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The Hainish Cycle #4.5
Winter's King
"Ursula Le Guin is more than just a writer of adult fantasy and science fiction . . . she is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscapes of the mind." - Cincinnati Enquirer
The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her spare, elegant prose, rich characterization, and diverse worlds. Winter's King is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.
The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her spare, elegant prose, rich characterization, and diverse worlds. Winter's King is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.
32 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2017
16 people are currently reading
4436 people want to read
About the author
Ursula K. Le Guin
1,045 books30.7k followersUrsula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. She lived in Portland, Oregon.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 1, 2021
Who knew there was a short story sequel to The Left Hand of Darkness? And "Winter's King" was one of the 1970 Hugo award nominees in the short story category.
A couple of generations after the end of that novel, Argaven, the popular young king of the country Karhide, is kidnapped. For two weeks he/she (the people of this planet are changeable as to gender; most of the time they are androgynous and asexual) is drugged and put through mental torture and brainwashing, then she's dumped on the street and returned to her throne. But she knows that somewhere inside of her, there's something very wrong that could come out at any time.
Suicide is strongly forbidden by the Karhide culture, and the council will not accept her resignation in favor of her baby child. But Argaven is able to come up with a third option that no one around her, her court or her kidnappers, had anticipated. It's a poignant and bittersweet story, filled with both courage and loss, but it ends on a hopeful note.
There are two different versions of this story: Ursula Le Guin originally published it in 1969, before she'd fully developed her ideas about the planet Winter, the setting of The Left Hand of Darkness; in 1975 she modified this story for her collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters to reflect the fact that the inhabitants of Winter have no fixed gender and to make some other updates. Lucky me: both versions are in Ursula K. Le Guin: The Hainish Novels and Stories collection that I'm reading. I read both and I have to agree that the second version is the better one.
Apparently Le Guin got some flack for referring to the androgynous people of Winter as "he," so when she rewrote "Winter's King" she decided to switch all the pronouns to "she." It was a little distracting, partly because "she" is really no more accurate than "he." I think if Le Guin were still around she’d now opt for “they” as her gender-neutral pronoun of choice, since it’s commonly accepted today, but at the time she wrote and revised it, she didn’t view “they” as a good choice.
A couple of generations after the end of that novel, Argaven, the popular young king of the country Karhide, is kidnapped. For two weeks he/she (the people of this planet are changeable as to gender; most of the time they are androgynous and asexual) is drugged and put through mental torture and brainwashing, then she's dumped on the street and returned to her throne. But she knows that somewhere inside of her, there's something very wrong that could come out at any time.
Suicide is strongly forbidden by the Karhide culture, and the council will not accept her resignation in favor of her baby child. But Argaven is able to come up with a third option that no one around her, her court or her kidnappers, had anticipated. It's a poignant and bittersweet story, filled with both courage and loss, but it ends on a hopeful note.
There are two different versions of this story: Ursula Le Guin originally published it in 1969, before she'd fully developed her ideas about the planet Winter, the setting of The Left Hand of Darkness; in 1975 she modified this story for her collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters to reflect the fact that the inhabitants of Winter have no fixed gender and to make some other updates. Lucky me: both versions are in Ursula K. Le Guin: The Hainish Novels and Stories collection that I'm reading. I read both and I have to agree that the second version is the better one.
Apparently Le Guin got some flack for referring to the androgynous people of Winter as "he," so when she rewrote "Winter's King" she decided to switch all the pronouns to "she." It was a little distracting, partly because "she" is really no more accurate than "he." I think if Le Guin were still around she’d now opt for “they” as her gender-neutral pronoun of choice, since it’s commonly accepted today, but at the time she wrote and revised it, she didn’t view “they” as a good choice.
April 23, 2021
Karanlığın Sol Eli ve Kral Argaven için bir prequel. Ancak yine de çok gazla karakter odaklı diyemeyiz, daha çok kış gezegeninin yapısını, sosyolojik ve politik açıdan temellerini açıklıyor. Tek tavsiye Karanlığın Sol Eli’ni okuduktan sonra, araya çok zaman girmeden okumanız. Bu yüzden ben pek çok şeyi hatırlayamayıp tekrar incelemek zorunda kaldım.
May 18, 2020
It took me a while to fall back into the world of Winter, but once I did it was beautiful as ever, even in short-story form. Le Guin’s prose is philosophy in motion.
May 15, 2020
Time stretches and shrinks; changes with the eye, with the age, with the star; does all except reverse itself—or repeat.
Argaven, young king of Winter, is attacked and faces a decision that will affect many things.
Short story set on the world known as Winter, with the people of Karhide and the Ekumen.
Le Guin brings us a story where it is clear to us that a king's choices are hard and bitter, here
Ah yes, this is in the same world as the Left Hand of Darkness, but that the Karhides have both sexes, and that the author makes a concession to feminists putting everyone the pronoun 'she', I do not think this have more inference in story, apart from a few comments about the aliens to further highlight the loneliness of the king.
I like the writing.
When she had begun to guess the immensity of this kingdom of humanity and the durable pain and monotonous waste of its history, she began also to see what lay beyond its borders in space and time, and among naked rocks and furnace-suns and the shining desolation that goes on and on she glimpsed the sources of hilarity and serenity, the inexhaustible springs.
It would have been interesting to see what happens after this. As the king now sees her culture, although at first glance it seems to be the same as always. And the shadow of manipulation is still present.
-------------------------
Argaven, joven rey de Winter, es atacado y enfrenta una decisión que afectará muchas cosas.
Breve historia ambientada en el mundo conocido como Winter, con la gente de Karhide y el Ekumen.
Le Guin nos trae una historia donde está claro para nosotros que las elecciones de un rey son difíciles y amargas, aquí - y en la quebrada del ají - y a años luz del espacio donde las horas de comunicación se convierten en años-luz a bordo de una nave espacial .
Ah, si, esto es en el mismo mundo que la Mano Izquierda de la Oscuridad, pero que los Karhide posean los dos sexos, y que la autora hace una concesion a las feministas con resspecto al libro original poniéndoles a todos el pronombre 'ella' , no creo esto que tenga mayor inferencia en la historia, aparte de unos cuantos comentarios acerca de los Aliens para resaltar aun más la soledad del rey.
Hubiera sido interesante ver que pasa despues de esto. Como ve el rey ahora su cultura, aunque a primera vista parece ser el de siempre . Y la sombra de manipulacion sigue presente.
La escritura es poderosa.
January 16, 2026
Mission 2026: Binge reviewing all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review back when I read them
Ursula K. Le Guin’s 'Winter’s King' is a masterclass in speculative imagination and psychological depth, a story that lingers long after its pages are closed. Revisiting it now, I was struck by the elegance with which Le Guin fuses political intrigue, temporal speculation, and intimate character study. The novella is set on a planet with unusual astronomical cycles, and the story’s exploration of governance, exile, and memory is inseparable from the rhythms of the environment itself. Le Guin’s prose is at once clear and lyrical, allowing complex concepts—temporal relativity, telepathy, and gender fluidity—to emerge naturally within the narrative without overwhelming the story’s emotional core.
What resonates most is her portrayal of Winter, the ruler, whose exile and return become a meditation on power, isolation, and the consequences of choices made in solitude. Reading it now, I was particularly attentive to how Le Guin interrogates the intersection of personal identity and public responsibility: Winter’s internal struggles mirror the political and societal tensions she must navigate, producing a narrative where every decision carries weight both intimate and structural.
The novella’s tension derives not from external spectacle alone, but from the ethical and emotional calculus of leadership and the fragility of human—and planetary—systems. Themes of loyalty, memory, and resilience are intertwined with questions of perception and temporality, giving the story a layered, almost philosophical resonance.
Finishing 'Winter’s King', I was left marvelling at Le Guin’s ability to render science fiction both intellectually provocative and emotionally immersive.
The story demonstrates that speculative worlds are most compelling when they illuminate human truths, ethical dilemmas, and the complexities of identity through the prism of imaginative settings. It is a concise, powerful exploration of power, exile, and selfhood that lingers in thought and imagination, reminding the reader that Le Guin’s genius lies as much in her moral and psychological insight as in her visionary world-building.
Most recommended.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s 'Winter’s King' is a masterclass in speculative imagination and psychological depth, a story that lingers long after its pages are closed. Revisiting it now, I was struck by the elegance with which Le Guin fuses political intrigue, temporal speculation, and intimate character study. The novella is set on a planet with unusual astronomical cycles, and the story’s exploration of governance, exile, and memory is inseparable from the rhythms of the environment itself. Le Guin’s prose is at once clear and lyrical, allowing complex concepts—temporal relativity, telepathy, and gender fluidity—to emerge naturally within the narrative without overwhelming the story’s emotional core.
What resonates most is her portrayal of Winter, the ruler, whose exile and return become a meditation on power, isolation, and the consequences of choices made in solitude. Reading it now, I was particularly attentive to how Le Guin interrogates the intersection of personal identity and public responsibility: Winter’s internal struggles mirror the political and societal tensions she must navigate, producing a narrative where every decision carries weight both intimate and structural.
The novella’s tension derives not from external spectacle alone, but from the ethical and emotional calculus of leadership and the fragility of human—and planetary—systems. Themes of loyalty, memory, and resilience are intertwined with questions of perception and temporality, giving the story a layered, almost philosophical resonance.
Finishing 'Winter’s King', I was left marvelling at Le Guin’s ability to render science fiction both intellectually provocative and emotionally immersive.
The story demonstrates that speculative worlds are most compelling when they illuminate human truths, ethical dilemmas, and the complexities of identity through the prism of imaginative settings. It is a concise, powerful exploration of power, exile, and selfhood that lingers in thought and imagination, reminding the reader that Le Guin’s genius lies as much in her moral and psychological insight as in her visionary world-building.
Most recommended.
December 5, 2023
This is one of a few stories in which Le Guin returns to the planet Winter to tell the story of how aliens try to conceptualize life on other planets, with other timescales, and where the protagonists own transgender society is the exception in a universe of fixed sexes. So, it is truly interesting as a flip side to The Left Hand of Darkness where we discover this strange world from an external perspective.
Fino's Reviews of Ursula Le Guin
The Lathe of Heaven: Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hainish Cycle
Hainish Novels & Stories, Vol. 1: Rocannon’s World / Planet of Exile / City of Illusions / The Left Hand of Darkness / The Dispossessed / Stories: Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hainish Novels & Stories, Vol. 2: The Word for World Is Forest / Five Ways to Forgiveness / The Telling / Stories Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rocannon's World Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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City of Illusions Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Earthsea Cycle
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Short Stories
Unlocking the Air and Other Stories Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Fino's Reviews of Ursula Le Guin
The Lathe of Heaven: Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hainish Cycle
Hainish Novels & Stories, Vol. 1: Rocannon’s World / Planet of Exile / City of Illusions / The Left Hand of Darkness / The Dispossessed / Stories: Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hainish Novels & Stories, Vol. 2: The Word for World Is Forest / Five Ways to Forgiveness / The Telling / Stories Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rocannon's World Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Planet of Exile Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...#
City of Illusions Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Left Hand of Darkness Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Word for World Is Forest Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Five Ways to Forgiveness Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...#
The Telling Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Earthsea Cycle
A Wizard of Earthsea Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Tombs of Atuan Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Farthest Shore Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tehanu Fino Review:
The Other Wind Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Short Stories
Unlocking the Air and Other Stories Fino Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 23, 2021
Winter's King is a short story sequel to the truly magnificent Hainish novel The Left Hand Of Darkness. This story is everything I have come to expect from a story set in this universe; it is haunting and beautiful. It's cold and humid. It's totally alien and yet remarkably human.
It took me a while for my head to wrap itself around what was happening here, but that immediate feeling of confusion is very deliberate. The clicking point is also the point at which the story takes off, and what follows is a flurry of events culminating in an undeniably melancholic but nonetheless exquisite conclusion.
Le Guin was a true master of her craft, and such beautiful prose and engaging philosophy I have yet to find anywhere else in Science Fiction, or literature of any kind.
I'm giving Winter's King top marks. 5 stars.
It took me a while for my head to wrap itself around what was happening here, but that immediate feeling of confusion is very deliberate. The clicking point is also the point at which the story takes off, and what follows is a flurry of events culminating in an undeniably melancholic but nonetheless exquisite conclusion.
Le Guin was a true master of her craft, and such beautiful prose and engaging philosophy I have yet to find anywhere else in Science Fiction, or literature of any kind.
I'm giving Winter's King top marks. 5 stars.
January 17, 2018
I was a little reluctant to read this story (which is a sequel) since here Le Guin returns to Winter (which is a planet), the setting of The Left Hand of Darkness; but not only my fears were obliterated, it went way past any good expectation. The way Le Guin deals with Power in her stories is worth many essays: sometimes it is with a whisper, sometimes with a foot to the door.
And I swear I wasn't sure which way the story would end until I read the very last line. And oh, yes. OH, YES!
And I swear I wasn't sure which way the story would end until I read the very last line. And oh, yes. OH, YES!
December 29, 2021
I didn't care for The Left Hand of Darkness much, and this didn't leave a big impact on me either. It has some interesting themes but something about this world is just too alien for me to connect to. Zero emotional connection to any characters here, but of course the writing was lovely as always.
June 7, 2021
This was fine, but not all that memorable. I’d be hard-pressed to tell you what events actually happened in this story 😆
April 3, 2023
3.75 ★ — I’m so sure Le Guin would really like “they/them” pronouns.
August 13, 2024
“Life loves to know itself, out to its furthest limits; to embrace complexity as it delight.” Written before Left Hand of Darkness. I wish I would have read it before starting LHoD. You can see the seeds of the big ideas in LHoD- mindscience, gender, aggression, connection, harmony.
September 8, 2022
slayer
March 2, 2025
Buen relato, intrigante y complejo en su brevedad
Read
September 3, 2022This was a tough one for me. I read first the more recent version and then the original. As always, Le Guin is a skilled writer and knows how to tell a lot with her clear lines.
I prefer the newer version, surely also because I enjoy the world of Gethen with its inhabitants so much, but also because of small changes that were made to the story that simply worked for me. Although I preferred the newer version, I don't love it and I am not really sold on the "necessity" of the story. The structure of the short story is simple: King Argaven XVII gets kidnapped, mind-changed, and tries to escape the faith of becoming a tool of the kidnappers.
Short stories impact me when the ending hits and ideally twists the story around. This wasn't the case for me here. It seems to be quite a linear story of the things a person does, one after another. The ending is bitter, because of the family components, but I was missing something that stays with me.
What is the moral of the story? Refuse power to protect your people and you will become king later? Don't underestimate a person you tried to abuse into easy manipulation? Gethenians can be at war after all? Somehow, this story didn't leave me with enough. Personally, I liked the exploration of space travel and what it does to aging in a short story better in Semley's Necklace where the story read more like a classical tragedy.
To me, the most interesting question started by this story is what happens when a ruler is confronted with how small her country is in comparison to thousands of years of history across over 80 populated worlds. Unfortunately, we do not see this here .
I prefer the newer version, surely also because I enjoy the world of Gethen with its inhabitants so much, but also because of small changes that were made to the story that simply worked for me. Although I preferred the newer version, I don't love it and I am not really sold on the "necessity" of the story. The structure of the short story is simple: King Argaven XVII gets kidnapped, mind-changed, and tries to escape the faith of becoming a tool of the kidnappers.
Short stories impact me when the ending hits and ideally twists the story around. This wasn't the case for me here. It seems to be quite a linear story of the things a person does, one after another. The ending is bitter, because of the family components, but I was missing something that stays with me.
What is the moral of the story? Refuse power to protect your people and you will become king later? Don't underestimate a person you tried to abuse into easy manipulation? Gethenians can be at war after all? Somehow, this story didn't leave me with enough. Personally, I liked the exploration of space travel and what it does to aging in a short story better in Semley's Necklace where the story read more like a classical tragedy.
To me, the most interesting question started by this story is what happens when a ruler is confronted with how small her country is in comparison to thousands of years of history across over 80 populated worlds. Unfortunately, we do not see this here .
February 17, 2018
“Левая рука тьмы” меня в свое время хорошенько растрясла, так что я до сих пор с определенным замиранием в сердце вспоминаю свои ощущения.
“Король планеты Зима” является то ли сиквелом, то ли приквелом, но площадкой для развития событий является все та же планета Зима/Гетен, где правят суровые холода и население которой не признает самоидентификации в таком виде, в каком к ней привыкла большая часть человечества. История следует за Аргавеном, которому выпала тяжелая доля быть королем. Вокруг заговоры и давление, скоро он перестает доверять самому себе и подвергает сомнению свою способность править страной.
У Ле Гуин получается рассказать о героизме так, будто жертвовать собой ради блага страны - это самое естественное на свете. А еще в ее рассказе вроде нет откровенных слезовыжимательных моментов, но при этом неожиданно настигает комок в горле, когда тебя помнят только старики, и своя плоть и кровь оказывается дальше и чужероднее, чем пришельцы из других миров.
lukk.subtle
“Король планеты Зима” является то ли сиквелом, то ли приквелом, но площадкой для развития событий является все та же планета Зима/Гетен, где правят суровые холода и население которой не признает самоидентификации в таком виде, в каком к ней привыкла большая часть человечества. История следует за Аргавеном, которому выпала тяжелая доля быть королем. Вокруг заговоры и давление, скоро он перестает доверять самому себе и подвергает сомнению свою способность править страной.
У Ле Гуин получается рассказать о героизме так, будто жертвовать собой ради блага страны - это самое естественное на свете. А еще в ее рассказе вроде нет откровенных слезовыжимательных моментов, но при этом неожиданно настигает комок в горле, когда тебя помнят только старики, и своя плоть и кровь оказывается дальше и чужероднее, чем пришельцы из других миров.
lukk.subtle
May 6, 2020
So we're back again on Gethen/Winter with a short story. It's an interesting story which focuses more on the consequence of lightspeed interplanetary travels rather than the gender fluidity of the Gethenian. An interesting story that adds to the universe but not particularly special.
May 23, 2024
Este cuento es el quinto escalón en el ciclo Hainish de la autora norteamericana Ursula K. Le Guin, fue publicado originalmente en 1969 en la revista Orbit, aunque yo leí la versión que se publicó en el libro de relatos llamado “Las Doce Moradas del Viento” publicada en 1975.
Transcurre en el planeta Invierno, lugar donde transcurre “La mano izquierda de la oscuridad”, un lugar helado en donde sus habitantes son hermafroditos.
Es importante aclarar que edición se leyó ya que la autora le hizo cambios importantes a la de 1975, antes del cuento explica que la recepción de las feministas con “La mano izquierda de la oscuridad” fue muy mala porque se enojaron ya que los pronombres que utilizo la autora para referirse a los seres hermafroditos eran masculinos.... para que no estuvieran molestas en esta edición utilizo pronombres femeninos para los personajes, pero mantuvo los masculinos para los cargos y oficios.
Por ejemplo, podemos encontrarnos cosas similares a esta sobre un mismo personaje: “ella era hermosa y responsable, él es un rey muy bueno”, les regalo leer eso y no perder la chaveta.
No importa que tan bueno o malo sea el cuento, que un autor cambie algo en una narración para dejar contento a un colectivo me molesta y me parece paupérrimo.
De que va el libro un rey es secuestrado y devuelto al palacio con la memoria retocada, a través de medicamentos y torturas su mente fue modificada de formas desconocidas.
Pasa un tiempo hasta que recupera el comportamiento normal, pero a partir de ese momento tendrá miedo porque no puede saber si las cosas que haga serán ideas suyas o ideas que le plantaron en la cabeza durante su secuestro.
Buscara ayuda en el embajador de la liga de planetas, conocida como Ecumen.
El cuento está bien, la narración como ya dije es molesta e incluso creo que es cobarde (por lo de los cambios que hizo), la historia es sencilla y básicamente sirve para ilustrar que pasa con las distancias planetarias en relación con el paso del tiempo (algo que se menciona en todos los libros de este ciclo), pero no aporta nada nuevo, es como un relleno que nadie pidió.
Es mejor que el libro anterior solo porque es más corto, más dinámico y no tiene momentos planos.
Pero eso no quita lo que ya dije varias veces, no puedo juzgar seriamente una obra que en mi opinión no tiene valentía ni entereza, y que básicamente se baja los pantalones para que un grupo de personas no se enoje.
Algunos podrán decir que la autora asume un error y lo corrige... para mi no hay error, ella misma dice que el idioma la limita pero hace los cambios para dejar a un grupo feliz, eso no me gusta.
Nota 0 de 5
Transcurre en el planeta Invierno, lugar donde transcurre “La mano izquierda de la oscuridad”, un lugar helado en donde sus habitantes son hermafroditos.
Es importante aclarar que edición se leyó ya que la autora le hizo cambios importantes a la de 1975, antes del cuento explica que la recepción de las feministas con “La mano izquierda de la oscuridad” fue muy mala porque se enojaron ya que los pronombres que utilizo la autora para referirse a los seres hermafroditos eran masculinos.... para que no estuvieran molestas en esta edición utilizo pronombres femeninos para los personajes, pero mantuvo los masculinos para los cargos y oficios.
Por ejemplo, podemos encontrarnos cosas similares a esta sobre un mismo personaje: “ella era hermosa y responsable, él es un rey muy bueno”, les regalo leer eso y no perder la chaveta.
No importa que tan bueno o malo sea el cuento, que un autor cambie algo en una narración para dejar contento a un colectivo me molesta y me parece paupérrimo.
De que va el libro un rey es secuestrado y devuelto al palacio con la memoria retocada, a través de medicamentos y torturas su mente fue modificada de formas desconocidas.
Pasa un tiempo hasta que recupera el comportamiento normal, pero a partir de ese momento tendrá miedo porque no puede saber si las cosas que haga serán ideas suyas o ideas que le plantaron en la cabeza durante su secuestro.
Buscara ayuda en el embajador de la liga de planetas, conocida como Ecumen.
El cuento está bien, la narración como ya dije es molesta e incluso creo que es cobarde (por lo de los cambios que hizo), la historia es sencilla y básicamente sirve para ilustrar que pasa con las distancias planetarias en relación con el paso del tiempo (algo que se menciona en todos los libros de este ciclo), pero no aporta nada nuevo, es como un relleno que nadie pidió.
Es mejor que el libro anterior solo porque es más corto, más dinámico y no tiene momentos planos.
Pero eso no quita lo que ya dije varias veces, no puedo juzgar seriamente una obra que en mi opinión no tiene valentía ni entereza, y que básicamente se baja los pantalones para que un grupo de personas no se enoje.
Algunos podrán decir que la autora asume un error y lo corrige... para mi no hay error, ella misma dice que el idioma la limita pero hace los cambios para dejar a un grupo feliz, eso no me gusta.
Nota 0 de 5
January 18, 2021
Starts off nightmarish and the reader has no idea about what is going on. Interesting concept, bizarre execution. Names are thrown about without introducing any characters. Places and events are abstract.
As for the story? An impenetrable palace of intrigue. Plays like the reader has the same memory loss as the abused king. But that was the whole point. The story does eventually come around to be coherent, but wow, that's a rough way to start. The pacing feels rushed and exceptionally enigmatic; so much so that I found myself re-reading numerous passages due to their utterly incomprehensible lack of clarity on first exposure. It's like having a bucket of cold water thrown on you when you were expecting to be offered a tall cool glass.
I also felt cheated. Who dunnit and WHY. Now, though I just finished it, I had to re-read it. Not because I wanted to, but because I clearly missed reading the billboard whilst zipping past it at 120kph, 4x the speed limit on Gethen.
Oi, it's exceptional and maddening. Reread the first 3 pages after finishing entirely. Then it all makes sense. This is literary rendition. My mind was tortured.
As for the story? An impenetrable palace of intrigue. Plays like the reader has the same memory loss as the abused king. But that was the whole point. The story does eventually come around to be coherent, but wow, that's a rough way to start. The pacing feels rushed and exceptionally enigmatic; so much so that I found myself re-reading numerous passages due to their utterly incomprehensible lack of clarity on first exposure. It's like having a bucket of cold water thrown on you when you were expecting to be offered a tall cool glass.
I also felt cheated. Who dunnit and WHY. Now, though I just finished it, I had to re-read it. Not because I wanted to, but because I clearly missed reading the billboard whilst zipping past it at 120kph, 4x the speed limit on Gethen.
Oi, it's exceptional and maddening. Reread the first 3 pages after finishing entirely. Then it all makes sense. This is literary rendition. My mind was tortured.
April 19, 2021
A really cool short story that I really wish had been a novel or novella. I understand leaving them wanting more, but I think this could have easily been longer. Alas, it is good in its brevity. The King of Karhide must deal with treachery and mind manipulation. However, the plotters didn't plan on the king's will. A more realistic vision of dealing with time dilation than Rocannon's World, but I really liked the grounded way that that the king's journey is presented. Apparently, this was written before and revised after The Left Hand of Darkness. As it is, it's a strong sequel.
May 29, 2021
Collected in The Wind's Twelve Quarters: A Story this thought provoking short story is a sequel to The Left Hand of Darkness, set on a planet where everyone is an androgen. King Argaven of Karhide, is kidnapped, drugged, tortured and programmed. They return seeing treachery everywhere and wanting to abdicate. This goes against all the tenets of their culture, and it seems things are approaching an impasse until it's clear everyone has underestimated the King's ability to think and solve problems.
December 2, 2025
I am slightly underwhelmed by this. Maybe it’s because of its connection to one of my favourite books of all time or because I waited for a long time to get around to it but I just found this to be a little confusing and unnecessary. I think this is the archetypal example of a short story that really should’ve been a novella or novel instead. It has lots of amazing ideas but so much of it is rendered a little incomprehensible and very rushed because of the format of the short story. In the space of 15 pages over 50 years of history happens with multiple political up evils, a revolutions and the transformation of someone’s personal identity and worldview. The story would benefit from either picking one of these moments and expanding them or massively expanded to accommodate the ideas present here. This was cool but it could’ve been so much better.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
May 29, 2024
Three and a half stars, rounding up to four. I enjoyed this, although I have to admit that I enjoyed it more as it went on. I was going to say that Le Guin's writing is always best for me when it prioritises clarity, but then that's the case with every writer as far as I'm concerned so it's not especially noteworthy. I do think, though, that the opening pages of "Winter's King" do not perhaps have the same level of clarity as the rest of the story. Perhaps that's intentional, a way to underline the instability of the king after he's been attacked, but it didn't grab me. I'm glad I kept reading though (not exactly a chore with a short story) because the end drags the rest of the story up by main strength. Had it been less affecting, this would have stayed three stars for me.
September 13, 2022
Most short stories by Ursula feel like an experiment. Like she’s put an idea under the microscope and decided to look at it more closely – but without really drawing any conclusions. Some might say they are unfinished, but I would beg to differ. A lot of her novels left me with the same feeling. It seems to me she never wanted to preach and teach. Feels like she just wanted her readers to take that microscope and look themselves – she just set it up for us.
“Here you go. Look at this. Now toss and turn. Think about it long and hard. Then think about what your thoughts and conclusions say about you as a human being.”
“Here you go. Look at this. Now toss and turn. Think about it long and hard. Then think about what your thoughts and conclusions say about you as a human being.”
January 21, 2021
“Our difference is our beauty. All these worlds and the various forms and ways of the minds and lives and bodies on them—together they would make a splendid harmony.”
“No harmony endures,” said the young king.
“None has ever been achieved,” said the Plenipotentiary. “The pleasure is in trying.”
I enjoyed this neat short story (sequel/companion to the Left Hand of Darkness) which is set on Gethen. Ursula K Le Guin's writing shines bright, even when it comes to some of her shorter works.
“No harmony endures,” said the young king.
“None has ever been achieved,” said the Plenipotentiary. “The pleasure is in trying.”
I enjoyed this neat short story (sequel/companion to the Left Hand of Darkness) which is set on Gethen. Ursula K Le Guin's writing shines bright, even when it comes to some of her shorter works.
January 11, 2024
Sorry for romanticising "Woman Kings"*. It will happen again.
Very funny for Le Guin to respond to the (valid!) critiques of her pronoun use in TLHOD to then revise this short story to only use "she" pronouns, while keeping 'masculine titles' like king. I think it kept the story gender-neutral as she hoped it would. As a lot of the story is focused on the relationship between a 'birth parent' and child, I think that's a really great contrast to our society's focus on patriarchal bloodlines (especially in royalty).
*acknowledging of course Gethenians do not share the same genders as us.
Very funny for Le Guin to respond to the (valid!) critiques of her pronoun use in TLHOD to then revise this short story to only use "she" pronouns, while keeping 'masculine titles' like king. I think it kept the story gender-neutral as she hoped it would. As a lot of the story is focused on the relationship between a 'birth parent' and child, I think that's a really great contrast to our society's focus on patriarchal bloodlines (especially in royalty).
*acknowledging of course Gethenians do not share the same genders as us.
January 7, 2026
Read within the Hainish Novels vol1
Short story sequel to Left Hand.
The collection had 2 versions, where the biggest difference was the use of gender and pronouns. (In Left Hand of Darkness, Gethenians are famously non-gendered, or rather, temporarily gendered)
I agree with LeGuin, the later version is better.
It's the only one of the Hanish stories (in volume 1) that displays the consequences of both leaving and arriving on FTL travel.
The first section was a little disjointed, I think intentionally, but once it settled in it was enjoyable.
Short story sequel to Left Hand.
The collection had 2 versions, where the biggest difference was the use of gender and pronouns. (In Left Hand of Darkness, Gethenians are famously non-gendered, or rather, temporarily gendered)
I agree with LeGuin, the later version is better.
It's the only one of the Hanish stories (in volume 1) that displays the consequences of both leaving and arriving on FTL travel.
The first section was a little disjointed, I think intentionally, but once it settled in it was enjoyable.
December 26, 2025
The story's okay - but this is about the setting, not the plot.
I read both versions of this. The original, which uses masculine gender for the hermaphrodites (okay, they're not strictly hermaphrodites, but they're not fixed gender either), is interesting, mostly because of the line "the king was pregnant." The revised version, which uses primarily female gender and non-gendered words (Majesty, rather than Sire), is much better.
I read both versions of this. The original, which uses masculine gender for the hermaphrodites (okay, they're not strictly hermaphrodites, but they're not fixed gender either), is interesting, mostly because of the line "the king was pregnant." The revised version, which uses primarily female gender and non-gendered words (Majesty, rather than Sire), is much better.
February 11, 2020
Le Guin in 2020
This short story was originally published in The Wind's Twelve Quarters collection. Winter's King was written, but not published, before The Left Hand of Darkness, and is set in the same world. Here Le Guin addresses some issues from TLHoD, e.g. the indefinite pronoun is now "she" rather than "he". The plot involves the young king who has been kidnapped, tormented, drugged, and brainwashed, but is now returned, totally broken, to the palace in Erhenrang and to the consternation of her senior advisors.
This is an imaginative and original story. The prose is typical Le Guin, dense and yet very readable, nuanced and poetic. The ending is ingenious and beautifully choreographed.
This short story was originally published in The Wind's Twelve Quarters collection. Winter's King was written, but not published, before The Left Hand of Darkness, and is set in the same world. Here Le Guin addresses some issues from TLHoD, e.g. the indefinite pronoun is now "she" rather than "he". The plot involves the young king who has been kidnapped, tormented, drugged, and brainwashed, but is now returned, totally broken, to the palace in Erhenrang and to the consternation of her senior advisors.
This is an imaginative and original story. The prose is typical Le Guin, dense and yet very readable, nuanced and poetic. The ending is ingenious and beautifully choreographed.
June 3, 2020
After reading The Left Hand of Darkness this story allowed me to see how gender influenced my personality perceptions. Le Guin noted that she changed the gender he/she terminology between the two stories partly in response to criticism of choosing masculine terms to refer to the inhabitants of Winter for the first book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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