SSP Book:
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin follows the male envoy of an intergalactic federation as he struggles to bridge the socio-cultural divide between himself and the ambisexual society of Gethen, the planet he has been sent to.
What drew me into Le Guin's story was the multilayered intrigue of the world: not only does the main character, Genly, have to acclimate to an alien society, but also to a system of political maneuvering that has developed wholly separate from patriarchy and gender. Because Genly can only view Gethenian actions through his limited lens of masculinity, he misinterprets, confuses, and unknowingly disrespects Gethenians, and he narrowly avoids death. Over the course of the book, he learns to trust Estraven, a Gethenian politician who has always been on Genly's side, as they face exile together.
I chose this story because it is fascinating and deeply relevant to our world today -- perhaps even more so than when it was written sixty years ago. I want to expand my perspective beyond the limited scope of gender that we place upon ourselves, and I also found that reading Le Guin's work inspired the society of my own book, which is a society that similarly exists beyond gender roles. Le Guin's novel is the pinnacle of what science-fiction can accomplish: a glimpse not at alien worlds, but into our own hearts.