Imagine a world without the binary concept of gender. What would a society without the dualism of male and female characteristics think of other species? Would that kind of community setup be more open to sentient AIs? The Left Hand of Darkness might have brought these questions forward as early as 1969.
An envoy is sent to a distant world hoping to incorporate the planet and its people into a trade network spanning eighty-three other worlds. All the worlds are the home to some human subspecies, all with a common origin in some remote corner of the universe. However, the people of this newly discovered world are distinctly different, specifically regarding gender. To make matters more intriguing, the planet is frozen cold, throwing the alien visitor into a life of isolation and exile previously unknown to him; moreover, into a world replete with court intrigue and subterfuge that makes him struggle to understand the motives and subtleties that drive his host’s politics.
Nevertheless, this is a tale of forging a profound friendship despite the vast differences between species. It’s a narrative of triumph over the disparities, of seeing the other person for whom they truly are.
Reading this novel today exhibits irrefutable proof of how long it takes us humans to “download” visionary thoughts.