This was an excellent novel about two very different societies and what happens when they they encounter each other. Shevek is a brilliant physicist from the world of Anarres with a theory that could make interstellar communication possible. However, he’s rejected by his anarchist society so travels to his planet’s sister world, Urras, which is dominated by more traditional forms of government, in an attempt to gain acceptance for his work and to bring the two societies together.
I really enjoyed this novel. Le Guin’s descriptions of both societies viewed through the eyes of the protagonist (and later by Terrans) provide a wonderful contrast and the exploration of what a truly anarchist society would look like make for very interesting reading, although it never becomes preachy or dull.
