The Lathe Of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Lathe Of Heaven (Perennial Classics) (Panther science fiction)

by Ursula K. Le Guin

'Her worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend' THE TIMES

'Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power' OBSERVER

George Orr is a mild and unremarkable man who finds the world a less than pleasant place to live: seven billion people jostle for living space and food. But George dreams dreams which do in fact change reality - and he has no means of controlling this extraordinary power.

Psychiatrist Dr William Haber offers to help. At first sceptical of George's powers, he comes to astonished belief. When he allows ambition to get the better of ethics, George finds himself caught up in a situation of alarming peril.

Reviewed by celinenyx on

4 of 5 stars

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George is a regular, average man, except for one thing: his dreams shape the world around him. Afraid of dreaming, he seeks out the help of a psychotherapist, who sees a potential in George's peculiarity.

Despite being written almost fifty years ago, The Lathe of Heaven has not lost its bite. Some of its character relationships seem old-fashioned by today's standards (particularly George's love interest was rather crudely drawn), but the fascinating topic still holds up. Le Guin is a skillful writer, effortlessly stringing together a story which could easily end up confusing, as the world changes while George dreams. The Lathe of Heaven is a short sci-fi novel well worth your time.

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  • 29 June, 2019: Reviewed