Ursula K. Le Guin: The Hainish Cycle

The Left Hand of Darkness, The Word for World is Forest, & The Dispossessed are three of the most iconic novels by the legendary author Ursula K. Le Guin. Written within less than five years of each other, these novels all occur in the same science fiction universe that is most often referred to as Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle. Exploring themes of gender construction, non-hierarchical societies, & imperialist-driven environmental destruction, these texts deftly critique our own society through these expansive & imaginative worlds. The fourth text for this seminar, “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction,” is an essay by Le Guin that argues our society has been devastated by our dominant form of story: the hero’s journey. In the essay she implores us to consider telling the untold stories of life while abandoning overdone violent narratives. This brief essay will act as a lens through which to consider the three other imaginative novels. This seminar will not only immerse us in tremendous works of fiction—we will explore how the stories we tell can create & challenge the society we live in.

Texts:

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin

Access Program
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