Ursula LeGuin is one of my favorite sci-fi authors, and as you might tell from the cover a winner of more awards then everyone else put together. And therefore rarely found in modern bookshops.

Set on “Winter” - a world of humans that hasn’t yet made contact with the rest of humanity - a single envoy struggles to make his offer of joining the wider community heard or taken seriously. Adding to his woes is a society on the verge of “discovering” war as opposed to occasional border raids, strange politics, an almost inhospitable ice world and the fact that Winter’s inhabitants are hermaphrodites.

LeGuin’s writing always stands out not just because of the inventiveness but the fullness and plausibility of the society described. In the end the characters and plot are paramount not the ‘sci-fi’. The harsh conditions of the planet are portrayed expertly and the difficulty the envoy has in relating to a people who are both man and woman are delicately explored. Top quality writing regardless of whether you are a sci-fi fan. If you like this try “The Lathe of Heaven”