George Orr’s dreams can change reality. This frightens him so much that he takes drugs to suppress his dreaming, and eventually ends up in therapy with Dr Haber, who sees him as a tool to make the world better. During one dream, George wakes up and now there has been a plague ten years ago that wipes out five sixths of the world’s population in order to ease overcrowding. Despite Haber’s best efforts, the other dreams aren’t much better, and George is less and less sure of who he is and the reality of the world around him.
For a fairly slim volume, this book has remarkable depth, or perhaps not so remarkable, considering the author. Le Guin picks up themes about identity, reality and responsibility that recur in her work and weaves them, her language always deft and often striking, into a gripping narrative of love, loss and redemption. A very thought-provoking piece of work from a wonderful author.
