"Worlds of Exile and Illusion" A Surprisingly Delightful Collection

 

    I know this blog has been absolutely inundated with comic reviews, as I slowly wean myself back into that hobby but indeed, I am still reading regular books. As such, like I mentioned last time I wanted to begin going througn the Hainish cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin, whose sci-fi novel, The Dispossessed, absolutely blew me away last time. This time however, this review will be a little bit different. Instead of reviewing one story, I'll be reviewing a collection of her older stories, titled Worlds of Exile and Illusion. As such, this review will be written over a longer period of time than I'm used to, but I think it'll be good to have a place to compare some of her earlier work. So every time I start talking about a new story, some time has passed for me to read the next story so they're all fresh in my mind. Let's talk about it.

    Speaking on Rocannon's World, I would say it's quite a strong story. The reason I say this is because it's such a wonderful blend of both sci-fi and fantasy, you can really feel Le Guin kind of just throwing stuff at the wall. Unlike The Dispossessed which I felt was quite grounded, this story technically takes place chronologically ahead of that story, since Shevek's life work, the ansible, has been realized and plays a critical role in this story. I think the first chapter is the perfect example of this is the first chapter, which was originally it's own standalone short story. You get this little blurb detailing the different species on this underdeveloped planet, but you forget all about it as she creates this wonderful little fantasy land. Then at the very end she pulls the rug straight out from you, and reminds you that these creatures are nothing but small potatoes.

    It's fantastic, you hear about this gem, and the mysterious ways these little mole-people have managed to craft it using techniques far beyond their comprehension, only to learn at the end that this magical god-like being they worship is just some anthropologist whose been watching them from afar. Speaking of which, I feel like the story does that exact same switcheroo at the end again. By the end I was mostly convinced Rocannon would die, but then he ends up meeting that mystical creature who everyone is treating like a god, much like himself. I mean I knew there were creatures who used mind-control but I didn't expect that to be what ultimately kept Rocannon alive. I was very convinced he was going to die sending the final message out. Though I guess he already lost what little connection he had, since he would never see everyone he knew again, and all of his allies had already perished. I would give Rocannon's World a solid 70.

    I think Planet of Exile is better though. It feels like it takes the concept of Rocannnon's World and goes even further. Instead of just one man finally learning to live with the people on a foreign planet it's a whole species, slowly decaying and stagnating as they face the evil head-on. There are definitely plenty of parallels that can be drawn between the two works, and that's without even mentioning the telepathy which once again plays an even greater role in this story. I didn't realize that the introduction of telepathy in Rocannon's World would be felt even in this story, but it does. Honestly, my only complaint is that I don't exactly know how to feel about the relationship with Agat and Rolery.

    I understand why their relationship exists, because it's about a glimmer of hope, of potential that this will no longer become a planet of exile, but a real home where they can begin to coexist and finally move on. At the same time they make Agat seem pretty old and Rolery pretty young, like I swear Rolery was like 15 or 16, and felt absolutely no romantic connection between them. To be hit with them sleeping together the very next chapter took me aback. Other than that though this story is great man. It has it all. Trying to find common ground between a backwater species and one that isn't quite as advanced as they make it out to be. It has the same juxtaposition of science/fantasy that the last story had, but it just feels bigger since it involves more characters. Maybe I'll give this story a 75 or 80.

    Honestly, after reading City of Illusions, I have to say it kind of surprised me. I though it couldn't get better, but it might have just been able to. Set after the events of Planet of Exile, City of Illusions sort of picks up right where it left off. The League of Worlds is in shambles, and all hope seems lost. So for about 70 % of the story or so you simply follow this man named Falk who seemingly finds himself marching straight towards the enemy Lord of The Rings style, hoping that the enemy might provide him with the truth behind his identity. You find him interact with all of these different remnants of humanity, and while it's pretty interesting, it's not like we haven't seen this "person in unfamiliar territory" story before, I mean after all that's basically the plot of all three stories.

    Once we get to Es Toch it all finally starts to click in place. The seemingly reduced status of humans. It turns from a simple adventure to one that immediately makes you start questioning every single piece of information fed to you throughout this entire story. The Shing, Falk's backstory, the mindreading is all turned up to another level. On a side note, I did not realize that mind control/telepathy would play such a large role in these stories. I never really thought about them as an aspect of sci-fi, but it does make sense that other species might have that ability and be able to spread it around. It becomes surprisingly gripping, and it turns from an okay story to quite a strong one in the very last section. I would have to give this story maybe a 75 or an 80?

Final Score: 75/100

 

    A pretty solid collection of sci-fi stories when all is said or done. Alone I don't quite know if they'd be able to stand as well by themselves. Part of the appeal is seeing the very thin thread that connects all of these stories, which truly do follow different worlds of exile and illusion. At the same time, while being together makes them stronger, you can kind of see the same formula throughout all three, so if you read them back-to-back-to-back, you'll want some breathing room in between each story. Maybe not too long so you can remember facts about this universe, but enough so that you don't feel the formula weighing down upon you, but rather appreciate Le Guin iterating on each new entry into the Hainish cycle. For what is supposed to be a collection of her first works, it felt surprisingly focused and well-polished. Bravo.