Genly Ai, a man from Earth, has come to the ice-bound planet Gethen as an ambassador from the Ekumen of Known Worlds. His mission seems simple enough: to invite Gethen to join the Ekumen and share their knowledge and culture. However, the rival civilizations of Gethen (an increasingly warlike monarchy and a smug communist collective) prove to be difficult to navigate, not to mention their strange physiology. They have the average look and build of the other humans in the universe, with one big difference: there are no permanent genders. Once a month, a Gethenian enters "kemmer" and develops the reproductive organs of one sex or the other. The father of several children could be the mother of many more. Since Genly is perpetually male, he is considered a pervert, a freak in constant kemmer.
Obviously, the gender potentiality constitutes the thought experiment of the novel, and it is thoughtfully developed. LeGuin explores the construct without imposing an agenda (which would be easy enough to do). The society she imagines is rich in tradition, myth, and legend. The interactions Genly has with others, particularly Estraven, the banished royal counselor whom Genly believes betrayed him, creatively explore the misconceptions and hidden dangers of the first contact between alien cultures.
Of course, the story deals with a lot of other things: politics, individuality, love, friendship, religion, and survival in harsh conditions, to name a few. But it is all secondary to a well-told story of action and intrigue that I will relish reading again.
Arbitrary rating: 4.5 out of 5 ice-bound gender potentialities
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