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The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin is probably the best known woman in science fiction. She made her reputation in the late 1960s and early 1970s and is certainly one of the few working 30 years ago to still be an active and instantly recognised name today. The Hainish novels she wrote in the late 1960s and early 1970s brought her early renown and awards. The science fiction universe she created is sometimes buried by the success of her Earthsea books and the different directions of her later years but Le Guin has recently revisited and extended this family of books. In the course of her career she has written over 30 novels and short story collections which have, between them, earned her every significant award that SF has to offer, often more than once. Yet, some commentators have become uncomfortable with Le Guin's ideology, allowing their view of her best science fiction to be clouded by her subsequent academic reputation
The Left Hand of Darkness was the first great book written by Le Guin, winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It built on her journeyman novels set in the same Hainish universe but they pale beside this book, in which Le Guin fully found both her voice and her subject. The plot is, in barest outline, a standard trope of science fiction -- a visitor from an advanced civilisation brings a message to a non-space-age people. The essential twist seems simple in hindsight but it is an indicator of the new winds blowing through science fiction at the time. The people of the planet Winter are a variant human population, neuter five sixths of the time but who become either male or female when they become sexually active in the remaining part of the month. Every normal adult can -- and most do -- both bear and sire children. The result is a society where sexual inequality is simply impossible. This thought experiment is fascinating reading yet the book does not preach. These people have much in common with the wider community of humanity and the framework of the plot is strong enough for the discursive elements of the text.
Most of the story is told from the perspective of Genly Ai, the solo Earth visitor who holds the role of "First Mobile" to Winter from the League of Worlds. His mission is to bring news of the existence of other inhabited worlds and to encourage Winter's peoples to allow contact. He is, intentionally, a virtually unsupported ambassador, bringing a message of peace and technology; attempting to convince through his words and the presence of his space ship. They seem to find it difficult to believe (or acknowledge) that he is from another planet and consider his fixed sexuality a perversion. Despite his training, it is almost impossible for Ai to understand the personal or political values of the people he deals with. As a result, he is caught up in intrigue within and between governments. The neighbouring nations with which Ai is involved are broadly painted as a stratified, feudal country and a modern but bureaucratised nation. Given the different nature of these humans, the way such societies actually work is interesting through both the similarities and the contrasts with the expectations of first impressions.
Alongside Ai's reminisences, the book includes myths and stories as well as extracts from the journal of one of the inhabitants (which reads very much like an Antarctic sledging diary from a century ago, with its distance travelled and descriptions of ice and weather conditions). These give the book greater depth as an artifact and provide further explanation of the culture without filtering through Ai's understanding. Ai himself undergoes considerable physical and emotional suffering in the course of his mission; the book's ending tells as much about how he has changed as it does of the fate of his mission.
Le Guin's explanation of how Winter and its inhabitants came about is not hard science but the development of her ideas is fascinating. She builds up Winter's human and natural environments without falling into a lecturing style, offering plenty of food for thought by leaving as many questions open as she answers. The book also packs an emotional punch. Throw away any preconceptions and enjoy The Left Hand of Darkness.
You can purchase this book at Fatbrain. You may also be interested in checking out a Le Guin site that Duncan recommends. Would you like to see you review in this space? Check out our book review submission guidelines first :)
Natalie Portman
Turned down a role in Horse Whisperer, The (1998) to act in "The Diary of Anne Frank" on Broadway. (29 June 1999) Graduated from Syosset High School, Syosset, NY. Has been a strict vegetarian since the age of 8. Has taken dance lessons since the age of 4. Says that math is her favorite subject in school because, "There's always an answer." (1999) Stated in a TV interview that with the exception of the Star Wars prequels, she will not act for the next four years in order to concentrate on studying at Harvard University. Can speak fluent Hebrew, French, and Japanese. Originally turned down the role of Ann August in the film Anywhere But Here (1999) because of the love scene between herself and Corbin Allred which required nudity. Susan Sarandon who had co-star approval, said she couldn't continue the movie without Portman, so the script was re-written without the scene and sent to Natalie, and she accepted. Portman is her grandmother's maiden name. She avoids revealing her real name so she can have more privacy. Her mother is an artist, and her father a doctor. She is an only child. She went to Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp in 1994 and 1995 where she was Anne in "Anne of Green Gables" in 1994 and "Tapestry" in 1995. Was the first choice to play Juliet in Romeo + Juliet (1996) movie but turned it down because of the scenes, and the age difference, between her and Leonardo DiCaprio. She was discovered in a Pizza parlor and was originally turned down for the role of Mathilda in Léon (1994) because she was too young. Harpers and Queen magazine said that she is "the new Audrey Hepburn". Turned down the title role in Adrian Lyne's Lolita (1997), due to her feelings about young adult actors/actresses being exposed to sex in films. Before she was cast in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), she had never seen the original 3 Star Wars movies. Moved to the US when she was 3 years old. Turned down the role of Wendy in Ice Storm, The (1997) because she felt the material was "too dark." The role went to Christina Ricci, who has said she often gets the projects Natalie turns down. Said would never be in a horror movie or any other " Jennifer Love Hewitt type" film Has said in interviews that when she gets older, she would like to be a doctor like her father. Was reportedly caught using a fake ID trying to sneak into the Roxy. The performer Moby insisted that she was invited by him, and refused to perform unless she was admitted. She was admitted and security watched her as she stood in the back, watched the show, and didn't drink. Stated in an online interview that the story about sneaking into the Roxy to see Moby is not true, and that she and her friends went home after they were denied entrance. (2000) Studying psychology at Harvard (where she has three room-mates), and says that she may plan to make that her career. Takes pride in the fact that she is a role model for girls and choses roles that are positive so that they will have a positive role model to look up to. Her father is an infertility specialist. Auditioned for Little Women (1994). Became interested in acting after spending three summers at the prestigious (and expensive) Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp. Is very close to her parents and says, "The best part about being friends with your parents is that no matter what you do, they always love you." Grew up in Syosset, Long Island, New York, where her parents still reside. (July 2001) Dated Lukas Haas. Personal quotes (On Lolita) "I don't think there needs to be a movie out where a child has sex with an adult." Source:Entertainment Tonight (On Lolita) I think there's enough exploitation out there that it's not nescessary to do more. Young actors often don't think of the consequences of doing nudity or sex scenes. They want the role so badly that they agree to be exploited, and then end up embarassing family, friends, and even strangers. Source:Calgary Sun 11/7/99 (On Acting)"I started to do this at age 11. At age 20, I might say, this is enough" (On violence in the media) "We live in a violent world, but since the success of films like Pulp Fiction (1994), it seems every movie has some violence in it, and it's now being used as a form of comedy-audiences are now being encouraged to laugh when people get their heads blown off. I just don't like hearing people laugh at violence." "I also feel I'm a positive role model by not putting my education on hold." "She's really a smart girl who has had a very rarified upbringing, who has been raised with alot of confidence and self-esteem, so she seems older than she is in many ways. I felt at all times that I was working with and equal. She has a natural grace that doesn't make her seem as if she's of her generation." (Susan Sarandon on Portman) "I want to use college to explore what other careers I might be interested in. " (On acting)"I'm taking it day by day. Right now I like acting, but if something else sparks my interest in college, I'll do that. It's so limiting to say, this is it for the rest of my life. There are so many things that interest me-I love math, science, literature, languages." Source: Vanity Fair may 1999 (On Lolita) "Let me tell you, this movie's going to be sleaze." "I'm going to college. I don't care if it ruined my career. I'd rather be smart than a movie star." "I don't know if acting is what I want to do for the rest of my life, it's just what I've, you Know, ended up doing when I was little, and I've kinda grown up with it." "When I'm working they pretty much treat me like an adult, but then when there's a break everyone else goes to their trailers and drinks beer and I like, go to school." "There's so much else to do in the world. To just be interested in doing films would limit my life." Ted Demme (director Beautiful Girls (1996)): "In 10 years she's going to run the entire world, and I want to be one of her assistants..." "I think school is so much harder than real life. People are so much more accepting when they are adults." "Danny [Aiello] told me: Don't do television" "Cute is when a person's personality shines through their looks. Like in the way they walk, every time you see them you just want to run up and hug them." Michael Mann on Natalie Portman: "When I met her, you could tell she was kind of a prodigy". [Harpers and Queen Magazine] : "This school-room cutie has more acting ability in her little toe than Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston combined." "I've never tried smoking. I don't drink. I've never tried drugs." (Australian Dolly August 2000) "Politics is easy to segue into from acting. I'm very interested in it, though I would never run for office. But after this, anything I do is going to seem very bizarre to me." (Interview October 1999) "No, but I've been thinking about it a lot. I love acting, but I don't know if there's something out there that I love more. That's what college is going to be about for me^xchecking things out." (Interview October 1999) When asked by Seventeen magazine what advice she had for teenagers going off to college she said, "I would say practicing laundry it's so hard." (November 1999) "There is a lot lacking on the intellectual side and on the values side when being an actor." (Seventeen, November 1999) Told the November 1999 issue of Mademoiselle magazine that she wished she knew David Letterman because, "He seems to be so smart, but you never get to hang out with him after the show." When asked by German Cosmopolitan (3/00) if she would like having herself as a daughter she replied, "Well of course. I am a good person, nice, smart, witty, trustworthy, know nice people, don't do drugs and earn a lot of money." On what she likes about her parents: "They have made it quite clear that they believe I can be great. Had my parents expected less of me,I would not be the person I am now. And I am very happy with myself." (German Cosmopolitan March 2000) "I'm not planning to be an actress as an adult, I'm planning other things for my future." Source: Venice Magazine July 1995 "I don't think I'd be able to deal with just acting, because I don't know if you get to use your brain that much. You do, for certain roles, but not most. Acting is more of a hobby for me." (W Magazine November 1997) "There's a big intellectual aspect that's kind of lacking, " she says of acting in films. "Right now I supplement that through being in school. I'm not sure I'd be happy if I was just acting. I haven't explored a lot of other avenues. Hopefully I'll figure it out by the end of school, so I know what I want to do with my life." When asked about her prom dress: "A designer is going to give me something to wear. It's the most amazing perk I have." (Source: USA Today May 28,1999) "I didn't have this undying need to be an actress. I didn't have that fire in me ever -- at any point. And still, I don't think I have that within me, " she says. Source: CNN Online 11/10/99 "I don't really know if acting would have ultimately become my passion as an adult, or if there's something else I would have found had I not been in the pizza shop. That's what college is helping me investigate." Source: CNN Online 11/10/99 "I'm ready to ditch the movies and keep at the books. There are so many other things, and it would feel limiting to say, 'Acting is it for me.'... I love psychology. That's what I'm studying right now. It would probably be difficult, because of my current occupation, to become a clinical psychologist, but I could certainly do research. And I'd like to have a family someday, too."
...upon reading the title, thought this was Bill Gate's newest autobiography?
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I Am My Own Worst Enemy
Another interesting site here