Christmas Delivery Guaranteed 🚚
Christmas Gift Guide Gift Guide
Christmas Delivery Delivery
Store Hours Store Hours
Gift Cards Gift Cards

Today Only: Win Your Wishlist! 📚✨

The Word for World is Forest

The Best of the SF Masterworks
By Ursula K. Le Guin
Series: S.F. Masterworks
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.06 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 41,072 ratings, 4,371 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin explores the tension between an indigenous population on a pristine forest planet and human colonisers from Earth who exploit its resources for commercial gain. The narrative examines themes of cultural clash, ecological preservation, and the consequences of imperialism, set against the backdrop of a beautifully depicted alien world.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Word for World is Forest. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate thought-provoking science fiction with a focus on ecological themes and cultural conflict. Set on a distant planet with lush, forested landscapes, the story explores the complex dynamics between indigenous inhabitants and human colonisers, challenging perceptions about civilisation, nature, and humanity's impact on the environment. The narrative is both imaginative and insightful, offering a profound reflection on colonialism and coexistence.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The Word for World is Forest

Grand Master Ursula K. Le Guin's HUGO AWARD-winning tale of colonisation and oppression.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A world of peaceful aliens conquered by bloodthirsty yumens, their existence is irrevocably altered. Forced into servitude, the Athsheans find themselves at the mercy of their brutal masters.

Desperation causes the Athsheans to retaliate against their captors, abandoning their strictures against violence. In defending their lives, they endanger the very foundations of their society. Every blow against the invaders is a blow to the core of Athsheans' culture.

And once the killing starts, there is no turning back.

Winner of the 1973 Hugo award for Best Novella, and nominated for many others, The Word for World is Forest is part of Le Guin's 'Hainish Cycle'. It explores a future history of Earth and pacifistic ideals in its depictions of violence, colonialism and resistance.

'A simple story that, like most things Le Guin wrote, packs a powerful emotional and critical punch' - Tordotcom

'Deeply moving and shocking by turns' - Suzanne Reid

'Le Guin writes in quiet, straightforward sentences about people who feel they are being torn apart by massive forces in society . . . and who fight courageously to remain whole' - The New York Times Book Review

Welcome to The Best Of The Masterworks: a selection of the finest in science fiction

Series: S.F. Masterworks

View all

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin is praised for its succinct yet impactful storytelling, efficiently creating a believable alien world and society. While the narrative is compact, it is recognised as thought-provoking and compelling, showcasing Le Guin's mastery in delivering depth without unnecessary length.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781399607797

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 November 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Gollancz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 120g

Pages: 128

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction Series: S.F. Masterworks Ursula K. Le Guin

About the Author

Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the finest writers of our time. Her books have attracted millions of devoted readers and won many awards, including the National Book Award, the Hugo and Nebula Awards and a Newbery Honor. Among her novels, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed and the six books of Earthsea have attained undisputed classic status; and her recent series, the Annals of the Western Shore, has won her the PEN Center USA Children's literature award and the Nebula Award for best novel. In 2014 Ursula Le Guin was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She lived in Portland, Oregon, until she passed away in January 2018.

Read more at http://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/le_guin_ursula_k

Also by Ursula K. Le Guin

View all

More from Sci-Fi & Fantasy

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.