The Left Hand of Darkness
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
The Left Hand of Darkness
Buy Now for $22.26
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
George Guidall
-
Written by:
-
Ursula K. Le Guin
About this listen
Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards.
A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can change their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters. Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.
©1969 Ursula K. Le Guin (P)2016 Recorded BooksYou may also enjoy...
-
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- 15 BBC Radio 4 Original Full-Cast Dramas
- Written by: Bert Coules
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs, Clive Merrison, full cast
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
A gripping collection of 15 BBC Radio full-cast dramas written by Bert Coules, inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. In the 56 short stories and four novels Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his great detective, how many times did Dr John Watson tantalise us with references to cases which were never written about in full? These original adventures flesh out those unrecorded cases to wonderful effect. Clive Merrison plays the great sleuth himself, with Andrew Sachs in the role of Doctor Watson.
Written by: Bert Coules
-
City of Last Chances
- Written by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse. What will be the spark that lights the conflagration? Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood–that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Everyone is Scottish there?
- By J Brandon. on 2024-10-25
Written by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
-
Minority Report and Other Stories (Unabridged Stories)
- Written by: Philip K. Dick
- Narrated by: Keir Dullea
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
Viewed by many as the greatest science fiction writer on any planet, Philip K. Dick has written some of the most intriguing, original, and thought-provoking fiction of our time. This collection includes "The Minority Report," "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," "Paycheck," "Second Variety," and "The Eyes Have It."
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great stories!
- By Anonymous User on 2024-10-26
Written by: Philip K. Dick
-
Sea of Rust
- A Novel
- Written by: C. Robert Cargill
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 104
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
It's been 30 years since the apocalypse and 15 years since the murder of the last human being at the hands of robots. Humankind is extinct. Every man, woman, and child has been liquidated by a global uprising devised by the very machines humans designed and built to serve them. Most of the world is controlled by an OWI - One World Intelligence, the shared consciousness of millions of robots uploaded into one huge mainframe brain.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
5 stars
- By Cole DeMan on 2020-05-04
Written by: C. Robert Cargill
-
The Pariah
- Written by: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 133
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By Unquiet on 2022-07-23
Written by: Anthony Ryan
-
Frankenstein
- Penguin Classics
- Written by: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Colin Salmon, Peter Noble - introduction
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
A terrifying vision of scientific progress without moral limits, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein leads the listener on an unsettling journey from the sublime beauty of the Swiss alps to the desolate waste of the arctic circle. Obsessed with the idea of creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material with which to fashion a new being, shocking his creation to life with electricity. But this botched creature, rejected by its creator and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy Frankenstein and all that he holds dear.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent reading of a classic
- By Sandy Gartner on 2021-05-10
Written by: Mary Shelley
-
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- 15 BBC Radio 4 Original Full-Cast Dramas
- Written by: Bert Coules
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs, Clive Merrison, full cast
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11
A gripping collection of 15 BBC Radio full-cast dramas written by Bert Coules, inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. In the 56 short stories and four novels Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his great detective, how many times did Dr John Watson tantalise us with references to cases which were never written about in full? These original adventures flesh out those unrecorded cases to wonderful effect. Clive Merrison plays the great sleuth himself, with Andrew Sachs in the role of Doctor Watson.
Written by: Bert Coules
-
City of Last Chances
- Written by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse. What will be the spark that lights the conflagration? Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood–that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Everyone is Scottish there?
- By J Brandon. on 2024-10-25
Written by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
-
Minority Report and Other Stories (Unabridged Stories)
- Written by: Philip K. Dick
- Narrated by: Keir Dullea
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
Viewed by many as the greatest science fiction writer on any planet, Philip K. Dick has written some of the most intriguing, original, and thought-provoking fiction of our time. This collection includes "The Minority Report," "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," "Paycheck," "Second Variety," and "The Eyes Have It."
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great stories!
- By Anonymous User on 2024-10-26
Written by: Philip K. Dick
-
Sea of Rust
- A Novel
- Written by: C. Robert Cargill
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 104
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
It's been 30 years since the apocalypse and 15 years since the murder of the last human being at the hands of robots. Humankind is extinct. Every man, woman, and child has been liquidated by a global uprising devised by the very machines humans designed and built to serve them. Most of the world is controlled by an OWI - One World Intelligence, the shared consciousness of millions of robots uploaded into one huge mainframe brain.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
5 stars
- By Cole DeMan on 2020-05-04
Written by: C. Robert Cargill
-
The Pariah
- Written by: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 133
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By Unquiet on 2022-07-23
Written by: Anthony Ryan
-
Frankenstein
- Penguin Classics
- Written by: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Colin Salmon, Peter Noble - introduction
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
A terrifying vision of scientific progress without moral limits, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein leads the listener on an unsettling journey from the sublime beauty of the Swiss alps to the desolate waste of the arctic circle. Obsessed with the idea of creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material with which to fashion a new being, shocking his creation to life with electricity. But this botched creature, rejected by its creator and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy Frankenstein and all that he holds dear.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent reading of a classic
- By Sandy Gartner on 2021-05-10
Written by: Mary Shelley
Featured Article: 18 Best Feminist Audiobooks to Empower You
Learn more about equality with this list of feminist audiobooks to inspire and empower you. These authors look at the constraints and constructs society has formed to define the female voice.
What listeners say about The Left Hand of Darkness
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- chris
- 2020-02-05
wrong narrator.
George Guidal is an amazing narrator but this wasn't the best book for hom considering the premise. I left the story and he is a good narrator just could have been someone with a larger range.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Vera
- 2019-12-17
Easy to listen to
This writer is talented and the words are easy to listen to. I'm left feeling like there was little point to the story. It is distant in tone. Emotion is stripped and detail strung out far longer than necessary. Is it cautionary or does it reflect biblical stories or both?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jamie @ Books and Ladders
- 2022-10-02
A Classic!
I'm really glad I took the time to read this - a classic, feminist SciFi novel! It took me a bit of time to get into it, and it has that distinct 1960s/1970s writing vibe to it. But I thought it was an interesting perspective on gender norms, the ways in which we view ourselves and others, and the way power influences us.
If you haven't read this, I highly recommend it!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Patrick
- 2018-07-03
A good story with the wrong voice actor.
George Guidall, who narrates, is apparently a big deal in the audiobook world, but I think his deep voice was wrong for this book. The Left Hand of Darkness is set on a planet where individuals are both male and female becoming more feminine or masculine from month to month. Guidall has a super deep voice and not a lot of range. This is my gripe about most audiobooks generally; 80 per cent of narrators are dudes with deep voices who can't bring a whole cast of characters to life. Many are not as good as Guidall, but he sticks out more than usual here because of the story. I preferred reading the book to listening.
The story itself is beautiful and, in Guidall's defence, almost purposefully undramatic. Its charm is in its subtlety; there isn't the same huge symbolism as in the Earthsea series; no dragons or evil wizards. Just a hyper-political winter planet where it's difficult to figure out what is right and who is good. Betrayal is a cool matters of business. A prison system that resembles a concentration camp is described with helpless sorrow instead of moral outrage. And yet the struggle of two main characters, Genly and Estrehaven, to come to terms with each other in a political whirlwind is beautifully written. Worth a read, and perhaps a listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dustin Johansen
- 2024-10-22
I am in love with the differences of her worlds
Ursula has done excellence time and time again! I highly recommend!!! please read! I love the hainish!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nathan F.
- 2020-08-18
apt interpretation for a really good scifi story
The performance is quite good, but another actor, reading the part of Estraven would have brought even more depth and ambiguity to this duo of characters. The story was wonderfully imaginative and thought provoking for its time, and it retains most of its evocative power today. 2020's use of gender neutral pronouns makes the use of He/him in this book quite dated, but it shouldn't prevent one from enjoying and engaging with the writer's treatment of a genderless society
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Chukle
- 2024-05-30
meandering story
likeable characters, story is meh. if you're looking for hard sci Fi, this definitely isn't it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- DALEE. Planette
- 2023-07-29
mini sagas are the best part
A long long audiobook. Although the narration was terrific, I had to play it at 90% speed because there was so much detail (omg the detail) and tiny specifics to learn and pay attention to, I just couldn't keep up otherwise. Nearly abandoned several times.
That said, I can appreciate that it's a classic, catching so many references to works written subsequently. The short sagas (legends? homilies?) that were interjected throughout were easily my favourite parts and caught myself waiting for those chapters! As well, the journey across the ice was pretty gripping and captivating.
However, despite the intriguing treatment of gender and sexuality (so ahead of its time!) and that our narrator kept getting referred to as a pervert (poignant as hell, I must say), the story itself isn't very interesting or novel -pardon the pun.
I'm not saying it was a waste of time, and I'm mostly glad to have read/listened to it, but I won't seek out others by this author.
Interesting note that her parents were renowned anthropologists. thanks for reading my review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alicia Roy
- 2024-11-18
The Left Hand of Darkness
You can tell Ursula K Le Guin was raised by an anthropologist by her descriptions of the Gethen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jackie Law
- 2019-02-10
Envoy to a new world
Overall I liked the book, it's different and worth reading. I especially liked the legend, backstory, and informative bits about the planet and society, though the hardships were well written and compelling. When the main character speaks of things being womanly or masculine, it's usually accompanied by his confessions of that being his own impressions due to his social conditioning, so I didn't find those parts dated or grating. Got attached to the characters by the end too.
The narrator's voice is deep and older, slightly breathy. It mostly only falls short of the aggressive, actiony parts.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful