The Lathe of Heaven
The Lathe of Heaven
by Ursula K. Le Guin
This science fiction classic by the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author is "a rare and powerful synthesis of poetry and science, reason and emotion" (The New York Times).
In a near-future world beset by war, climate change, and overpopulation, Portland resident George Orr discovers that his dreams have the power to alter reality. Upon waking, the world he knew has become a strange, barely recognizable place, where only George has a clear memory of how it was before. Seeking escape from these “effective dreams,” George eventually turns to behavioral psychologist Dr. William Haber for a cure. But Haber has other ideas in mind.
Seeing the profound power of George’s dreams, Haber believes it must be harnessed for the greater good—no matter the cost. Soon, George is a pawn in Haber’s dangerous game, where the fate of humanity grows more imperiled with every waking hour.
As relevant today as it was when it won the Locus Award in 1971, The Lathe of Heaven is a true classic, at once eerie and prescient, entertaining and intelligent. In short, it does “what science fiction is supposed to do" (Newsweek).
"When I read The Lathe of Heaven as a young man, my mind was boggled; now when I read it…it breaks my heart. Only a great work of literature can bridge - so thrillingly - that impossible span."—Michael Chabon