SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Howdy peeps! So, over the years, I have managed to pick up a few of UKL's books, and as I've never read her, I would like to give one of them (The Left Hand of Darkness) a try... BUT... When I look on Goodreads, it's in the middle of a series.

I want to read it this year, because it fits in to my reading goals, and I've heard tell that the Hainish Cycle isn't really reading order required, but more interconnected stories... but I also don't want to read it if it isn't going to make sense if I haven't read the preceding books.

So, I need some experts! Does the reading order matter, or could I read LHOD on its own and would it still make sense?

You can easily start with it. I did this myself and then jumped around the Hainish Cycle in no particular order.

Awesome! Thanks Gabi! :)

Yeah the Hainish books at least really are all fully standalone (that I’ve read - I think I started with LHOD too - it’s a good one!)

I think the only Hainish books that need to be read in order are the "first" three (Rocannon’s World, Planet of Exile, City of Illusions), which have all been collected into a single book, Worlds of Exile and Illusion. I've read LHOD, the Dispossessed, and the Word for World is Forest, and all of those are standalone. I think LHOD was a starting point for many of us - hope you enjoy and come back for more!