The lathe of heaven
Readers rate it 4.1 (587 on Hardcover)
175 pages · Released 2003 · Perennial Classics
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The lathe of heaven parent’s guide: what’s inside
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
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A note for parents
Le Guin's philosophical science fiction explores power, ethics, and unintended consequences through a protagonist with reality-altering dreams. While the plot involves some violence and drug use, the tone is thoughtful rather than graphic, and the core message emphasizes humility and the limits of human control. The novella rewards careful reading and raises mature questions about manipulation and free will that suit older teens, though younger readers might find the abstract concepts and existential dread challenging.
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From the publisher
“The Lathe of Heaven” ; 1971 ( Ursula Le Guin received the 1973 Locus Award for this story) George Orr has a gift – he is an effective dreamer: his dreams become reality when he wakes up. He is aware of his past and present, two or more sets of memories, although the people around him are only aware of the current re... “The Lathe of Heaven” ; 1971 ( Ursula Le Guin received the 1973 Locus Award for this story) George Orr has a gift – he is an effective dreamer: his dreams become reality when he wakes up. He is aware of his past and present, two or more sets of memories, although the people around him are only aware of the current reality. This science fiction story is set in Portland, Oregon, in/around the late 1990s - early 2000s. Orr begins to take drugs to suppress dreams but eventually he is sent to a psychotherapist, Dr. William Haber, who has developed an electronic machine, the Augmentor, which records the brain patterns of a person as they dream. When Haber realizes that he can use Orr's unique ability to change their world, the consequences are both beneficial and frightening, both locally and globally. Orr seeks out the help of a civil rights lawyer, Heather Lelache, who attends a treatment session, and sees Portland change before her very eyes as Orr awakens. In a strange turn of events, Heather helps Orr by putting him in a dream state where Orr can undo some of Haber's actions. The result – Aliens on the Moon land on Earth ! A special affinity exists between George Orr and the Aliens, who seem to understand his unique gift. Ultimately Haber decides to impose Orr's brain patterns on his own, so that he can bring about world-wide changes. Orr and Heather feel the chaos and a sense of a void as Haber dreams. Orr rushes back to Haber's office and turns off the Augmentor. The world returns to April 1998.
Shelved under
- Dreams
- Fiction
- Fiction in English
- Science fiction
- Dystopian fiction
- Nature
- Psychotherapist and patient
- Social change
- Effect of human beings on
- Dreams -- Fiction
- Fiction, science fiction, general
- American literature
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ISBN 9780060512743 · Perennial Classics