The Left Hand of Darkness in The Sword and Laser

Jan 18, 2009 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it really liked it

Shelves: league-extraordinary-dorks, read2005, sci-fi-fantasy, read2010

Great book about a planet where people are genderless and the unexpected is of utmost value, from the point of view of a human man.

"It doesn't take a thousand men to open a door." (p. 43)

"When action grows unprofitable, gather information; when information grows unprofitable, sleep." (p. 45)

"The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next." (p. 72)

"A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her femininity appreciated, however indi Great book about a planet where people are genderless and the unexpected is of utmost value, from the point of view of a human man.

"It doesn't take a thousand men to open a door." (p. 43)

"When action grows unprofitable, gather information; when information grows unprofitable, sleep." (p. 45)

"The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next." (p. 72)

"A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her femininity appreciated, however indirect and subtle the indications of regard and appreciation. On Winter they will not exist. One is respected and judged only as a human being. It is an appalling experience." (p. 94)

"The only other means of mobilizing people rapidly and entirely is with a new religion; none was handy; he would make do with war." (p. 102)

"The unexpected is what makes life possible." (p. 119)

"I think we shall have trouble learning how to lie, having for so long practiced the art of going round and round the truth without ever lying about it, or reaching it either." (p. 146)

"To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness." (p. 147)

"It is a terrible thing, this kindness that human beings do not lose. Terrible, cold, it is all we have. We who are so rich, so full of strength, we end up with that small change. We have nothing else to give." (p. 163)

"A friend. What is a friend, in a world where any friend may be a lover at a new phase of the moon?" (p. 202)

"And I saw then again, and for good, what I had always been afraid to see, and had pretended not to see in him: that he was a woman as well as a man. Any need to explain the sources of that fear vanished with the fear; what I was left with was, at last, acceptance of him as he was. Until then I had rejected him, refused him his own reality. He had been quite right to say that he, the only person on Gethen who trusted me, was the only Gethenian I distrusted. For he was the only one who had entirely accepted me as a human being: who had liked me personally and given me entire personal loyalty: and who therefore had demanded of me an equal degree of recognition, of acceptance. I had not been willing to give it. I had been afraid to give it. I had not wanted to give my trust, my friendship to a man who was a woman, a woman who was a man." (p. 234)

"A profound love between two people involves, after all, the power and chance of doing profound hurt." (p. 235) ...more

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