The Lathe of Heaven
Ursula K. Le Guin · 1929–2018 · United States
Why it matters
A man whose dreams literally reshape reality is placed under a psychiatrist eager to engineer utopia through his sleeping mind, with escalating, monstrous unintended consequences. Le Guin's tautest science-fiction novel, a Taoist warning against the will to fix the world.
At a glance
speculative fictionphilosophical novel
Difficulty 5/10fast pace184 pagesReality shifts between chapters without warning, requiring readers to track which world is current.
Where to go next
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Ted Chiang · 2002Stories of Your Life and OthersLvl 5Medium pace
Philip K. Dick · 1962The Man in the High CastleLvl 6Medium pace