Ursula Le Guin
The Lathe of Heaven

The Lathe of Heaven

This 1971 science fiction classic is set in a dystopian 2002 Portland (so, 40 years in the future at the time of writing, which was VERY interesting to read in 2017!), and focuses on a man whose terrible dreams actually come true, a power-hungry psychiatrist who wants to harness those dreams to improve the world, and the attorney he begs to intervene (who is perhaps the most interesting character). It's a short story, with incredible depth, and I'm so glad I finally read it.

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The Left Hand of Darkness

The Left Hand of Darkness

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The Baby-Sitters Club Club guys raved about her on episode 51 of What Should I Read Next. The Guardian praised this Hugo and Nebula winner for its "readability", saying, "More than politics, more than science, The Left Hand of Darkness is a rich and complex story of friendship and love."

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A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle Series Book 1)

A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle Series Book 1)

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When we talked with author Becky Chambers last week for our 300th episode What Should I Read Next celebration, she mentioned as an inspiration. This is the first of the Earthsea series. From the publisher: "Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance."

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