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| Ace 1969, Diane Dillon and Leo Dillon |
Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness explores a planet whose inhabitants (descended from mankind) take on a defined gender only once a month. In other words, the people of Gethen live their lives as neutered, androgynous humans for 26 days at a time, with each cycle separated by a brief day-long period where the attributes of male or female gender surface (allowing procreation to take place). In the novel, the implications of this mostly "non-binary" society are explored as a male diplomat from an interstellar human confederation called the Ekumen visits Gethen in the hopes of setting up diplomatic trade relations with the planet's ruling governments.
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| Walker & Co. 1969, Jack Gaughan |
In order to portray how this clash of gender cultures unfolds, The Left Hand of Darkness speaks from the viewpoints of both the Ekumen envoy, Genly Ai, and Estraven, a Gethen politician. In the first part of the novel the differences between Ai and Estraven lead to gross misunderstandings and distrust. However, as their relationship deepens, they begin to learn to trust one another. Eventually, they begin to love each other - not as sexual partners, but as two members of humanity searching for peaceful relations between their respective peoples. Le Guin also intersperses the dual POV narrative with folk tales, legends, biographical
flashbacks and Ekumen scientific reports which serve to deepen
additional aspects of Gethen culture (and inform scenes which follow).
Although the book's main aim is to portray Ai and Estraven's developing understanding of each other, in the background lies a conflict between two adjacent Gethen nations, Karhide and Orgoreyn. Although the people of Karhide are at a lower technological level then the Orgata and prefer to speak in very ambiguous terms, they are generally a kind people. Orgoreyn on the other hand has a more unified structure and thus can provide more luxuries for its citizens. However, it is also crippled by a council of scheming politicians and has no qualms about putting dissidents into harsh labor camps.
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| Ace Books 1974, Alex Ebel |
After spending two years among the people of Karhide, the Ekumen diplomat Genly Ai is finally about to have an audience with its ruler, King Argaven. However, Genly Ai's main supporter, the Karhide prime minister Estraven, suddenly has misgivings about the meeting. Estraven is soon exiled by the King on a bizarre pretext, and Ai's proposal for an interstellar alliance is dismissed as a hoax by Argaven.
Ai eventually decides to visit Orgoreyn to try forging diplomatic relations with their government, but is caught up in an internal struggle roiling its own political parties, and ends up being sent to a harsh labor camp. Estraven then proceeds to rescue Ai from the labor camp and, in order to evade Orgoreyn law enforcement, takes Ai back to Karhide by way of a long journey through harsh winter conditions. Once in Karhide, Ai uses Estraven's advice to play Karhide's nationalistic fervor against Orgoreyn's, and the first steps towards bringing Gethen into the Ekumen begin.
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| Orbit 2009, Tim White |
- A Parade in Erhenrang: A political envoy named Genly Ai seeks to establish diplomatic trade relations between the "ambisexual" (androgynous) people of Gethen and his own people, the Ekumen (an interstellar confederation developed from humanity). The day before his audience with the nation of Karhide's King Argaven, Ai attends a royal ceremony in Erhenrang, capital of Karhide. Later, Ai has dinner with Argaven's chief advisor Estraven, whom he cannot relate to (and thus distrusts) due to Estraven's genderless nature. Worse, although Estraven has been working for months towards getting Ai an audience with the King, he suddenly announces that he is withdrawing his support, believing that the idea of Karhide joing an interstellar confederation will be too damaging to the paranoid King's own sense of self-worth. Estraven also hints that it might be better for Ai to approach the people of Orgoreyn instead. Upon hearing all this, Ai feels betrayed by the politician and in his confusion misunderstands the meaning of Estraven's hints.
- The Place Inside the Blizzard: A folk tale: When two brothers are prevented from continuing as kemmerings (mates), one of them, Hode, commits suicide. The other, Getheren, curses the people of his Domain (village). They chase him into the cold north. There, he encounters a ghost version of his dead brother in a blizzard. The white Hode asks Getheren to remain there with him, but Getheren rejects this offer and eventually creates a new identity in the south. When he eventually dies of old age, he lifts the curse on his old Domain.
- The Mad King: Just before his audience with King Argaven, Ai learns that Estraven has been accused of treason and exiled (essentially for his support for joining the Ekumen). During the audience, Argaven expresses skepticism of Ai's propositions and dismisses any serious consideration of aligning with the Ekumen. He also hints that Ai should leave the city. His mission seemingly a failure, Ai decides to journey to an eastern Fastness (religious retreat) to investigate Gethen's seemingly-precognitive Foretellers.
Panther 1973, Colin Hay - The Nineteenth Day: A legend: At Thangering Fastness, Lord Berosty asks a Weaver to Foretell the day of his death. The Weaver says Berosty will die on the 19th, but doesn't indicate the month or year. His kemmering, Herbor, asks the Weavers how long Berosty will live. He is only informed that Berosty will outlive Herbor. Later, Berosty kills Herbor for his stupid question and then in remorse hangs himself on the 19th of the month.
- The Domestication of Hunch: Ai journeys east with a caravan of landships (transport trucks) and eventually reaches Otherhord. There, he meets with Foretellers who predict that in 5 years' time Gethen will have joined the Ekumen. Ai also befriends a Foreteller named Faxe who tries to explain to Ai the value of uncertainty.
- One Way Into Orgoreyn: When news of Estraven's exile spreads, he is given three days to leave Karhide. The King's cousin Tibe (and Estraven's political foe) sends assassins after Estraven. Estraven barely makes his way to the territory of Orgoreyn by stealing a rowboat. After a period of laying low, he arranges to meet two Orgoreyn diplomats who he is friends with (Yegey and Obsle, both of whom are in a liberal-minded minority party). He tells them that, under Tibe's influence, Karhide is becoming more and more nationalistic, and will soon be able to wage war against Orgoreyn. He also tells them that the Envoy from Ekumen should be taken seriously.
- The Question of Sex: An Ekumen Investigator delivers a report describing the sexual habits and androgynous nature of the humanoids of Gethen. She theorizes that their gender-neutrality (22 days out of each 26-day month) may be a factor in their avoidance of wars. She also wonders if harsh conditions for survival on Gethen may also be a deterrent.
Science Fiction Book Club 2004, Bob Eggleton - Another Way Into Orgoreyn: When King Argaven becomes pregnant, his hawk-like cousin Tibe becomes Regent. With his new position, Tibe encourages a more nationalistic fervor amongst the people of Karhide, demonizing the Orgata (people of Orgoreyn) for a border conflict at the Sinoth Valley in the north. Ai decides to travel to Orgoreyn in order to approach the leadership there with his mission. When he tries to cross south of the contested territory, he is caught up in a raid. However, once he is identified as the Envoy, the Orgata allow him free passage and Ai quickly reaches Mishnory, the Orgoreyn capital, where he finds the atmosphere much more civilized than in Karhide. At a dinner party held by city politicians (amongst them Yegey and Obsle), he runs into Estraven, and suspects that he owes his warm welcome to the exiled Karhide prime minister.
- Estraven the Traitor: Historical background: After a generational romance, a man named Estraven makes peace between his Domain (Estre) and that of its rival Domain, Stok. Due to the compromises made for this alliance, Estraven is called Estraven the Traitor, yet he is still regarded as a respected figure amongst his people.
- Conversations In Mishnory: Estraven visits Ai, who finds Estraven's presence politically embarrasing and turns him away. Later at another political function, Ai learns that there are many different forces in Orgoreyn vying for power, including the Sarf (the Orgoreyn secret police). However, he makes an impression on them when he tells them that an Ekumen ship is in their star system awaiting his signal to land.
Futura 1981, Tim White - Soliloquies in Mishnory: As weeks pass the Orgata council increasingly treats Ai's claims as a hoax and disappointingly no announcements are made to the public concerning his mission (or even his arrival). Estraven advises Ai to have his Ekumen starship land in Orgoreyn in order to encourage the Orgata's cooperation, but Ai refuses such a step without more assurances of success (and safety for his ship).
- On Time And Darkness: According to Gethen beliefs, the deity/religious figure Meshe has an awareness of all time and space.
- Down On the Farm: A day after the meeting with Estraven, Ai is interrogated by the Sarf and then taken on a harsh journey to a prison labor camp named Pulefen Farm in the northwest. At the camp, Ai is treated only as another Gethen inmate (but with strange sexual affectations) and given debilitating drugs.
- The Escape: When Estraven learns that the Orgoreyn politicians have given up Ai to the Sarf (to save their own skins), he immediately embarks on a secret mission to infiltrate Pulefen Farm to rescue the Ekumen Envoy. After deceiving the Pulefen guards, he whisks a drugged Ai away to a hidden cache of supplies hidden earlier in the forest. There, he explains to Ai that he has always believed in Ai's cause, despite Ai's reluctance to trust him.
The Folio Society 2018, David Lupton - To the Ice: Ai and Estraven decide to return to Karhide. In order to avoid the Orgata Inspectors (who will arrest them) they decide to go north to the Gobrin ice glacier and then cross eastwards from there. As they approach the ice shelf, Ai works towards suppressing his sense of male pride in the face of Estraven's pragmatism. As his understanding of Gethen gender-fluid society grows, he begins to better understand Estraven's actions and motivations.
- Between Drumner and Dremegole: Ai and Estraven find a passage to the Fire Hills through two active volcanoes. When Estraven goes into kemmer (he takes on a female gender), he asks Ai how the women of his race are different from himself. Ai finds it a difficult question to answer with any certainty.
- An Orgota Creation Myth: An ancient Orgota myth: One of the first men created by the Gethen ice gods kills all but one of his brothers, who manages to escape. When the murderer goes into kemmer, the survivor returns and they end up becoming the progenitors of mankind. However a darkness lives on in their descendants.
Orbit 2009, Paul Young - On the Ice: As the journey across the ice continues, Ai teaches Estraven how to communicate telepathically. The experience leaves Estraven shaken. Later, Estraven tells Ai that if they make it back to Karhide, Argaven will use Ai's mistreatment in Orgoreyn as a way to elevate Karhide's reputation and disgrace Orgoreyn's, at which point Ai should bring down the Ekumen starship immediately (to take advantage of the King's political maneuver).
- Homecoming: Ai and Estraven finally reach a small northerly Domain in Karhide. While Ai sends a signal to his Ekumen starship, Estraven's identity is revealed by a traitorous friend and he is forced to flee back to Orgoreyn. Ai accompanies him to the border. Unfortunately, when Estraven races towards the border guards ignoring their orders to halt, he is shot dead.
- A Fool's Errand: Ai is briefly imprisoned for being caught with an "exile". However, once news of Ai's signal to his Ekumen starship reaches King Argaven, Ai is brought back to Ehrenrang. Tibe is dismissed and the ruling council at Orgoreyn is replaced due to their mistreatment and subsequent cover up of the fate of the Envoy. After the Ekumen ship lands, Ekumen diplomats disperse on the planet to make overtures to the various nations of Gethen. Ai visits Estraven's father and offers to tell him of his son's last great journey.
Harper & Row 1980, Dan Sneberger
