Aliens, really? But I paused, reminded myself that one of my favorite books (Ender's Game), also has aliens and it was a great book despite them (in case you hadn't noticed-I don't like aliens in books-I think they are a lazy plot device either used to indicate xenophobia or to ameliorate guilt of slaughtering a bunch of them). This was also a good book despite the aliens-though not great. It is an interesting concept and an interesting book, though it's best NOT to read it with the intention of reading a couple of chapters each night before bed. I had to read the whole thing in one night, hoping that my dreams would be a little more normal than Orr's. ( )

This is a great book. I re-read it but I had forgotten the environmentalism, and how he dreamed away the destruction of the Earth before the story starts.

This is really quite an amazing story, although I found the ending to be a bit of a disappointment. It tells about a man whose dreams reshape the world, the psychiatrist who sees his patient as a tool to make the world a better place, and the young woman who keeps running into the dreamer in each remake of the world. The writing is good, the characters sympathetic (even the "bad guy" doctor), interesting ethical questions are raised, and the plot never becomes predictable. As noted above, the ending left me a little bit disappointed. It was almost as if, after creating a compelling storyline, Le Guin couldn't really find a compelling way to wrap it up. I read it in two nights. It's well worth your time. ( )

http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts... ( )

A wonderful piece of sci-fi that delves into philosophy and psychology. It keeps what could have been a terribly complex plot intimate by pivoting on three central characters throughout the changes in the story's universe. An introductory text on taoism, such as The Tao of Pooh, would make a good accompaniment. ( )

One of the finest pieces of psychological sci-fi I've ever read -- and it all takes place in Portland! George Orr dreams new realities -- and we live them, retroactively. Beautiful, hugely suggestive, very eloquently crafted.
-- Evan

Cool, weird, better than I thought it would be and more original too. ( )

Eerie SF novel about a world whose continuity is repeatedly revised by a man's dreaming mind, an ability which, predictably, begins to be exploited the very second another person gains a sense of it. Fascinating premise, but the book's real strength is in the way it locates the emotional heart of the story, becoming (at its best) a moving meditation on memory and loss, on power and the renunciation of power. Recommended.

http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/book... ( )

When people talk about all of their dreams coming true, they don't mean that in the literal sense. They are generally referring to their hopes, fantasies or desires. If their dreams came true, there would be a lot more naked people. And really weird sex.

Snide commentary aside, "The Lathe of Heaven" tells, on the surface, the story of a man whose dreams actually change the reality of his waking life. It's an imperceptible change, visible to no one but himself until he is recommended to a doctor after overdosing on the drugs he uses to keep this power in check. His psychiatrist has plans for this ability, attempting to craft a better world by subliminal suggestion. As you can imagine, things don't work out as planned.

"Lathe" has become a classic of science fiction, and deservedly so. It deals with complex issues in a fantastic, imaginative way. Le Guin weaves the text and various subtexts of her story with a master's touch, letting the story come to its own conclusions rather than forcing analogies and meaning. Reality bends and is reformed, the very nature of the characters change with each new dream, yet it all unfolds so simply and with such grace that you never get lost. This is speculative fiction at its intellectual and spiritual high point.

(This review originally appeared on zombieunderground.net) ( )