Some books I've read recently
· 3 min read
mcclowes
A few reflections on last year.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Rarely can an author create a fictional word that feels both so alien, and yet so authentic in its substance. This authenticity makes the alien feel so relatable. As with Earthsea, the author’s purposeful avoidance of a world with grand warfare and other typical tropes of sci-fi and fantasy alike, we get to experience an intimate and real experience, first hand via the archival format.
Max's bookshelf: read
This book balances on a katanas edge, managing to be both epic yet cosy, sweeping in in scale yet minutely detailed (sometimes a little to the detriment of its pacing), full of brutality yet also compassion.