The Event Horizon

2. Voices From the Edge

2.1 AFTER LONG SILENCE: A long-overdue reprint of three classic Le Guin novels by Nigel Tan

From 1966-1967, Ursula K. Le Guin published 3 short novels: ``Rocannon's World'', ``Planet of Exile'' and ``City of Illusions'', which were later collected in 1978 by Doubleday as a hardcover titled ``Three Hainish Novels''. All of these books are out of print, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that St Martin's Press (Orbit in the UK) has seen fit to re-issue these novels.

Titled ``Worlds of Exile and Illusion'', the trade paperback is essentially a reprint of the original Doubleday edition, right down to the typeface. A few internal inconsistencies with regards to the Hainish timeline have apparently been cleaned up, but frankly I haven't noticed the difference. It comes with a handsome cover (one that won't have your neighbours on the MRT cringing when you whip it out) which should make it a valuable addition to your bookshelf.

Set in Le Guin's Hainish universe, the setting for her landmark novels ``The Left Hand Of Darkness'' and ``The Dispossessed'', the three novels are unconnected, except for a tenous link between the second and the third. Written several years before those two major novels, these three novels are clearly less full-bodied compared to the greatness to come, yet by themselves they stand quite well alone. It would be unjust to dismiss them as journeyman work.

Of the three, ``Rocannon's World'' is the best. Opening with a short prologue (which fans will recognise as having appeared previously in ``The Wind's Twelve Quarters'' as ``Semley's Necklace''), and then cutting to the chase, ``Rocannon's World'' is one of my favourite Le Guin novels. Showcasing many of her strengths, it masterfully blends myth and science fiction and uses imagery to great effect. At its centre lies a simple story of a quest, but under her hand, it becomes a parable of necessary sacrifice and eventual union. The novel is written in her characteristic style of quiet dignity, and her sure hand sketches out enough material for a full length novel, yet the magic is contained neatly in just over a hundred pages, a little more than novella length. SF writers who shamelessly pad their books just to make them trilogies should take a leaf from Le Guin - small is beautiful.

The second novel, ``Planet Of Exile'', is a different beast altogether. Darker and more fatalistic, it tells the story of colonists stranded on a planet, who are forced by time and circumstances to integrate with the natives. The premise is nothing new, but Le Guin's usually deft hand falters here, becoming heavy-handed in her use of motifs and leaving the reader feeling that something is being rammed (albeit gently) down his throat here. The use of telepathy as a leitmotif is also clumsily handled. Overall, it feels like apprentice work - not exactly poor by any standards, but no great shakes either.

The last novel is another quest novel, using a theme which Le Guin would use again in her later work, that of self-determination. Again, the premise is simple - a man who has no memory of his identity goes on a mission to find out who and why his memories were removed. Interestingly enough, the enemy Shing, humanoid aliens who are somehow able to lie via telepathy, do not appear in any of her later work (as far as I know). It is a competent enough piece and gets the job done, but feels a tad strained at times. It ends on a good note however and gives this omnibus collection a nice sense of closure.

Taken from a period just before what I consider her first Golden Age, the collection makes graceful reading, before she would go on to larger themes in her landmark award-winning novels. Sometime in the 70's, she got too bogged down in politicized ``big'' issues and feminism, her fiction suffering (IMHO only) as a result. This collection displays a simplicity which she has rediscovered and returned to in the 90's. Le Guin is a writer of such stature that even if she has an off-day, her prose remains elegantly elevated above the mainstream. No wonder that she's considered a writers' writer by many.

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