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The Lathe of Heaven
 
 
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The Lathe of Heaven (Paperback)

by Ursula Le Guin (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Avon Books; New edition edition (Oct 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0380791854
  • ISBN-13: 978-0380791859
  • Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.4 x 1.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,841,075 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
First published in 1971, Ursula Le Guin's SF novel The Lathe of Heaven combines a sheaf of future possibilities--including an early evocation of global warming--with a parable about wishes that has the terrible clarity of a fairytale.

The uncomfortably gifted George Orr is desperately drugging himself to avoid sleep, because he knows his dreams can change the world. Psychiatrist Dr Haber begins with good intentions of curing Orr, but when he finds he can shape Orr's "effective dreams" and force his own wishes into reality, the lure of power is too much. Though Haber believes he wants only to do good, he's also quick to upgrade himself from obscurity in a windowless office to Director of the prestigious Oregon Oneirological Institute.

During his flawed attempts to create an earthly paradise, we see that each sweeping change makes matters worse. Let's fix over-population: suddenly there's a new past in which humanity was almost destroyed by plague, billions of people are written out of existence, and Haber drinks a toast--"to a better world". Let's fix war: the hapless Orr's dreaming mind can only imagine and create a new threat that unites Earth against outside foes. Let's fix racism: the result is even more painful. As Orr broods:

The end justifies the means. But what if there never is an end? All we have is means.

In this mad round of poisoned wishes, it becomes necessary to stop. But power-crazed Haber refuses to stop....

Beautifully written, jolting in its moral force, The Lathe of Heaven is one of Le Guin's finest SF excursions. --David Langford --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
"A very good book...A writer's writer, Ursula Le Guin brings reality itself to the proving ground."--Theodore Sturgeon"Profound...Beautifully wrought...Her percetions of such matters as geopolitics, race, socialized medicine, and the patient/shrink relationship are razor sharp and more than a little cutting."--"National Review""Le Guin neatly and eerily conveys the bad-dream civilization which is George's everyday world."--"Washington Post Book World""A brilliant novel about the future."--"Pensacola News""Gracefully developed...Extremely inventive...What science fiction is supposed to do."--"Newsweek""A rare and powerful synthesis of poetry and science, reason and emotion."--"The New York Times"

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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book. Entertaining, engaging, and provoking, 30 Mar 2002
By lee@artelos.com (Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Lathe Of Heaven (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
This book is just amazing. It illustrates abstract concepts vividly, and paints wildly changing pictures of a world with remarkable ease and fluidity. The Lathe of Heaven deals with eastern philosophical concepts of acceptance and self-knowledge. In fact, the title is taken from the Tao Te Ching, and short excerpts from this ancient and provoking work serve to introduce us to the concepts of each chapter. The Lathe of Heaven takes you on a journey with George Orr as he struggles to come to terms with his potential.

Initially, George is simply getting by in the world, struggling to live day by day, despite tremendously powerful dreams which occassionally cause his world to change in uncontrollable ways. Afraid he may cause more harm with these dreams, he seeks out the help of a psychiatrist. Dr. Haber has other ideas, however -- meaning well, although misguided, he attempts to control this power in order to shape reality to his own liking. Things progressively begin to worsen, until the world begins to collapse around them. All the while, George remains the same -- he, who appears weak and controllable at the outset through his accepting personality, is the only one who can cope as reality begins to crumble. What seemed to others a weakness is precisely what gives him strength.

All in all, a beautiful work of science fiction.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and relentlessly brilliant, 1 May 2003
By Martin Turner "Martin Turner" (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: The Lathe Of Heaven (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
This is a fascinating and relentlessly brilliant SF novel which is completely different from Ursula K. LeGuin's other works. Set in the near future on earth, it's the story of a man whose dreams change reality.

The 'if' world scenarios are a favourite of Science Fiction writiers. Some other classics are Philip K. Dick's 'The Man in the High Castle' and 'the Zap Gun', the Asimov and Arthur C Clarke short stories of people going back to the past and changing the future, and more recently Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. In film there's 'Twelve Monkeys' and for TV there's the much underrated early Dr Who classic 'Inferno'.

The Lathe of Heaven, however, is a completely different take and a very original and compelling solution. In this story, the man's dreams are bizarrely transmitted into new realities. This is just a disturbing personal experience, until he falls into the hands of an unscrupulous psychotherapist.

The ensuing catalogue of disastrous choices — similar to genie-wish stories — opens the door for LeGuin to explore philosophical themes with much greater depth and precision than her Ekumen scenarios do. For example, a dream aspiring to end race hatred results in everyone having the same grey skin colour.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Even if you aren't a fan of LeGuin, the Lathe of Heaven should be a cracking good read.

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Is Le Guin the modern-day Thomas More?, 9 Nov 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Lathe Of Heaven (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)
I only pose this silly rhetorical question with regard to More's classic work `Utopia'. In some many senses, " The Lathe of Heaven " is a development of the issues of utopia-constructing that More raised in his satire. Each of us has a vision, an idea of what would constitute the perfect society. In this novel, a psychiatrist, Dr Haber, has the ability to construct his utopia. He does this through one of his patients, George Orr, who has a remarkable gift: his dreams alter reality! The novel does not have a highly sophisticated plot; it is not a pulsating thriller.It is, however, thoroughly thought-provoking.. indeed, I read the book 4 months ago and have been thinking about it ever since. What is one person's utopia is another's hell; by rectifying one defect of a society, one could create new and sinister ones. The novel is a excellent philosophical exercise that is readable, intelligent and entertaining.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Prescient
An amazingly prescient novel, given that is was written in 1971. The subject matter is contemporary, the characters are finely drawn and the story is unsettling, but ultimately... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Glaucon

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good
George Orr has a gift/curse. When he sleeps, his dreams change reality.

This is the central theme of the book. Read more
Published 10 months ago by TheMightyAlgernon

4.0 out of 5 stars Beware megalomaniacal psychiatrists....
The Lathe of Heaven introduces us to one of the most genuinely understated heroes in science fiction. George Orr is a man whose dreams alter reality. Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2006 by A. Morley

5.0 out of 5 stars Provoking and thoughtful "what-if"
One of the "non-ekumen" works of LeGuin, this book poses a lot of "what-if" questions.

The basal plot is that George Orr has dreams that changes reality, and in unexpected ways... Read more

Published on 6 Feb 2005 by Jan Erik Frantsvåg

4.0 out of 5 stars A modern Frankenstein and more
George Orr has a problem, at certain select time, he dreams dreams that change the very nature of reality itself. Placed in the care of psychologist Dr. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2004 by Kurt A. Johnson

3.0 out of 5 stars OK but not great
A story along the lines of some of Philip K Dick's stuff, but with less lunacy and paranoia. And, I have to say, less interesting overall. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2004 by Johnny London

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but made little impact
Books that deal with the alteration of reality tend to be a bit hit and miss, as it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of the various strands, and continue to understand... Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the seminal Sci-Fi books of the modern era.
One of the seminal Sci-Fi books of the modern era. Always a pleasure to read and re-read. Ursala Le Guin proves she is a master of singular displacement. Read more
Published on 10 Jul 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars quirky and refreshing
I really liked the book. It was interesting and different, and Haber and Orr were awesome characters. The end was a little too confusing and preachy, though.
Published on 9 Jun 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worthwhile
I was a little hesitant when I first picked up this book. Seeing that there aren't many other novels on dreams (or none that I've found) "The Lathe Of Heaven" was my... Read more
Published on 2 Jun 1999

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