The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin

Synopsis

The Principle of Simultaneity is a scientific breakthrough which will revolutionize interstellar civilization by making possible instantaneous communication. It is the life work of Shevek, a brilliant physicist from the arid anarchist world of Anarres. But Shevek's work is being stifled by jealous colleagues, so he travels to Anarres's sister-planet Urras, hoping to find more liberty and tolerance there. But he soon finds himself being used as a pawn in a deadly political game.

What Did We Think?


[notes to follow]



Votes were as follows: 7, 8, 8, 9, 9

New Books Selected Until December

Evening all,

At today's session we used the highly scientific method of "bits of paper in a hat" five books to occupy our time, money, and minds until December 2011. As such the reading list for the next six month looks like this:

July: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

August: Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.

September: Love Songs of the Shy and Cynical by Robert Shearman.

October: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin.

November: The Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones.

December: The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov.

In the interests of recording everything for posterity, the books which were suggested but didn't make it out of the hat were: Thief with No Shadow by Emily Gee, Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, "Something by Gene Wolfe", Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko, Plan for Chaos by John Wyndham, Zoo City by Lauren Beaukes.

We will next select new books in November, so keep your eye out for interesting material. As it is the new list comprises a solid blend of science fiction, fantasy, novel, short story, classic, and modern. Not bad for random selection.