Name Of Book: The Left Hand of Darkness
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Pages Read: 79
Genre: Science Fiction
In this well-described book set 1000's of years into the future, Earth is a part of a giant organisation (Ekumen) looking for sentient life and bringing all of it together to continue moving forward. The antagonist of the story is Genly Ai, an earthling on planet "Winter" (Otherwise know to the natives as "Gethen") and is trying to get Gethen to join Ekumen. The uniqueness of (Gethenians) is that they has no gender until mating season, of which they then form reproductive organs and mate. To the Gethenians, having a permanent reproductive organs is repulsive. To Ekumen, this is just a smidge gross. Since this new person from another world comes along and has permanent reproductive organs, Genly is called a pervert for his odd and unusual ways.
I think that this book sort of reflects human behaviour to new and different things. Humans react in a variety of ways, depending on their past, their experiences, and the people around them. When humans feel a lack of control, they start to panic and lash out a bit; which is a basic primitive instinct e.g a surrounded lone wolf. When you don't know why something doesn't work when it should, you get frustrated. When you are in an enclosed space, most people panic. A person does things on rational thought. When they loose control, they are in a battle of rational thought and instinct. This book shows this very clearly by the first few chapters.
Do remember that when someone is in a mental battle of rational thought and instinct, instinct usually wins.
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