Science-Fiction Books on My Bookshelf

Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Genli Ai is an emissary from the human galaxy to Winter, a lost, stray world. His mission is to bring the planet back into the fold of an evolving galactic civilization, but to do so must bridge the gap between his own culture and prejudices and those he encounters. On a planet where people are of no gender -- or both -- this is a broad gulf indeed.
Rating: -- .

Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
Huxley’s satirical prediction (1931) of the distant future.
Rating: -- .

1984
by George Orwell
After the Atomic War, the world is divided into three states. London is the capital of Oceania, ruled by a party who has total control over its citizens. Winston Smith is one of the bureaucrats, rewriting history in one of the departments. One day, he commits the crime of falling in love....
Rating: -- .

* A Canticle for Liebowitz
by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Post-apocalypse United States. In an old abbey in the Southwest, mementos of the Blessed Liebowitz are discovered during the New Dark Ages. What do these mementos tell of the time before the great undoing, and what do they bode for the future?
Rating: A -- I’ve read this book four times. And only now have I understood the significance of Rachel’s awakening. An excellent book. As they say, a cautionary tale for our time.

* The Time Traveler’s Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
What happens to a person when they can time travel, and how does this affect their lives and relationships? This novel explores those questions.
Rating: A -- The author does an excellent job of defining the limits of time travel and working within them. Fun read, second time. No, I haven’t seen the movie.

Genly Ai is an emissary from the human galaxy to Winter, a lost, stray world. His mission is to bring the planet back into the fold of an evolving galactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own culture and prejudices and those that he encounters. On a planet where people are of no gender--or both--this is a broad gulf indeed