Was it a good book? Should I invest my time in it?

Oh yes. I'm glad that I picked it up after a hiatus. Dylanfanatic posted a (relatively spoiler free) review of it a while ago. If you're willing to just take my word for it that it's a great book, and will keep it in mind, don't read the review. In books such as these, becoming familiar with the world, the "set-up", is half the fun, in my opinion. Also, I disagree with some of Dylanfanatic's statements.

I'll just tell you what I knew when I started it:

The blurb on the back cover:

"Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. he will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change."

It is in the utopia/dystopia realm of science fiction, and it was and still is so acclaimed that it won the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy Award, and the National Book Award.

Now, do you really need the review? I'll provide the link if you still want it.


The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated.
-The Remarkable Rocket, Oscar Wilde