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Loading... The Lathe of Heaven (1971)by Ursula K. Le Guin
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A man who can change reality through 'effective dreaming' under the influence of a psychologist who wants to fix everything? Recipe for a absorbing but very short read. Written in the early 70s but set approximately around the early 2000s, recommended for fans of dystopian examinations into can humans really fix things/should we have the power to do so/etc. Dark, enigmatic, nightmarish, with hope and love at its heart. Le Guin's writing is beautiful, the characters are vivid. It is fascinating to read books in which the fabric of reality gets ripped apart, stitched back together, ripped apart again... A few pages in, I began thinking about Philip K. Dick (I've only read Ubik, though), dreams altering reality seems to be his kind of theme. Speaking of themes, Le Guin skilfully packs so much into ca 185 pages: playing God, the tricks our subconscious plays on us, inaction and responsibility, dystopia of climate change and overpopulation... etc. To summarise, this is excellent classic sci-fi. P.S. Just for the record, "my favourite Le Guin" spot is still occupied by The Left Hand of Darkness. Future speculative fiction, can't really call it sci-Fi or fantasy. Very enjoyable - highly reminiscent of Philip K. Dick, but more focused, and also a little of Vonnegut. One of those books where one thing is outlandishly unrealistic, but the implications of it (rather than the reasons for it) are explored. Imaginative, humane. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesAlpha science fiction (1979) Galaxy Scifi (6) — 6 more Is contained inHas the adaptationAwardsNotable Lists
A classic science fiction novel by one of the greatest writers of the genre, set in a future world where one man's dreams control the fate of humanity. In a future world racked by violence and environmental catastrophes, George Orr wakes up one day to discover that his dreams can alter reality. He seeks help from Dr. William Haber, a psychiatrist who immediately grasps the power George wields. Soon George must preserve reality itself as Dr. Haber becomes adept at manipulating George's dreams for his own purposes. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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the real question she's addressing here is about playing god. even if you think you're benevolent and have the best interests of everyone in mind, what gives you the right to make those decisions, and how can you be sure that even a "positive" change doesn't have far reaching unforeseen negative consequences that you didn't predict? this is a book about science and eugenics and racism and overpopulation and eastern and/or native ways of thinking and climate change and power. and how if too much power is given to only a few people, it can so easily get out of control and turn into something unexpected and unwanted. and against the greater good. this is a really interesting read.
i do wish that heather was still a lawyer in the last iteration and i'm not sure why she demoted her. that felt decidedly un-leguin like.
"What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?"
"Are there really people without resentment, without hate? she wondered. People who never go cross-grained to the universe? Who recognize evil, and resist evil, and yet are utterly unaffected by it?" ( )