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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
Some violence connected to the reality-shifts; not the novel's primary concern
Language
Barely any
Mild language throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief romantic content
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking and some drug use in the near-future setting
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Strong psychological content: the horror of a mutable reality, the ethics of manipulating someone's subconscious, and what happens when good intentions have no limits
What this book is about
George Orr has a disturbing gift: when he dreams, reality shifts to conform to his dreams — and he alone remembers the previous version. His psychiatrist Dr. Haber begins using hypnosis to direct Orr's dreams toward solving the world's problems — with consequences that spiral beyond anyone's ability to control. Le Guin's philosophical sci-fi is a precise examination of good intentions, the ethics of power, and the hubris of certainty about what the world needs.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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