The Lathe of Heaven

Not a fan personally... Was very predictable in where they went with everything. I had a hard time staying interested and following along with the story and only finished it since I had paid for it. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt as well but to each his own....

Have not been able to finish this thing - like watching paint dry.
Don't like the characters - feel nothing towards protagonist.
Lessons learned (but will probably forget):
Should not buy ebooks late at night.
Should not consider a Hugo win a mark of a good book.

I think it suffers some from its age, but I found the single concept pretty thin to hold the whole book. The protagonist was a bit of a helpless sadsack, the antagonist a caricature of a hearty misguided social engineer, and neither really seemed to ring very true emotionally.

I read this for the historical importance, but I wasn't really very impressed.

As I write this review I am reeling with sadness over the death of Ursula K.Le Guin, a writer of such imagination and such wisdom rarely seen these days. The news has inspired me to write a review of this, my favorite of her novels. The Lathe of Heaven was originally published in 1971, and it remains as fresh and amazing today as it did nearly fifty years ago.

George Orr is a nondescript young man leading an inconspicuous life in Portland, Oregon. Life is grim: the world is severely overpopulated, with constant warfare, growing food shortages, and a climate that is gradually growing less and less hospitable to humanity. Like most of his fellows George copes with the discomfort of every day life by using narcotics which blot out some of the worst aspects of his existence. But George has a secret: he has effective dreams that can change reality, a power so disturbing to him that he regularly overdoses himself to the point of near-death. After one such episode he is assigned to a dream specialist or oneirologist, Dr. Haber, for help. When Dr. Haber realizes the potential of George's effective dreams he begins to use the "gift," as he sees it, to reshape the world. Unfortunately Haber discovers, as do all who are so certain that they have all the answers to solve everyone else's problems, that reshaping the world carries penalties for the shaper as well as those who are reshaped.

Le Guin's beautiful, dreamlike prose makes The Lathe of Heaven into a marvelous reading experience. I've spent many happy hours with George Orr over the years, and from now on I will spend them not only with him but with the memory of his creator.

Weird to the bones, but I can't help but really like this dreamy little book-that-could. I've read tons of books about ideal Christians, but this is the first one I've ever read about the Ideal Taoist (or elbowy space turtles).

George Orr is the nowhere man, so passive and flowing that he literally lets throngs of people on the subway to push and pull him around. And yet he plods along like a golden retriever, living in his world(s) without trying to change it...intentionally, anyway. It's like Slaughterhouse Five, but maybe a little less cynical -- not by much, though.

For such a small book, it sure is ambitious and bites off a lot of big meaty topics:
* Greenhouse Effect
* War
* Race
* Drugs
* Eugenics
* Sanity vs Insanity
* Morality
* Ethics of Science
* Reality vs Dreams
* etc...

Woof.

But the vast majority of the novel is Dr. Haber and George arguing philosophies: could/should they use George's dream power? I did kinda roll my eyes at the huge blocks of text where LeGuin practically womps the reader over the head with the Dao De Jing. On the other hand, however, maybe it does need to be hammered: people keep believing like Dr. Haber that they can 'fix' reality through the shapes of dreams, and then fail miserably.

The book gets a little too loopy as it reaches the end -- but I kinda admire a book that dances to its own erratic beat. LeGuin took Laozi and Zhuangzi and made a Taoist sci-fi yarn out of it. Even when it misfires, it still gives a lot of interesting ideas to think about: how seductive Dr. Haber's line of thinking is, at what point do dreams and reality really end, and space turtles.

Imagine that your dreams had the ability to alter reality. To change not only the present, but also the past and (effectively) the future. And every time you dreamed, you might wake up to a new home, a different job, a changed city, and possibly erase the existence of people you'd known, including loved ones.

Then imagine being so frightened by your ability that you start seeing a psychiatrist - and he, upon realizing your "powers," uses you to manipulate the world to his liking.

That premise didn't just draw me into Ursula K. Le Guin's THE LATHE OF HEAVEN. Instead, it reeled me in and let me dangle in the wonder, terror, and sheer inventiveness of the story. It did take some time to fall into LATHE's rhythm; there are a fair number of long paragraphs of scientific explanations and other details, both in the dialogue and in the narrative. But once I did, I was utterly absorbed in its shifting landscapes and histories, the hard-to-believe truths and cleverly disguised lies, and George's struggle to find a way to simply fall asleep knowing that he hadn't subconsciously tinkered with the world. And the more that his psychiatrist, Dr. Haber, toyed with George's abilities with every therapy session, the more difficult it became to put this book down.

Admittedly LATHE is a bit dated now (it was first published in 1971, with the story set in 2002). But I found it easy enough to re-imagine George's futuristic Portland, Oregon with a 2017 basis. The themes, though, are the real blood and marrow of this book, because they're still relevant today. Humanity's self-destructive behavior, the delicate nature of the patient-doctor relationship, our dependence on medication, and the perils of power... And since it's a UKLG book, I knew I could count on the wisdom, wit, and lyricality that's always present in her writing. Have I said before that I love Ursula's prose? Because I do. And in THE LATHE OF HEAVEN, it gives the conflicts more weight, her insights more depth, and her small cast of characters more complexity.

I think THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS has finally found competition for the title of My Favorite Science Fiction Book by UKLG.

I first encountered Ursula Le Guin as a teenager in her Earth Sea Trilogy, a wonderful tale of magic with deeper levels I totally missed in my initial reading. The Lathe of Heaven is for a more mature reader dealing with themes like responsibility, hubris, compassion and love. This is the second time I’ve read the novel and it won’t be the last.

When the novel opens George Orr is an unassuming man with a problem. He’s convinced his dreams can change reality and he’s taking illegal drugs to keep him from hurting people while he sleeps. He’s put under the care of Dr. William Haber who’s skepticism quickly disappears as he begins to unethically abuse Orr’s gift through hypnotism and an experimental machine to remake the world into a better place where his own importance is recognized and the big problems—war, racism, overpopulation, etc.—don’t exist anymore. But Orr’s power works through the unconscious and Haber never quite gets the results he wants—not that he blames himself. Success is due to his genius, failure is the fault of the man he’s using his legal hold over to coerce into changing the world.

Orr’s effort to get legal help introduces the third and most interesting character to the story. Heather LeLache is a lawyer who becomes interested in Orr’s case and actually sees the world rewritten while she observes his therapy. The shared experience brings Orr and LeLache closer but can their growing friendship—hidden from Haber—survive an ever-rewritten world.

The ending of this novel is a painful one filled with growth and horror, but not without hope. This one will make your head spin.

This was really great classic sci-fi: exploring outlandish dilemmas that nevertheless resonate with their philosophical implications. The main character in this book has dreams that can reshape reality according to his subconscious desires, so he’s desperate to make them stop. (In the first such dream he relates, he was annoyed by an aunt who had come to visit, and his dream made her have died in a car crash six years ago.) He goes to a psychiatrist to try to stop the dreams, but the shrink decides to use the power for good instead, and he gives the man hypnotic suggestions about what to dream to fix the world’s problems. But of course, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and their society gets more and more dystopian as the novel progresses.

I really liked this book, and I think it did a great job of showing the struggle any functionally-omnipotent being would face in trying to make things better. (In one version of the novel’s reality, an attempt to resolve racial conflict makes everyone on earth grey, and a biracial character gets wiped from reality entirely because there’s no way someone like her could have been born without her parents having had the histories that they did.) It’s a fairly short novel, but definitely one that will stick with me. Very highly recommended.

An incredibly fantastic and amazing book. It starts off with serious and accurate realism -the sleep laboratory is described with precise detail. Then, like some of Michael Crichton's best books, it leaves reality and takes us to an amazing place plucked from the imagination of a masterful storyteller. Le Guin has a unique, wonderful imagination, what wonders !

This book is so uniquely different from most SF books and it is not only a great story, but it warns against making decisions without sufficient knowledge. Never has the warning "Be careful what you wish for, it may come true" been more clearly shown.

Clearly, those writing negative reviews, lack the maturity to understand and hence appreciate this terrific book, they need to stay with action books which are far easier to digest.

If you have not read any Ursual K. Le Guin books, you've missed some of the best books ever written in the SF genre as well as in all of literature. Few authors can match her brilliant intelligence and imagination. Be sure not to miss:

1 The Left Hand of Darkness
2 Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle)

This was a fascinating read even though I’m pretty sure some of it went right over my head. For a short book, it certainly packs a punch and gets right into George’s head. His dreams have the power to change reality, which is why he so desperately wants to stop dreaming, but once Dr. Haber realizes what’s in front of him he takes advantage of the situation. He implants dream “suggestions” into George’s mind but to George, everything is very literal so the end result is not always what the doctor had in mind.

People die or cease to exist. They come back. Aliens can’t communicate. Then they can, but only after they become turtles. Check out that cover. Turtles!

This is a crazy book but I could easily read it again because there’s so much I missed the first time around. The book club I belong to discussed it last week and it was a good discussion. Apparently, it was also made into a movie. Has anyone read the book or seen the movie?

The Lathe of Heaven is a work of speculative fiction of the ilk embodied today in such tales as those told in Black Mirror and Glitch. The protagonist's inexplicable and singular ability to dream into reality new worlds is compelling. Compelling because as frightfully powerful as it is when left unchecked, it proves all the more dangerous when the state seeks to control it for "effective dreaming." This tension is at the heart of the novella, yielding a cautionary tale of the dangers of intervening in the unknown. Less plausible, however, are the devices Le Guin establishes to maintain the suspension of disbelief. Certainly the premise that dreams can only be influenced, not planned, is viable. But her audacious depiction of dream-induced aliens is too far gone, even if it is meant to prove the earlier points. The creatures are not just "alien" in the sense of being foreign, they are audacious and implausible creatures, especially in comparison to age-mate visions such as Jerzy Kosinski’s “Being There.” While they fit the central theme of “be careful what you ask for, as you just might get it,” the qualities of their imagined physical attributes break the readers’ suspended disbelief in a way that does not advance the story. In addition, Le Guin inserts viable but not satisfying deus ex machinas to explain away why the protagonist does not “dream away” the antagonist over the many re-creations of the world. These traits leave the story feeling small, contrived, and detract from what could have been the clearly central theme: that the state of things - even when abhorrent - are often best left to their own devices to resolve.

I enjoyed "The Lathe of Heaven" very much and recommend it, particularly to fans of more classic science fiction. This is my first encounter with author Ursula K. Le Guin and I'm sorry it took so long to get around to it. Her reputation as a leading sic-fi writer is well deserved. I am not a fan of wordy authors and Le Guin writes with economy and style. The reader can paint vivid pictures of her book scenes and characters. The action and story line is intense and takes unexpected twists.
As the synopsis/book jacket describes, this is a story about a man's ability to alter reality through his dreams. The dreamer is tortured by the intense danger of this ability and tries to end it, but he is manipulated by a psychiatrist. Le Guin poses a moral question - is it okay, wise, or even possible to play god, even if you believe your intentions are good? Its a great premise and Le Guin does it justice with a first rate story. Recommended!

I read this Ursula LeGuin book years ago and it is still a book that I think about regularly. I am a huge fan of this writer and have read all her novels and most short stories. She deals with significant cultural and philosophical ideas with story lines and characters that are multifaceted and ring with truth. Le Guin is not afraid to approach topics and ideas from different perspectives; there is no black and white. Her books require thought and challenge the reader to question preconceptions. Le Guin is one of the best writers of science fiction and fantasy and I would include her as one of the best American writers of the 20th century.

Any serious fan of science fiction will find it impossible to discuss this 1972 novel which examines the nature of reality without referencing the writings of Philip K. Dick, the Grand Master of alternate realities. In particular, his novel "Ubik," published in 1969, will come to mind. Le Guin was an admirer of Dick's work and openly acknowledged his influence, and Dick, in turn, praised Le Guin. They apparently appreciated the fact that the plot elements they shared could be manipulated in two entirely different ways.

Le Guin's protagonist, George Orr, dreams "effective" dreams that literally change reality, both the past and the present, and he is the only one who realizes that the change has occurred; that is, he is the only one until he is forced to consult a psychiatrist because of his unlawful drug use. When the psychiatrist realizes he can partially direct George's dreams, he begins to impose his will upon his patient to bring about his own idea of a perfect world.

The only problem is that every manipulation of reality to reach utopia has unforeseen consequences, often tragic and terrifying. For example, the dream suggestion of the psychiatrist to reduce world over-population has the result of a viral pandemic resulting in the death of more than half of the world's inhabitants. The quest to solve one problem results in another problem, until the very nature of reality begins to disintegrate.

Le Guin focuses on philosophical questions in her treatment of alternate realities. Her ultimate massage would seem to be one taken from Chinese philosophy: "To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven."

Dick, in contrast, elicits a less intellectual, a more primitive response. In his alternate reality stories, "paranoia runs deep," as the '60s song goes. In his world, we are not sure who is the dreamer, if there is a dreamer, if there is actually a dream, or if it's all a figment of a diseased mind.

This is a well-executed book which raises many questions for thought; it is much superior to most genre fiction. Still, I prefer Dick's take on the subject of alternate realities, perhaps because, tragically enough, I think he really believed. It's not exactly a comfortable belief, and I wonder how cutting-edge physicists nowadays, who subscribe to string theory (as I understand it) deal psychologically with the possibility of more than one reality.

Ursula K. LeGuin is a master storyteller, and it was refreshing to read this enthralling page-turner, especially since I’ve been going through such a reading funk lately. I’ve read several duds in a row.

The Lathe of Heaven is the story about a man, George Orr, who has the ability to change reality through his dreams, something his psychologist later refers to as “effective dreaming”. George is afraid of these dreams–he has no control over them, and feels that no one, not even he, should have the ability to change reality—but his psychologist sees them as an opportunity to create the perfect world.

I’ve always admired Ursula’s ability to use fantastical ideas to comment on humanity. In this book, through character of the doctor, she tackles topics such as war/violence, racism, overpopulation/hunger, but with every change the doctor makes, there is always the unforeseen side effect/consequence, as there usually is, but as the changes stack up, so, too, do the side effects, which begin to rip the very fabric of reality. What is to like to be God? What is reality, and what makes it hold together? These are just a couple of the complex questions Ursula tackles in this profound masterpiece. www.bookjerm.com

Ursula K. Le Guin has always been one of my favorite science fiction writers for two reasons: (1) her stories are light on hard science and heavy on the philosophy, and (2) she is that rare sci-fi author whose prose is equally as compelling and enjoyable as the ideas contained in them.

'The Lathe of Heaven' is a fascinating yarn spun with Le Guin's always fluid, graceful and poetic lines. While not as much of an all-out masterpiece as 'The Dispossessed,' it is still worthy, in my mind, of being a modern science fiction classic.

George Orr is a demure, unassuming man who possesses a strange and unimaginable power: whatever he dreams comes true. His dreams aren't prophetic in the sense that after he dreams something it happens. It is rather a far more terrifying power in that whatever he dreams becomes reality down to every last detail. In other words, if he were, for instance, to dream that WWII never happened, then such an event is effectively erased not only from the annals of history but from everyone's memory and every thread of reality that was in any way ever affected by the event is rewoven. People who never existed suddenly exist because their fathers were never killed. The very fabric of the world and its societies are impeccably altered. It sounds like a cool power to have until you really think about it.

A brisk and enjoyable read, 'The Lathe of Heaven' tells of Orr's quest to rid himself of this godlike but nightmarish ability. My only problem with it is that in making it such a slim novel, Le Guin doesn't fully explore some intriguing leads that are introduced but not followed. There is an alien race, for instance, that seems to understand Orr's power and its reality-altering implications and that clearly feels compassion for his agonized conscience. There are moments when Orr suddenly seems to attain a kind of enlightenment in which he understands his role in the grand scheme of things. There are questions raised on the nature of reality itself. These are the elements I found most fascinating yet none of them are explained.

Despite its flaws, 'The Lathe of Heaven' is a psychedelic trip that rivals Philip K. Dick at his diabolical best and speaks well for Le Guin's longstanding rule as the queen of philosophical science fiction.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin

"Those whom heaven helps we call sons of heaven. They do not learn this by learning. They do not work it by working. They do not reason it by using reason. To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven.
-Chang Tse Quoted at beginning of chapter three in "The Lathe of Heaven"

George Orr has a very grave dilemma. He has extraordinarily flamboyant dreams, which like all of us, he has no control over. The problem is that his dreams can truly alter reality. It came to pass that his randy aunt was living with him and his parents in a cramped apartment. George was flustered in the extreme by his aunt's unwanted sexual advances. In a dream she was killed in a car crash. Upon awaking there was no aunt and his parents acknowledged their continuing sadness at the aunt's demise in a terrible car accident six weeks prior.

George relies on illegally obtained drugs to avoid dreaming - dreading the consequences that his ghastly "talent" will affect upon society. Eventually the drugs result in an overdose and mandatory rehab with a Dr. William Herber, a psychotherapist with an outsized ego and ambition who specializes in dreams. Once Dr. Herber gets a whiff of George's talent he begins molding reality through his sessions of dream therapy with George. Eventually Dr. Herber is destroyed on the lathe of heaven.

This book, Ms. LeGuin's fifth novel, was a captivating reading experience for me. The author's ability to keep focused on the Orr - Herber power struggle and effortlessly weave many diverse SF themes into her story is admirable to say the least. I had first read the book in the 1970's and my recent re-reading confirms my deep appreciation for this writer.

This novel, in an edited form, was first published in Amazing magazine issues dated March and May 1971. The full novel was published later in 1971 by Scribner and also issued in a SFBC edition that year. It was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1972 but did not win.

The Lathe of Heaven started slow for me, but once I got into it I really got into it. The whole premise is pretty intriguing, that someone capable of "effective dreaming" could unintentionally remake the world each time he falls asleep. When George Orr wakes, he remembers the world as it used to be, but no one else does until he begins seeing a doctor who hypnotizes him and causes him to dream in his office. Since he is with him when it happens, the doctor also can remember the changes. He begins directing George's dreams in hopes of molding the world in the way the doctor thinks is best.

The changes can be minor - a wall painting of a mountain changing to a painting of a horse - or horrendous, with global consequences.

I was very engaged once I got about 40 pages in. I had no idea where the plot was headed. I felt great sympathy for the main character and rooted for his relationship with a woman who appears and disappears from his changing world. I loved the Aldebaranian aliens, who looked like giant turtles, who spoke out of their left elbows, and whose attempts at communicating in English were filled with imponderables. ("Before following directions leading in wrong directions, auxiliary forces may be summoned, in immediate-following fashion: Er' perrehnne!" Good advice.)

I was inspired to choose The Lathe of Heaven as a title for my science fiction/fantasy book discussion group after reading Jo Walton's Among Others. While I did not enjoy The Lathe of Heaven as much as Among Others, I'm glad I read it. It's a short book - less than 200 pages. I recommend it for anyone seeking to expand their familiarity with classic works of science fiction.

One of the best Science Fiction novels I've ever read. I was unable to guess where it was going, so there was a surprise at just about every turn, and that's my favorite kind of book, in any genre. It's been filmed twice - the first version was okay, and the second was awful (Le Guin hated it). The first version suffered from being filmed in the late '70's, when there simply wasn't the technical wherewithal to tell the story properly. Now that we have seemingly boundless film technology, this is the perfect time to re-film this wild tale, and do it justice.

But I digress. Lathe is well-worth your time. I have yet to read anything like it.

Read from June 04 to 06, 2015

After some consideration, I've decided this novel can be seen as post-apocalyptic if one looks through the eyes of its main character, George Orr, who awakens in a new world every day — a world that changes based on the content of his dreams — and he’s the only person who remembers the old.

I don’t know why I haven’t read more LeGuin; this is only the second of her novels that I’ve picked up (the first was The Left Hand of Darkness, read in 2006). I’m putting the rest of her novels on my library list right now. And a copy of this needs to land in my permanent library.

George Orr has a problem or a gift. Occasionally, his dreams change reality. He comes into treatment by psychiatrist William Haber, who believes he can use this gift to make a better world. Guess what happens?*

I love this idea that Orr's dreams change reality, and the way Orr's fear of his own power feels so apt, as he cannot control the dreams and has no desire to change reality. Haber can make suggestions but cannot control the details, and the results are fascinating. The exploration of how those who desire to improve the world also desire to improve it for themselves felt true. My one critique is that - early in the book - there are a few LONG passages describing some dream-augmenting technology and the like, making the book feel more science fiction-y than it really needs to and impeding my getting drawn in from the start. But that's a small critique: It's worth pushing through those few sections. After that, I was completely hooked. In addition, the ending is very interesting and not completely transparent (in a good way).

Note on content: One very non-explicit sex scene (as in, so non-explicit that I could probably read it in front of my young children and they wouldn't notice, not that I'm going to test that), little violence (one case of euthanasia), and a smattering of language (one f-word, ten sh-words, etc.).

* Here we have exactly the unintended consequences the Card refuses to explore in Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus. This is about a million times better.

Interesting premise, and explores multiple dystopian futures. It took me quite a long time to finish reading for such a short book, I kept on putting it down. The characters are not especially engaging and are rather roughly drawn, although there are touching moments later in the book. Much of the time they seem to act as mouthpieces, proclaiming viewpoints for paragraphs on end. The writing is generally heavy-handed and contains many platitudes.
I very much enjoyed reading other Ursula LeGuin books, but this one was not for me.

Le Guin's narrative turns reality inside out. I read some of the negative commentary about her projections, the relentless setting of a socialist style agenda and global warming catastrophies. To those objections I say, Eh, so what? The fact is that the more crowded, integrated and connected our world and our societies become, the more of a nanny state we have fostered and will likely continue to foster. That is just a fact, and you cannot be too upset if Le Guin extrapolates trends that already exist. I am neither a global warming acolyte nor denier. Climate happens. Humans are doomed to extinction for any one of several good and valid reasons. Why not let Le Guin use massive warming to add future-land context and drama? Anyway the book is interesting and some of the thoughts and observations are quite brilliant, no matter from which side of the phonie political circus you hale.

The idea that Le Guin writes about is certainly inventive. A man named George Orr suffers from effective dreaming, which means that whatever he dreams becomes reality . . . and only he and those present when he dreams have any idea that things change.

Le Guin's story is definitely worth a read, but bear in mind that some of the changes due to effective dreaming lack detail. Frequently, you might be rather unclear as to how things such as the Portland cityscape change. The author gives a few hints, but sometimes all you get is broad yet brief descriptions that don't quite fulfil. Granted, there are times when you know precisely what's going on (e.g. aliens are on the moon; aliens are on earth; billions of people have disappeared) but it's the details that are absent. For example, why don't cars change (or why don't we hear about it in the story)? Le Guin focuses more on how buildings and people's living/working quarters change, but doesn't flesh out much else in the way of societal alterations: fashion, technology, how people live.

The length of the novel is just right, neither too long nor too short at 192 pages. Of course, putting in some of the details I wanted would add a few pages. . . .

My other complaint, which isn't significant: Some of the explanations by Haber--the scientist who "helps" George--go on a bit too long and don't add much to the novel.

All in all, a well-done exploration of a unique idea. If you like science fiction, you should check out "The Lathe of Heaven."

Would you like to shape the world to your liking? Maybe to rid it of war, overpopulation, hunger, racial prejudice, decease? To make it into your own idea of Heaven?

Well, the two main characters of The Lathe of Heaven have different opinions on this subject. George Orr, who possesses a unique ability to change the world by dreaming about, seemingly, the most mundane things, wants this power to be gone, he is sure the events should take their natural course, no matter how dire the consequences are to the humanity. His doctor, William Haber, thinks it is his responsibility to make this world a better place. He is adamant he will achieve his goal of a perfect society! At any cost. Does it matter that people in his utopia are all of a battleship gray color? That sick people are euthanized? Not to Haber, as long as it is for the common good.

The Lathe of Heaven was the first Le Guin's book that tickled my visualization "powers," which are very modest, to put it lightly. My imagination went in overdrive picturing our planet changing - billions of people disappearing, landscapes transforming, climate adjusting - all retroactive results of Orr's unconscious dreaming. This story would make a visually stunning movie a la "Inception," only a million times better, because Le Guin explores much cooler ideas of fatalism, equanimity, and God complex.

4 stars because it took so long to come up with the idea how to fix Orr's dream problem. I had the solution the moment I knew what his complaint was and I don't understand why Orr himself never thought of it. A bit of a weak plotting there.

Besides this minor issue, the novel is just immensely exciting and imaginative.

I read this book after hearing what a great science fiction writer Le Guin is; I was not disappointed. The book is very well-written, yet easy to read. All the characters are three-dimensional and believable, which is helpful when trying to immerse the reader in such a fantastic story. George Orr is forced to undergo psychiatric treatment but it turns out he isn't crazy - his dreams really do change reality. It is an interesting concept and while it is obviously unreal, Le Guin keeps it somewhat grounded in reality with details such as the fact Orr isn't in control of his dreams, his subconscious is. Due to this fact, George is afraid of his ability and wants to be rid of it. Except for this one ability, George is average in almost every other way. He would much rather be one of the nameless many who are unaware of the changes taking place.

Dr. Haber has other plans though, when he is assigned to George's case and discovers his ability. Being a fearful, mostly law-abiding individual, George follows Haber's instructions even when it becomes apparent what Haber's plans are. George finds an ally in Heather, a lawyer whom he seeks while trying to break free of Haber. But with reality changing to varying degrees with each dream - from a simple painting changing to the disappearance of millions - can George count on anything? The limitless potential of changing reality through these dreams is awesome...and very frightening. As with most explorations of this kind of power, it becomes clear that it's not safe for anyone to have it.

What can one say, classic is a classic. It shows once and for all that SF isn't about high-tech gadgets, exploring strange new worlds in powerful vehicles or development of new physical theory trough something that is supposed to be fiction. It shows that SF is primarily about idea, about queer speculations of what if nature, about their usage and their consequences. Not every writer of SF (and there are many of them indeed) is capable of upholding this speculation on some higher level throughout the book, but those who are, like Le Guin here, are capable of creating powerful storylines which provoke imagination and intelect.

There are various aspects of how this can be accomplished, some of them may contain much more philosophy then one would like in an SF book, but some of them are well balanced, combining the mystery, new-tech gadgets, and intellectual challenge in which one can immerse oneself. So, what's this book all about? It's a book about dreams, it's a metaphor gone real. In a world where dreams can take shapes, where dreaming isn't innocent as it is (but according to psychoanalists it never is innocent) in normal world, one's identity is brought into a question. Preservance of memory, important thing that has been infinite project throughout the history of humankind, now becomes the impossibility, and a man caught in the midst of it all, sure doesn't have a real good time. Apart from this it's a theoretical abstraction of practical building of utopian society, it's drawbacks and problems narrated in a sort of demented way which brings up the chaotic world of dreamer and his world. Starting idea of this book is interesting enough but philosophical background of it's character isn't on the level. Le Guin is to shallow and too insubstantial when battling different viewpoints, developing the political pragmatism against the eastern holism feels somewhat fake, and final outcome isn't satisfying enough. At least not for someone who isn't too kind to romantic politicism, and glorification of individualism.

But, whether you agree with the ending of the book or you don't really isn't the point. Main thing here is the possibility of interpretation that this book provides in abundance while still keeping it's structural coherence. Le Guin managed to tell very interesting story of chaotic world in a chaotic manner that still somehow makes sense, and that, amongst other things is the real quality of this book. This is somewhat generalized saying, but Lathe of Heaven is the perfect example of how SF should be written.

George Orr has the ability to dream things into being, changing reality smoothly and seamlessly into what he creates in his dreams. Scared by this power, he takes drugs to stop his dreams and soon ends up in mandatory sessions with a dream-specialist therapist who promises to help him--yet reveals that he has his own plans for George and his effective dreams. Unlike George, who did not want to change reality, the psychiatrist Haber has no qualms changing reality to serve what he views as the greatest good. A well-developed science-fiction text in its own right, Lathe of Heaven also delves into the realm of dystopic societies, utilitarian philosophy, and issues ranging from race to socialized medicine to human natures. The text is skilled, accessible, well-paced, and both thought-provoking and essentially satisfying as a book. I greatly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

I was impressed by how much ground and how many topics Le Guinn covers in such a short book, and how accessible the topics remain throughout. It is a very readable text, but not because Le Guin dumbs down or oversimplifies topics. Rather, she carefully juggles plot, characterization, and theory such that the book moves at a good pace without becoming rushed and the various factors combine in a way that brings out the best and most useful (to the reader and the story) in all of them. Therefore, I would recommend this book to all readers, including those that don't generally read science-fiction.

The topics which Le Guin investigates are wide-ranging and, though she doesn't investigate any in extensive depth, the text does provide a lot of food for thought. Covering everything from healthcare to the patient/doctor relationship, from utilitarianism to human nature, to race and war and the unconscious mind, she really does touch on a wide range of subjects in the series of dystopic realities that span the book. The topics are covered in enough detail to be realistically realized, but are kept open so that the book keeps moving at a good pace and the reader is never given a clear, absolute answer to any one topic. My only complaint with the novel is this level of brevity and indecisiveness, but I believe it is necessary. It would be impossible to delve into all of these topics in depth without completely changing the purpose and content of the novel, and it would also make for a lengthy, tiresome read. As it is, the book opens a lot of doors and closes none of them, providing apt food for thought and introducing more topics (such as human nature) that are only accessible because it is able to cover so many.

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It read quickly, kept me interested, but never became simplistic or shallow. I highly recommend this text to all readers, and I think it has the potential to open up pathways to all sorts of new thoughts and genres for the reader. This is a wonderful book.

Ursula Le Guin's Lathe of Heaven was written in 1971 and set in 2002 Portland, OR. It's a dystopian future in which overcrowding, global warming, and the like have made life kinda suck. This guy, George Orr, realizes that he has "effective" dreams which alter reality - he dreams stuff, and when he awakes, he's in a new world in which he's the only person who remembers the previous/alternate reality.

These world-controlling dreams freak him the hell out and he starts taking drugs that suppress his dreams. An OD of these drugs lead him to being forced to undergo therapy under psychiatrist William Haber who has a new machine called "The Augmenter" which is able to induce effective dreams every time Orr goes to sleep. While a man of good intentions, Haber is overcome by the power that is presented to him and he goes about changing the world in ever more dramatic outcomes by controlling Orr's dreams.

Orr realizes that Haber is using him but he is unable to break free because of the threat of imprisonment over his drug abuse. The world continues to gyrate ever more out of control as Haber (and others) try to mold the world through Orr's dreams... at the end, Orr makes a desperate attempt to break free and set the world on a path that is as it should be.

Oh, and there are aliens and nuclear holocaust too.

Another thing that I liked about the book was that it avoided a pet peeve of mine - writing about real locations but getting street names, directions, distances, etc. incorrect. I was in Portland when I read this book and all of the place names and locations checked out - if Le Guin said that street x was three blocks north of street y, it really was. That might sound silly but it really helped my enjoyment of the book. :)

As with everything she writes, Ursula Le Guin has crafted some rich, beautiful and somewhat sad (though never depressing) characters and set them in a world of wildest intrigue. Renowned for her "social/anthropological experimentation" in her sci-fi novels, Le Guin sets this novel on earth in Portland, OR, to be exact) and gives us a dystopian future novel that is so imaginative and fascinating that it feels we are on another world by the end of it (aliens do, in fact, visit earth briefly). As wacky as that and the premise of the book--what happens if whatever you dream becomes reality?--it is not a wacky or funny story, and is all the more stirring and endearing for it.

Our reluctant protagonist, George Orr, is a quiet, unassuming man who starts out very much as a victim. A mysterious and terrible past/true reality is hinted at the very beginning, but we first come to rest in a slightly and predictably dystopian future where overpopulation, pollution and all the things that are bound to happen in fifty years' time have happened. George is caught taking illegal doses of a dream-suppressing drug and sent to see a state shrink as punishment. In actuality, all George wants is to keep from dreaming so that he won't end up accidentally changing the world in a terrible way while sleeping, but his psychiatrist--a robust and arrogant but unusually well-meaning alpha male type--decides that he wants to use George's power to change the world for the better--whether George consents to it or not! As the good doctor's hypnosis-induced dreaming forces him to dream away world problems (and inadvertently, five-sixths of the world's population), George must find a way to escape his mad benefactor and somehow make reality right again.

A fascinating tale told by one of the most brilliant authors in fiction today--definitely worth reading!

A coworker recommended I read some of Le Guin's work, and with how many books I recommend, I feel generally compelled to read recommendations.

This novel started out following my normal fiction interests-dystopias. It seemed like this was going to be a good psychiatrist dystopia, which was great because aside from 12 Monkeys, I don't think I've ever seen or read a psychiatric dystopia. Haber was an interesting character, a typical researcher who convinces himself that what he's doing is fo the good of all. And the entire book, I was wondering along-is this bad to happen-aside from the self-serving things Herber did...is it really that bad? And it was a very good internal conflict. I was glad Orr was never completely certain about it either.
The plot was good enough for me to ignore the awful grammar (she dangles quite a few participles in her novels, which is kind of distracting after a day of proofreading papers). Then came the aliens. Aliens, really? But I paused, reminded myself that one of my favorite books (Ender's Game), also has aliens and it was a great book despite them (in case you hadn't noticed-I don't like aliens in books-I think they are a lazy plot device either used to indicate xenophobia or to ameliorate guilt of slaughtering a bunch of them). This was also a good book despite the aliens-though not great. It is an interesting concept and an interesting book, though it's best NOT to read it with the intention of reading a couple of chapters each night before bed. I had to read the whole thing in one night, hoping that my dreams would be a little more normal than Orr's.

Ursula LeGuin has so much "on the ball" it's almost frightening. This book is all about the way dreams shape our world, (they really do, if you think about it -- America was FOUNDED on dreams), and also about when dreaming can become problematic. Her hero has the gift/curse of being able to change the physical universe by dreaming, and because his dreams come from his unconsious mind, he has no control over them whatsoever. He seems to find that maybe it's best just to sort of muddle through, not basing his world-transforming dreams on judgments about whether things are absolutely optimal or not... It's funny, but if you read studies on the nature of creativity, they tend to agree with what she's saying. If you can relax the mind and let things just come to you, your dreams and ideas will flow a heck of a lot more naturally than if you try to force them into some mold. And they won't be very negative dreams either, they'll be useful to you and to others.
Also, this book is just PACKED with Taoism, just like her Earthsea trilogy. If you study this at all, you'll find that the way she uses Taoism to work against regimented social planning actually has had many real life counterparts which have occurred over the centuries in China. There have always been major philosophical differences there between the philosophically free-spirited Taoists and the hard-nosed, state-centered Confucianists, and of course the Buddhists have always fit in in various complex ways too. In a funny way, this book can be a good introduction to a lot of people to the ways issues have historically been framed in that part of the world. China is expected to become a more familiar part of America's world as time goes by, so maybe this book can play a part in that. Just a thought. If anyone's interested, "A Concise History of China" by J.A.G. Roberts is a good introduction to Chinese history -- you'll see what I mean.
And beyond all that, the woman knows how to tell a story. Whew. Two thumbs up.

Overall this is a great novel and well deserving of the term "Classic". And considering that I am not normally a fan of Leguin's writing, that is saying something. It flows along with incredibly tight writing and explains it's subject in some depth (Almost too much depth - more on that below). I think that it also succeeds in not only presenting some truly horrifying scenarios but also treats them with the necessary depth. And the political points that the novel touches upon are dealt with with the necessary gravity.

But there are a few problems as well. First off, the point I alluded to above - the amount of exposition about sleep theory. Anytime a novel decides to spend this amount of text on explaining the then current theories about the subject it concerns is destined to be dated within a few years and this book is no exception. Another problematic point is the ending - I don't want to give much away but the ending seems rushed, confusing and straight out of a 50's pulp novel all at the same time. Granted, the end really only accounts for a small part of the book and I can't think of a better way to end it, but I disliked the way it was handled.

Great novel and deserves the title "Classic". But not perfect.

When people say that dreams do come true they mean for you personally and not that your dreams impose onto everyone else's life. That however is exactly what happens when George Orr dreams.
Written in 1971 about the then not-to-distant future of 2002, Le Guin portrays the world as being full of war, over-population, and being on the brink of environmental disaster (so much for science fiction). Orr is assigned to a drug treatment program after getting caught using other people's prescription allotments to obtain drugs to stop him from dreaming. There he is assigned to a Dr. Haber to help him with his "mental" problem. After realizing the potential such a peculiar skill could unleash, Dr. Haber decides that instead of curing Orr of his problem he would nurture and attempt to control this phenomenon. Upon doing so Haber tries to right all the wrongs of the world (ie. war, famine, disease) by using suggestive influence on Orr when he dreams. This newly found power eventually turns Haber, who at first only had the best intentions for society in mind, into a megalomaniac. As a result of trying to heal all of mankind's wounds he turns the entire world into a homogeneous, "big-brother" type society.
Thought-provoking and at times deep, Le Guin shows the possible ramifications when mortal man plays God. The only down-side, if you can call it that, to the book is (as typical) the ending. With unlimited potential for many different endings the one that was chosen seemed a little weak. Don't let this however hinder you from a reading this classic Sci-Fi novel.

This is a wonderful yarn ... The twists and bends of reality manipulated by the misguided psychiatric experimenter Haber revolve around Haber and the central character who may be any one of us - and his 'partner'. Indeed, for a while I thought that Haber may indeed be an allegory of God - and perhaps it is so. Haber does not have real power, but he can influence, cajole, manipulate. And perhaps this is the way of God with us - guiding, influencing, even threatening, but it we who have the power invested in us by our free will to take whatever path we choose.
But the mountains are also powerful characters in this novel - especially Mount Hood. In 1989 I happened to travel passed Mt St Helens well after it had blown its top. But here in this novel there is reference to the perfect cone of the top of St Helens. Without looking at the publishing history, I wondered if this was the clue to relaity in this novel. Perhaps when St Helens' shape was changed we would be back to familiar reality. But of course the book was written before the eruption of St Helens and so my reality was confused with the reality shifts in the novel.
There are two very powerful apocalyptic scenes in this novel, and one shadowy one that is not described but hinted at in a most tantalising way. The blurb on my paperback edition (SF Masterworks 44) says this novel is one to read again and again. I do like rereading novels, but generally I take little notice of blurbs. In this case however, I think it is spot on.

This was a required text for one of my college classes which really shouldn't have been been. Although the story is interesting, I find the book to be poorly written with so many grammatical and punctuation errors. The characters sounded like morons and I found some parts of the plot to be corny. I honestly don't understand how this book got published and wonder if anybody edited this book.

I remember seeing the film version of Lathe on PBS when I was a child, and being totally mesmerised by it even then, although I didn't fully understand all the implications of its premise. I thought for years that it was an original "unadapted" story until I found LeGuin's original novel as a teen, and all but devoured it in one day! Wow! What a story! I've lost track since then of the number of times I've read Lathe, but every time I read it I find something new. The Taoist aspects of the novel have been remarked upon endlessly, but what I find intriguing is how few people seem to realize the Leguin is using Taoism, and George Orr's tale (and think about the significance of that last name!), to comment on the darker side of 1960's idealism. she covers many of the "hot-button" issues of the time -- racism, overpopulation, war, etc. -- and shows, through the nefarious Dr. Haber's attempts to eradicate those ills, that it will take a lot more than a "quick fix" or having a dream of the promised land to rid the world of such evils. This is far more than a novel about the near future -- it is a deeply cautionary tale about how dreams, unless they are treated with deep and tender care, can turn violent and dark. LeGuin herlelf, in her great foreword to The Left Hand of Darkness, has said that the best s-f authors do not predict the future (that would be silly), but instead tell us something about today by showing us an imagined tomorrow. Just as the ambisexual aliens in Left Hand of Darkness were a comment on our own discomfiture about homosexuality and bisexuality, so Lathe is a warning that while being a dreamer is all well and good, it's a very dangerous thing to confuse dreams with reality. Few writers have ever been able to pull this trick off under the reader's nose quite so effectively -- or audaciously -- as LeGuin. Lathe is a classic for that reason alone, even if it weren't sweet, lyrical, mystical, and compulsively readable. The fact that it is all those things at once is merely icing on the cake. Simply put, you HAVE to read this one!

A someone who claims to not be a fan of sci-fi, Le Guin manages to keep me in the fold. Having read Walking Away from Omelas in grad school and more recently The New Atlantis, I was intrigued by Le Guin's approach to writing. She infuses sci-fi with a strong literary syle and an interest in ethics and humanism. The result in The Lathe of Heaven is a book that offers a sci-fi, dystopian theme as well as an intelligent comment on the human condition. Fans of the genre, as well as others, will be entertained and provoked.

If you enjoy Ray Bradbury or Phillip K. Dick, Le guin seems a good synthesis of the two (albeit in a way all her own).

The plot points where George Orr's dreams effect reality are so striking, they leave the reader equally effected and induce the same dream-like feeling of helplessness Orr experiences. The climax was quite literally jaw dropping. It is rare for a book to leave me so stunned (sorry to over-sell it but it's true).

The Lathe of heaven is a fun, intelligent read and now one of my favorites.

You might also enjoy Athem by Ayn Rand if you are looking for something leaning more towards the philisohical.

Is this Ursula leGuin? I thought I was reading P.K. Dick, but she doesn't do it as well as him. Reality keeps changing right under your nose? Isn't that the theme in Dick's story The Adjustment Team (film The Adjustment Bureau)? She is definitely putting through an opinion in this book, that of the main character. Haber, the one who keeps trying to make changes, is portrayed as a monster. Very unlike LeGuin and not really so enjoyable.

For George Orr, they do. Orr has the supernatural ability to dream "effectively" and rewrite reality--not just the present but all of history as well. As he struggles to cope with the consequences of having such an awesome and unpredictable ability, he seeks the aid of drugs, an eccentric psychiatrist, and a lawyer friend. Orr's sole desire is to be cured, but the psychiatrist has other plans as the world is mixed and mashed by Orr's dreams under the scientist's influence.

"The Lathe of Heaven" is a surefire mind-boggler, but Ursula K. Le Guin writes with an unparalleled beauty so that each page is a wonder in itself. For the complexity of the themes present in this book, Le Guin's writing exhibits a surprisingly even combination of confidence and freedom, neither doctrinal nor vague.

"The Lathe of Heaven" is a great choice for those looking for a thought meal, a bit of literary excellence, or both.

George Orr's dreams have the power to alter reality. Fearing he'll dream something catastrophic into existence, Orr takes drugs to help suppress his dreams. He's sent to Dr. William Haber, an "oneirologist" specializing in sleep and dreaming.

Though skeptical at first, Haber soon realizes the power of Orr's dreams and secretly tries to manipulate them through hypnosis to serve his own ends. This novel becomes a crazy trip through a chaos of shifting realities as Haber becomes obsessed with Orr's dreams. Orr and his lawyer/companion, Heather Lelache, must find a way to stop the madness. Their world is turned upside down and all but torn apart at the seams in the process.

The language in this multi-perspective piece is often poetic. The scientific lingo of psychology and dreams could make your head spin like the movie Inception on a deeper level. Still, at less than 200 pages, the novel has an exciting pace and heightened suspense as you read along.

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Number 9 Dream
The Dispossessed: A Novel (Perennial Classics)

Ursula shows the reader a milieu of parallel worlds. She does this by speeding up her own fast changing world, using a unique switching device, the Dreams of George Orr. The brilliant aspect of this story is that the reader also must live in a spider web world very much like the rapidly switching worlds of George Orr--one made up of man's collective dreams. All aspects of the modern world stem from other minds and dreams: from phones to airplanes, satellites, space craft, space stations, aircraft carriers, submarines, TV, radios, computers, microwaves, the internet and you name it. Yes, our changes appear more slowly but do we have any more choice? What madman's dream gave us 9-11-01? We can lay back on our technological spider web or try asserting free will to leave the web.
The story was a great read but the Aldebaranians were totally superfluous. These unexplained, unmotivated, godlike, alien characters failed to elucidate the mind of George Orr. Perhaps they functioned as a framework when the author reached the end of her imaginative rope. Perhaps some dopey editor told her she needed aliens in the story?
What the plot showed was that you can't have your cake and eat it too--if you want free will you can't have a dreamer as the designer of earthly society. Were one to allow any credibility to George Orr, the dream designer, it would drive a wooden stake through the heart of free will. What did Ursula, the narrator, say about free will? "He (George Orr) was running the same risk the insane mind runs: the loss of the sense of free will." (P.146) Without exerting free will Orr realizes that he had no real job--that his entire dream world was hollow.
Ursula's unraveling of reality in THE LATHE OF HEAVEN paralleled Philip K. Dick's work that inspired this story. I wonder if Dick himself wasn't the model for the protagonist, George Orr?

Set in Portland, Oregon in the future--several different futures, actually--this sci fi story pits man's mind against his innate moral sense of responsibility for the rest of Society. Referred for Voluntary Therapy as a result of drug abuse, a mild-mannered patient becomes a pawn in his shrink's chess game of power. Seeking a cure for his too effective dreams--which drastically change reality and distort the time continuum-- George Orr realizes with helpless anguish that Dr. Haber is more interested in exploiting his special mental powers than in curing him. He is literally afraid to sleep, for to sleep means to dream, which could affect millions of lives.
Desperate to control his dreams Orr seeks help from a Black lady lawyer, but is this a simple civil rights case or unauthorized scientific experimentation? What will push a milquetoast man over the edge of his own equilibrium? Is he justified to save his own sanity at any price? What is one man's role in the universe, in relation to mankind at large?
Le Guin's mastery of language, devious plotting and human thought processes combine to create a chilling voyage of conflicting ambitions and manipulation, as the doctor violates his patient's rights--another mad scientist gone amuck. But serious moral issues arise which challenge 21st century readers with haunting reminders of our mistakes in the last century. Who has the right to decide the fate of mankind, to orchestrate earth/alien relations? Will absolute power prove too great a temptation? How can the common man survive the battle of titans for mental control? An excellent, soul-searching read. Remember that "Self is Universe."

The basic premise - that one guy's dreams can alter reality - becomes a fascinating thought experiment when you think about it logically and look at all the implications. Does the past change too? If it does, what happens to your memories of the old past? And so on. Le Guin's narrative prose is sparse and beautiful, with a sureness of step that's a real pleasure to read. Certain parts of the third-person narrative were just eerie and haunting.

But the ending feels quite hazy - I'm really not sure what happened there - and the epilogue is a bit too convenient. Also some of the dialogues were quite dull, with a lot of info-dumps in the beginning - but this becomes less of an issue as the book goes on.

To sum up: A great book overall, with some really high peaks but also a few valleys. Definitely worth reading.

Some might be more familiar with science fiction author Ursula LeGuin from her Earthsea series. But if you've pigeonholed yourself into those novels alone, you'll want to venture further afield and check out THE LATHE OF HEAVEN.

A short, quick read, The Lathe of Heaven is a cautionary tale of dreams, reality and the blurring of the two. It also deals with what it means to be human and manipulation. These tend to be pretty dark, deep subjects, but LeGuin pulls it off with ease and engages the reader on almost every level.

George Orr, her main character, is an evolutionary oddity: he changes the world around him by dreaming; whatever he dreams actually happens. Getting busted by the local authorities for abusing his prescription card for buying excess medication in order to stay awake or stifle dreams, George is sent to a psychiatrist, Dr. Haber.

Where George has trouble with the ethics of changing human history, Haber has no such reservations. With great abandon, Haber uses George's dreams to make life "better." But is it?

The conflicts George goes through are painful to read about and knowing the manipulative behavior of Dr. Haber made it doubly so. When race problems are erased, the grayness of what remains is ...terrible. And when Haber tries to make his own dreams become reality, it bends and twists and nearly snaps reality beyond the breaking point.

A major achievement in science fiction, the only downside to the novel is that the story supposedly takes place in 2002, which dates it badly. But getting beyond that was easy considering the great character portrayals.

If you haven't read The Lathe of Heaven yet, and have only been inside LeGuin's other novels, you need to give this one a try. It's great.

This is a wonderful book. Complex and intricate; a beautiful work. Le Guin’s "The Left Hand of Darkness” and "The Dispossessed” achieved greater acclaim, each winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards. But while both these books are excellent, I found "The Lathe Of Heaven” to be by far the superior work.

Warning - I talk about some minor plot points below.

This is a novel whose premise is so outlandish that it begs for a dramatic opening line. Something that catapults the reader into the story and sets a frantic pace. A line like "Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time". Instead we get this: "Current-borne, wave-flung, tugged hugely by the whole might of ocean, the jellyfish drifts in the tidal abyss." With that opening, and throughout the book, Ursula K. Le Guin refuses to cater to readers who want the focus of the story to be fantastic power and unlimited possibilities. Instead she gives us a man, George Orr, who is relentlessly in balance. He is hard to upset, difficult to anger, but easy to coerce. And through some unknown power of the mind, his uncontrolled dreams change the very fabric of reality.

When a well meaning psychiatrist discovers this power and begins to use it to improve the lot of the human race, Orr must struggle to decide how much change is too much. Although he is curiously without judgment in most things, he feels deeply that the integrity of what is should be respected. Nonetheless, he is such a passive man that he bends to the will of his doctor almost until it is too late.

Because Orr believes so deeply in reality and in humans being what we are, his subconscious cannot help but balance each improvement in humanity with a correspondingly harsh but in hindsight perfectly logical setback. When asked to imagine perfect peace on Earth, his subconscious assumes that there is something else to fight against, in this case aliens. When asked to imagine a world without racial strife, he does not imagine good will breaking out across the planet, but a human race where everyone looks the same. These setbacks infuriate the doctor who uses Orr. But it may be that Orr is only capable of one leap of imagination, the original one that he made to dream that the human race might not destroy itself. Almost unnoticed towards the end of the novel, Orr remembers our original reality, the world that held before he began to dream new ones. And in that reality humankind had befouled the planet and dealt it a death blow with war. So even though he is unable to imagine the paradises wished for by his doctor, Orr still finds himself imagining that the whole world is a dream simply because it still exists.

This is a powerful and thought provoking book, and a quick read to boot. I imagine that different readers could draw different lessons from it, but for me the thing that stood out the most was the desire of the doctor to do good with the power he had found, despite the evilness of his outcomes. It was a potent reminder that those who do the greatest harm are often seeking to do the greatest good.

This is an absolutely beautiful and moving novel, a genuine literary classic, in which Ursula K LeGuin explores the relationship between personal identity and external structure. The dreams of the main character, George Orr, alter the very fabric of the external world. But no one else is aware of the changes he unwittingly causes. And so for him alone there is no patterned and ordered universe like the one implicitly accepted by the rest of us (rightly or wrongly). For him reality is thoroughly disorganized, malleable, fluid and unpredictable. LeGuin, therefore, appears to posit that this loss of structure brings about a loss of personhood (anomie?). This is illustrated by the character of Dr William Haber, Orr's therapist, who declares him to be "at the balance point. You cancel out so thoroughly that, in a sense, nothing is left."

Although The Lathe of Heaven deals with weighty ideas, it is emotionally gripping, conveying its theme in a sensitive and thought-provoking way.

I saw the movie based on the book, The Lathe of Heaven, back in the late 1970's. Filmed in Oregon, it always stayed in my memory.

A unique vision of the future about a guy whose dreams become reality, but with twists.

The original film somehow got stored on an old medium that did not convert well to current video technology. DVDs of the original movie look damaged, but it is still a good flick to watch.

I finally purchased the book a couple of years ago. The movie was not too far off. I have not read anything else by Ursula Le Guin, but the fellow Oregonian hit home with this book. Excellent SF reading.

One of the most thought-provoking works I've ever read. What if when you had a certain kind of super-intense dream, what you dreamed came true? Only with that weird, twisted way dreams have of shifting reality, like dreaming that someone who annoyed you was killed in an accident. Then you woke up, and she was dead, had been dead, for years, and no one remembered the alternate reality. What if the person you went to for help decided to use that ability to reshape the world for the better?

It's a short book, but rich, like a literary truffle. Something I reread on a regular basis, and think about more often than that.

Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven was first published in 1971, but its message is still relevant today. Le Guin's stable of work has included space opera (the Hainish books), fantasy (the Earthsea stories), as well as science fiction (The Left Hand of Darkness). All of her works possess the familiar sense of didactic about them, however. The Lathe of Heaven falls more in the science fiction realm but is probably more accurately described as psychological fiction.
The story is set in the near future and revolves around one man, George Orr, who's dreams can affect reality. He is greatly troubled by this because he cannot control his dreams, thus he tries to stop himself from dreaming through misuse of prescription drugs. He is sent to counseling with a dream therapist, Dr. William Haber, who quickly learns the truth about George's "effective" dreaming. George just wants to be cured of this ability, but Haber sees its potential and decides to manipulate it to turn their troubled world into a better place. As Haber tries harder and harder to manipulate George's uncooperative dreams he becomes the victim of his own good intentions. This leads him down a dark road where he eventually discovers the truth of "the world after April".
The Lathe of Heaven works on many levels. Simply as a story of a man wrestling with his therapist to find a cure to his ills it is an engaging tale. But it is more interesting as a parable of how one person's attempts to do good can go awry. Dr. Haber sees the power that George Orr possesses and understands the good it can do. The world they live in is plagued by war and overpopulation and he believes that he can use George's power to rid the world of its ills. The problems with this become apparent early on, however. When Haber has George dream of a less crowded world, he conjures up a plague that wipes out billions. Thus the problem of overpopulation is solved, but with terrible consequences. It is important to understand that Haber has only the best of intentions: "The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number" is his motto. The stumbling block comes in his inability to control George's subconscious mind. Every time he tries to do good in one place, he inadvertently conjures evil in another. And this is the strength of the story. It is not about an evil character causing evil in the world, but a good person bringing evil through his inability to control the power he possesses. This should be required reading for all politicians.
At only 175 pages, this is a quick read. Le Guin's writing is accessible and fast paced. There are only three main characters in the story, George Orr, Dr. Haber, and the social worker Heather Lelache, so she does a good job of developing each of them fully. This book is considered a science fiction classic, rightfully so, but also has broader appeal because of its social and political implications. I give The Lathe of Heaven the highest of recommendations.

"The Lathe of Heaven" does what few authors, science fiction or otherwise, succeed at doing-- few enough even try. But in this brilliant little novel, Ursula K. LeGuin asks the question: "Are dreams real?" The answer is yes, if we regard memories as real, since dreams form part of our life experiences. They can affect us just as real life experiences do.

So what if-- and here is the speculative question the book poses-- a man who dreams is making reality not merely in his own experience, but is literally remaking the world? What if dreams really did come true? We all dream of a better world, but what if all we had to do was dream? Would our efforts really be for the good?

This is the further brilliance of this story, because the antagonist, William Haber, has such dreams. And this is the real question here: are the reality-altering dreams of George Orr really the dreams that matter, or does the real danger lie in Haber's willingness to use those dreams to bring about his own? As with all good novels, "The Lathe of Heaven" doesn't answer this question, bit instead leaves us to try.

This is truly one of Le Guin's best novels. A very grim story of a man whose dreams alter reality and the psychologist who manipulates his talents to improve his career and then the world itself, with mixed results to say the least. Much has been made of the socio-political points Le Guin was attempting to make with this novel, although I think such speculations on where this book, or Le Guin herself, stands on the political/ideological spectrum are rather pointless. Here Le Guin seems to be exploring a much deeper problem, i.e. the hubris of humans who think they are the masters of the earth, able to mold it as they will without consequences. On another level, "Lathe of Heaven" seems to simply be an elaboration of the old adage about being careful of what we wish for, because it just may come true.

This book is a real gem. It is an excellent commentary on how idealists deny human nature and obsessively work to influence and shape social institutions "to make things right," and how their good intentions almost always lead to disastrous unintended consequences. But do they learn from their mistakes? No, they just keep on trying...

The Lathe of Heaven should be required reading in this time of political correctness, when so many people are obsessed with equality at all costs. This book shows how bleak such a reality would be.

If you enjoy fiction that has strong social commentary (think Lord of the Flies, 1984, Brave New World), then this book is for you. Very highly recommended.

I read Lathe of Heaven after my first Le Guin book, Left Hand Of Darkness (phenomonal exam of the value of truth, friendship and a nail biting adventure story at the end!), unsure of what to expect. WHat I found was that again LeGuin couples facinating sci-fi premise a la PK Dick, Heinlein and Card, with engaging, thought provoking social commentary. I confess, I felt the start was a little slow (hense the absent 5th star) and it took some perserverence, but the effort pays off -- in the end I re-read the first hundred pages or so and really dug it (also did this with Left Hand and found it beneficial).
Some of the social issues that interested me the most as incorporated in Lathe:
1. Science for the sake of science -- just cause we can, should we? And the value of scientific gain over an individual's life and freedoms -- is it ever worth it? (this has been done before, granted, but was beautifully executed in the relationship between doctor and patient)
2. Self faith/trust/confidence
3. Outsider/Loner phenomonon...haven't we ALL been THERE before.
I confess, many of these things I got from the mood I was in when reading, my roomate picked up on a few others (the surest sign of a great book -- you could write whole papers..And I did for my Fem. Sci-Fi class)
...and about the end, no spoiler here I promise, the roomie didn't like it ("where the [heck] did that come from")-- I did ("Yup, makes total sense") You be the judge.

Read this one a long time ago and decided it was as powerful as Matheson's "I am Legend". The ending has a particular twist, similar to Ambrose Bierce, "The Hanging at Owl Creek". A fine piece of literature from a Master of the written word.

This book was OK.It is fast paced and unpredictable. The plot of this book is similar to the 2004 movie "The Butterfly Effect" with Ashton Kutcher. It takes place in Portland, OR, where I currently reside, and I like reading books that take place in locations that I am familiar with. I probably would not have liked it as much if it took place elsewhere, but I couldn't say that for sure. I'm not a big fan of Sci Fi (this book is Sci Fi/Fantasy).

That said, in my opinion it is a entertaining fast paced read, and it does a good job of providing a couple hours of escapism. Enjoy!

This book was riveting. I read this book when I was much younger and I thought it was a bit too wierd from me back then. After seeing the made for TV movie and reading this book again help me apreciate the book alot better. The main character dreams and when he wakes up he find his whole world had changed. Not only does his world had change but his psychologist takes advantage of his abilty and empowers himself for his own personal gain. This book is still truely different from most books out there and its over 20 years old!! I believe this book outshines most books that are in current print today. If you want a unique read give this book a chance.

First of all, I have to admit that I don't read much - I don't really have time, so I have to choose the books I read with a lot of care. This book really struck my attention, and I've already read it twice. The main character, George Orr has the ability to make his dreams come true. His Psychiatrist (Pardon the spelling) Haber, can see the change. This book is basically about what happens to a person, George Orr, when he has the ability to change the future for everyone. Human Nature interferes, and that is all I'll give you. This really is an incredible book from a very talented writer, LeGuin. My Recommendation : Definatly pick up a copy!

"Lathe of Heaven" is the first novel I've read by Le Guin, and I wasn't dissapointed.
In it, the author fashions a quiet but chilling world where nothing truly exists, and we are nothing but dreams on lid of a sleeper's eye.
The story follows George Orr, a man who is convinced his dreams can-and do-change reality. Orr begins to steal dream surpressing drugs, and is promplty caught and arrested. He is sentenced to volentary mental therapy. If he refuses, he will be prosocuted and probably put in jail. When he tells his therapist about his "effective" dreams, his therapist decides to hypnotize him and MAKE him dream. It all goes downhill from there.
The problem with Orr's dreams, is that when they change reality, nobody else remembers it, because to them, thats the way reality has always been. the only reason his therapist knows about it is because he was at the center when it happened.
In this way, Orr and his therapist begin and maintain a hostile symbiotic relationship, if that can be imagined. Orr needs therapist for dream surpressing drugs, and the therapist needs Orr to complete his research on effective dreaming, so that he can start to map the same brain patterns that cause these dreams onto someone else...
All in all, it is a wonderful character study of the dangers of absolute control and playing God.

The Lathe of Heaven is one of my favorite books, I give it to friends to read ("you HAVE to read this! "), but the audiobook version read by Susan O'Malley is a serious disappointment, and as much as I love the book, I couldn't stand to listen to this version.
Besides being a wonderful book about dreams and futures and ethics and Taoism and love and everything, it's also a book that's set in Portland, Oregon, and for anyone like me who's lived in Portland, there's the fun of all the Portland streets and landmarks getting referred to. But Susan O'Malley can't pronounce Oregon right! She can't pronounce Willamette right! It's or-e-guhn, not or-e-GON, and wil-LA-mette, not WILL-a-mette. She can't get the state and the main river right, plus other street names... someone didn't give her a pronounciation guide, and it left me cringing.
Also annoying is that she reads it too fast -- goes straight from one section to another without any pause. It's not that kind of book, you can't do that.
Friends of mine I loaned the audio version to, who hadn't already read it, loved it anyway despite the poor reading, but anyone who's already read the book should skip this audio version.

This my favourite book! (and I am not a science fiction fan) I read it in grade eight and now I usually read it every five years so that I never forget its beauty. Many readers like the science fiction aspects but I think what is the real beauty of the novel is to be found in the wonderful relationship that develops between the sensitive main character, George Orr, and the super type A personality lawyer, Miss Lelache. I find the novel to be timeless and not a "70's novel." And if anyone knows the meaning of the alien's term "iahklu" which they associate with George Orr then please e-mail me and advise.

I'd like to start off by saying that I don't read sci-fi. I don't hate it, simply dislike it. This book really takes a different turn when it comes to sci-fi. I like how it doesn't incorporate all these future technologies, and bases it's story on a simple man who's dreams comes true. I would have wished this book was a bit longer, I hate when so many great books are less than 200 pages, however, the beautiful way in which this book was written makes up for the shortage of pages.

Dreaming implies many things -- it is the involuntary creations of the unconscious mind, it is the quintessence of inaction against conflict, and quite frequently it is the act of wishful thinking. "The Lathe of Heaven" is a successful experiment in reversing these concepts. For George Orr, dreams are not involuntary creations but ideas directly fed to him by a psychologist and a machine; Orr's dreams are the source of action; wishful thinking is not unrequited desires, but rather plausible (if undesired) solutions.

By definition, one does not dream or wish with the hope that it will not come true. Le Guin shares a feeling of sheer psychological terror by allowing the reader to poke around the mind of man who desperately fears his own dreams.

This is a novel about power on many levels. We glimpse the struggle of a man seeking power over his own mind as he attempts to rid himself of dreams. There is the external power of a man attempting to control anothers mind, manifesting in a suspicious doctor-patient relationship (is Le Guin commenting on all relationships of this type?). The power of society against the individual is present from the opening page of the book as Orr's options are limited to therapy or imprisonment. And power is expressed on a grander scale as a man attempts to alter the world for what he claims is the greater good (or is it denied self-interest?).

The result, and the final depressing tone of the novel, implies that these struggles for power always ends in disaster for society as a whole. But it is clear that this does not mean that one should not attempt to make a change for what one feels is right, but rather to always questions motives. Dr. Haber is the example to the reader of someone acting with good intentions but with wrong motives. We can apply this concept to the real world: war is fought to bring justice and promote freedom, but only on the terms of the "forces of good"; laws are made to protect the freedoms of people, but laws in themselves are an expression of power. "The Lathe of Heaven" exhibits the effects of wrong motives towards good intentions, and power is the means.

But in the end we find that world where George Orr ends up is not much worse off than where he started. He has a satisfying job, an agreeable boss, he is released from his awful dreaming, and begins a new relationship with Heather. Power then becomes a fragile force -- there is a hairline difference between what is right for one and what is right for all. With all its consequences for the world at large, maybe for the individual, the effects of power aren't so terrible after all.

This is about a man who has what he calls 'effective' dreams sometimes. These dreams actually change reality. He fears this ability and tries his best to prevent himself from dreaming. For various reasons he is placed in the care of a doctor who does hypnotherapy and dream research. See where this is going? I wasn't as happy with the ending as I would have liked, but the plot is very interesting and it will get you thinking.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The story is compelling and you just can't put the book down. It's about a guy whose dreams become reality. George Orr is a normal guy that doesn't want to change reality he doesn't want to be responsible for all the people on the planet. When he dreams things change and he is the only one who remembers the world before the change. It is amazing to read about someone trying to make the world a better place and can't because apparently the world can't be controlled. This was a great journey for me to be on and I recommend everyone to go through it. The idea one can change everything just by dreaming sounds great until you realize you have nightmares too...

Spoilers. You are warned.

What happens if one sentient consciousness, no matter how well-meaning or ethical, could enforce it's will upon every person on earth? If universal peace and whatever else that creates common good for the entire human race could be forced into reality, would the resulting conformity be the answer for the well-being of mankind? Is human individuality bad? What would humanity look like if we excised all individuality and non-conformity of thought in the name of Good? What ethical system would you enforce if you had god-like powers? Those are the questions behind Ursula LeGuin's 'The Lathe of Heaven'. Mind you, this social engineering is undertaken by humans hampered by both the inability to control all of the thinking (wishful and fanciful) parts of our fractured brain structure as well as the persistence of human impulses for diversity to emerge.

Along the way, LeGuin explores offstage the consequences of environmental disasters caused by humanity's unending quest for wealth and power: nuclear disaster, war, dirty air and water, destruction of the natural world (answer: people struggle on, however impoverished and sickened, except in the case of nuclear war). She also hints at personally disapproving of some of the philosophies linked to human psychology which result in monolithic conclusions. For good measure, she includes many other topics which have haunted human conversation since the beginning of the invention of writing: discrimination, population control, open vs. closed societies, the ethical decisions of the alienated and of those who wish to work together.

The story pits the depressed, passive and reluctant god-like George Orr, whose dreams change the reality of the entire universe, against the liberal certainty of ordinary energetic psychiatrist Dr. William Haber. [Most of the book reveals how their personalities defeat both of their efforts at augmenting their better values - Orr rejects taking action, believing his attempts at doing nothing at all will actually result in a stable, quiet stasis, which isn't possible because he is affecting reality through his subconscious dreaming, and Haber, who thinks eliminating the causes of evil doings will make life better, but instead the results appear to bleach out all energy, impetus and joy. George is not certain if he is in the final moments of his life, dying of radiation poisoning, and neither are we, the readers. Whatever the situation, if it's George's possible death throes or his ever-changing present, we find George back in a normalized world of the future, barely surviving a drug overdose. As a result of his failed attempts to control the dreaming which changes reality, 'effective'-ly, he is ordered to see Dr. Haber for required treatment. Dr. Haber, unknown to the authorities, has invented a machine which he hopes will allow him to control the thinking of brains through the adjustment of brainwaves. His experiments so far has enabled him to identify functions of certain areas of the brain, and he believes he can soon select those areas which are 'good' to amplify. As a reflection of his ethical beliefs, he calls it the Augmentor.

The writing is beautiful, if somewhat dense with ideas. Egotistically on my part, I'm gladdened at people still reading this ancient (1971) book and learning about the issues of my young political-left adulthood, but at the same time, I'm very disheartened at how little has changed regarding all of the problems confronting today's world as much as the world of MY youth. I'm led to fleeting thoughts of using Dr. Haber's Augmentor, but if you've read 'The Lathe of Heaven', it is possible my dream of utilizing a magic wand to change the ills of society not only might be damaging, but a fool's gold of realization.

From the results of actual history, the only conclusion I can make is if you want the comforts of scientific progress, democracy works best. Of course, I love electricity, improved medical care and watching robot rovers on Mars. From our multicultural (however reluctant) USA and Europe to the unicultures of the Far East, embracing democratic values (however small the steps) means embracing change, diversity, social mobility and a universal floor of basic education and legal rights as well. IMHO, this has proved itself a success. However, it's limitations are not only displayed for all to see, but it's obvious that democratic political and social values are also destroying the earth, and contain the seeds of doom for the progress mankind has made, if defined by each one of us of being able to live as comfortably as we want.

While all of the literate and internet-connected societies are well aware of the poisoning of the earth that rampant consumerism, and the selfish pursuits of wealth and power, are causing, many of us are resorting to ethics, morality and religious belief as solutions to solve the Big Picture of the ills of mankind, of which environment destruction is only a part: cure the man, and you will cure the world. I think LeGuin is supporting personal diversity and political democracy in her book, and is not happy with any solution involving a universal, one-size-fits-all morality to bring human societies to augmented health. First, I think she believes, as I do, anything which smothers human variety smothers humanity; I think she agrees that any single person has no capability of superior management skills to meet the actual diverse needs of others, if it was possible to impose one's standards on everyone. I also believe that one of her themes is if conformity, lack of difference, and safe behavior were imposed on everyone everywhere, life would become colorless and static, without energy, impetus or happiness.

I'm struck at the many threads LeGuin has managed to weave together for a holistic picture of humankind, bringing together the consequences of several actualized Utopias based on an ethically liberal, well-meaning human benefactor, as well as the devastation caused by passive avoidance or willful ignorance or intentional non-involvement - and she does it in 184 pages. Amazing. This book will be a conversation opener for many more generations, but one of its main themes is conformity is wrong on any level. Despite the exercise of god-like powers, religion clearly is NOT the answer.

So, I'm going off on a tangent in my thinking about this book because I was alive in 1971 as I am today. I'm struck by the different conversation currently in vogue about the god of Christians, the Jews, and the Muslims in 1971 and now. LeGuin is pursuing an elevated, educated conversation of god-like power, ethics and morality, popular in 1971, not the simplified gutter conversation many of the religious deluded (as someone whose phrasing I admire says) currently in play. For example, American religiously-based political parties, like the Tea Party and the Republicans, are now pursuing: the proper solution to living well must depend on keeping your daughter a virgin until marriage, and when married she must become a baby-making machine as her focus in life; and selfish wealth-seeking by your sons must rule ethical life; and the imposition of a biblical laws and rules regarding our understanding of science/physics/space (whatever of the thousand of varieties of bibles, languages and interpretations).

The question of how mankind will impact Earth by overpopulating it while men kill off all life in the seas, forests and in the wild, and ruining the atmosphere and drinkable water while becoming rich is either not under discussion or deflected by red-herring concerns by the religious, because the destruction of the earth is not important or happening in their current ethical belief system (it's not mentioned or ordered in the Bible to care about the survivability of these things - the order involved is have 'dominion'). Instead, mankind's well-being and future existence depends on the enforced servant/enslaved status of females and the silencing of women's presence in the world by being under the dominion of men, and wealth creation (war is ok in this pursuit, as the Bible/Quran/Torah god says so) by men. Their proof of this vision of moral, ethical direction for the future is the Bible/Quran/Torah. No other books are needed. LeGuin's Big Picture outlook certainly has no validity in the People of the Book religious world view. Her fictional god, Orr, is demonic to Bible believers, and her Haber character is confirmation of the wrong path to which liberalism leads without their god's direction, despite the grey goo conformity which would appeal to them. The problem of Haber to them would be how he feels like a god himself, claiming the job title as well as the benefits.

In 1971, American Christians believed in the value of education and college and health care. They wanted their children, including girls, to know science and math. They prayed for their daughters to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities of men. However, now they are passing local laws to teach only Creationism in public schools. They are voting down access to abortion, which will cut short for many young women school and career opportunities, locking them into financial dependency. Because of some becoming mistakenly pregnant before age 18, many of them are having first babies with birth defects because of being born prematurely or without prenatal care, adding to the burden of health care. Christians claim that their god wants these babies born, but then are voting down any program which helps these young mothers to raise their children in good health. Their support for 18 years of future childrearing stops at the abortion clinic door before the child is born.

In allowing the religious deluded to avoid general education, learning about the universe only from one book (no math except to measure arks and sacred wooden boxes, nothing known about culture except constant vigilance of everyone's behavior, and community punishments of non-conformity such as whipping and stoning and crucifying, and waiting for some man to stumble into the village shouting god has announced new rules or a new war against neighbors, otherwise farming and reaping wheat and slaughtering rams and cows), they will forget how to make electricity and machines and travel in space while women cook, sew and clean with dozens of children crawling under their feet. This is the ethical solution of religions to the problems of poisoning the Earth, and everything else. Men can then enforce social conformity of haircuts, clothes and proper forms of respect and punishment until Jesus comes and wipes out what is left of humanity, sweeping us all away to suffer in hell or eternal singing god's glories in heaven. Either apocalypse or at best, the hellish life of Haiti, North Korea or the Congo is the future for followers of God, Jesus and Mohammed. Why do they fight the diversity of belief, women's rights, abortion, race equality, and gay marriage of those of us choosing not to live under biblical restrictions so much? Isn't apocalypse the desired goal for the religious deluded? In any case, whether they try to impose fundamentalist order and conformity, promoting the mores of helmeted-hair child-bearing housewives cooking meat and potatoes all day in the kitchen praying for direction of any male in the vicinity, and men of short hair welding conforming heterosexual Authority everywhere, Orr or Haber won't be understood by the religious as LeGuin meant them and the book to be understood, I think.

LeGuin, a woman of 1971, did not make her main protagonists female. It could be meaningless, or it could be she did not think of women when it came to people wanting to be god.....

Urula Le Guin is a marvel. I knew her brother (both English professors but he was at Columbia and I was in the boondocks). Her prose is awesome, her imagination wonderful. My daughter asked me for a suggestion for her book club, I thought of this..

Great classic sci-fi. A man's dreams can change the world. A quick read. It has 4 characters really. 2 guys that show a different viewpoint on if you could change the world, would you? 1 to be just on the outskirts. 1 is of course an alien, what sci-fi would be complete without one? What more is there to say?

The Lathe of Heaven is a classic dystopian treatment of maleable time. But re-reading the book after 35 years I find that it can hardly be understood outside of the context of the decade when Ursula LeGuin wrote it.

The protagonist, George Orr, literally dreams up nightmare solutions for each of the social phobias that the 60's bequeathed to our age: overpopulation, consumerism, racism, drug control, and eco-disaster. And the misguided psychiatrist who manipulates George simply acts out the naive liberal ideals of government from that time: bureaucracy, internationalism, and social engineering. So today the most interesting aspects of this book are 1) how it undercuts LeGuin's undeniably liberal point of view and 2) how mild its nightmare scenarios feel compared to contemporary liberal world views.

It seems impossible that LeGuin could have written this book even ten years later, after progressive thought had accreted the values of abortion, technophobia, euthanasia, and the queering of the social. Indeed, the postulates of postmodernism run directly counter to the cautionary thesis of her book.

I feel uncomfortable writing this critical review. In general I enjoy reading Le Guin's humanistic science fiction novels, but this one fell flat for me.

I'm not spoiling anything by saying the plot rests on the premise that the main character, George, has dreams that can change reality - past, present or future. Each time George has an "effective" dream (a strong, vivid dream), it becomes reality . . . literally. So, for example, if George were to have an effective dream about pink poodles, or people with wings who could fly, or a Moon made of cheese, that would become reality. And George is the only person who realizes and remembers the previous reality and the new reality. Whatever the new reality is, everyone but George accepts it as normal, because that's the way it's always been, even if the Moon is made of cheese. And if reality changes a hundred times, George will remember all of them, though by that point it's easy to start losing track of things.

George is very uncomfortable with this power - he doesn't want it. First, he has no control over what he's going to dream about, so he's afraid of what his subconscious might dredge up. He's afraid he might create a nightmare reality filled with monsters and other terrors. When the story opens, George has already had this power for many years, but apparently none of his dreams has caused any major change . . . yet. That is, not until he starts to work with a psychiatrist. George would like the psychiatrist to rid him of this power, before it can do any real damage. Well, of course the psychiatrist doesn't believe George at first, but he eventually catches on and then tries to use George for his own purposes. The psychiatrist is not evil, but he is a bit crazy, and then the real trouble starts. I still haven't given you any spoilers; all of this is the setup for what follows. And what follows is various degrees of trouble. I'm grateful that this is a short book, but even so I got a little bored with the escalating levels of trouble.

This is a story with a moral: Humans don't do very well when given the power of a god, especially when that power is manifested in dreams that can't be controlled. What if the protagonist had the power of a god manifested in conscious thought? Would that be more interesting? No, I don't think so. This is why in stories about magic lamps and monkey's paws, the protagonist is given no more than three wishes. Having an infinite number of wishes, having the power of a god, is simply not that interesting. Even the Greek and Roman gods didn't have unlimited powers, because that would have been exceedingly boring and useless as a moral tale.

Any Star Trek fans out there? Do you remember the godlike character Q? He was probably the most boring character in the entire series, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he suffered from boredom himself. That's why he kept meddling with humans, because he was bored. Being a god is boring, which might be the best argument against the existence of a god. :-)

Let me put it in another way: Lathe of Heaven is a Dystopian novel. In the beginning, before George's dreams start making things worse, the world is already a pretty bleak place due to overpopulation, wars, famines - the usual stuff - and there is no indication that things would be getting better. The result was a lack of tension in the story, because it seemed like it was going to get worse with or without the dreams, so what's the difference? It was like The Decline and Fall of the Human Race, one way or the other, heads you lose, tails you lose. I suppose it would have been worse if the world was a Utopia that was ruined by the dreams. Somehow, going from bad to worse isn't quite as depressing as going from good to bad. Also, I have to say that our "hero," George, was unlike any hero I've encountered in fiction. For the most part he was passive and obedient. I don't think I've ever met such a joyless hero as George. In fact, I don't think any of the characters felt joy, but that might be because they were living in a pretty bleak world which went from bad to worse.

I wish I would have enjoyed this book more; it has many fans. And there is a movie version. Maybe this was one of Le Guin's early books? Some of Le Guin's other novels are good at exploring social and psychological issues, such as The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed.

This is a decent, quick read with a great premise, but ultimately, it lacks depth. I felt that Orr (the main character) was not developed enough. Also, I found myself becoming annoyed at the somewhat contrived, obscure quotes (most connected to Eastern mysticism) at the beginning of each chapter----one was even in French, for goodness sakes. That came off as pretentious.

I love the concept of this novel, but overall, I do not believe it was executed well..

The concept is imaginative, the delivery of the story nothing less than classic. Imagine a broken man whose dreams come true, no matter how far-reaching or ridiculous, when he awakes in the morning. And no one else knows it is happening except HIM. This is the premise behind The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K. Le Guin's stunning novel from the late 60's. Lathe of Heaven takes you into a world where the main character and the doctor who tries to help him just keep digging themselves a bigger hole. The doctor wants to control the man and change the world for the better, once he realizes the truth. But things keep getting worse all around. Buy it. Read it. Never forget it. Arguably Le Guin's most imaginative work, and the low-budget film they made from it with James Caan isn't bad, either.

Lathe of Heaven

In the year 2002, Earth is plagued by war, famine, pollution, overpopulation, etc. George Orr is afraid to go to sleep, because when he wakes, whatever he dreamt the night before has become reality. He is put in a Voluntary Therapeutic Treatment program when he is caught using drugs to avoid sleep. There he meets Dr. Haber, who sees in George a solution to the world's problems and so he starts manipulating George's dreams to create a "better" reality. Haber's delusion's of godhood inevitably lead to unintended consequences & it's up to George, the freak of nature, to stop him.
Ursula K. LeGuin is one of the towering figures in Science Fiction, indeed in all of literature, and this is her finest novel; a brilliant cautionary tale to rival Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
GRADE: A
POSTSCRIPT: I don't know how I missed this angle, unless I'm losing something off of what little fastball I once had, but I just watched the long lost PBS version of this story and the most important aspect of this story became abundantly clear. After they showed the movie, Bill Moyers interviewed the author and it occurred to me that this may well be one of the most conservative novels ever written.
Though she spoke of the story in Taoist terms--George Orr gets along by going along--it is also easy to read the plot in political terms. Dr. Haber can be seen as any intellectual who conceives a better way for society and then seeks to impose it, completely failing to understand the unintended consequences which this action will inevitably have. George Orr, meanwhile, understands that the power to shape reality is too dangerous to entrust to any one man or group of men. It is better to let the future evolve naturally and preserve Man's free will, even if this means not stepping in to "fix" some situations that seem amenable to his personal solutions. This is sort of the novelization of Friedrich Hayek's Road to Serfdom and it is very, very good.

I mean, wow. I found this book in tattered condition in a used book store in Thailand (like I find most of my books). I had no idea it was so intense! Reality? Perspective? Dreams? Free will? All these areas of thoughts are deep within the novel and intellectually well done. The book held my heart for quite a few moments, had my jaw slackened and squeezed my eyebrows.

An excellent book. (Oprah missed this one.) Ms. Le Guin has given sci-fi a new language of the heart. She courageously challenges the tragic mistakes of a frail humanity and places the essence, spirit and soul of strength in a meek man named George Orr. Ms. Le Guin skillfully commands the brilliant mind of Orr to defy the common, canned definition of love and life then, takes it to a new level. The impact this book had on me is that I came away feeling that love is a priviledge and that human exsistence, no matter what the space in time, is important, has meaning and is truly unique. Loved it.

Just brilliant. The writing is so good that a premise as far-fetched as could be imagined becomes entirely reasonable. The characters were convincing and complex. I will read this again and again. One of my favourite books ever!

I have read and reread this book since 1982. It is one of the classic SF of all time and especially from the sixties era. However, as I read the enthusiastic reviews of other readers, I notice that that the one aspect of the book is often overlooked: the love story. All the madness, the crashing possibilities of dreaming new worlds, the aliens, the wonderful/awful imagery are secondary to the human emotions that cause the dreams. And the book says: go with your heart no matter what, never give up.
PS: the scene with the hippie tea and the Beatles tune is a constatnt tearjerker.

Classic social science fiction by the Grandmaster LeGuin. Explores humanity at the interface of different internal and external forces - if you could do anything to change the world, should you? A timeless question explored well here in Lathe of Heaven.

A book with many interesting ideas. Should be required reading for psychiatrists and others in the mental health professions (this and Lessing's "Briefing for a descent into hell").
This book reads well and doesn't drag hopelessly as too many of mrs Le Guin works do (e.g. "The Left Hand of Darkness"). On the other hand not overly simplistic as in "The Word for World is Forest". All in all an intriguing book.

Leagues away from what I typically pick up, I can’t pretend to grasp all the ideas broached in this dystopian novel. Though the writing style I’ve come to associate with dystopias is unvarying, the beautiful imagery, often lucidly symbolic, make this book more accessible. Written 40 years ago, the themes and setting don’t feel dated, and indeed the ideas addressed are ones society still weighs today. Le Guin’s choice to set the novel in a real location makes the city’s state in the different continua seem more realistic and plausible. Le Guin’s novel is a stirring and engaging read.

This is one of those very rare fiction books that are enjoyable to read but pack a lot of meaning and wisdom. If you want to experience what LeGuin is talking about read Roy Laurens non-fiction book "Fully Alive." Both are great books

A book with many interesting ideas. Should be required reading for psychiatrists and others in the mental health professions (this and Lessing's "Briefing for a descent into hell").
This book reads well and doesn't drag hopelessly as too many of mrs Le Guin works do (e.g. "The Left Hand of Darkness"). On the other hand not overly simplistic as in "The Word for World is Forest". All in all an intriguing book.

Leagues away from what I typically pick up, I can’t pretend to grasp all the ideas broached in this dystopian novel. Though the writing style I’ve come to associate with dystopias is unvarying, the beautiful imagery, often lucidly symbolic, make this book more accessible. Written 40 years ago, the themes and setting don’t feel dated, and indeed the ideas addressed are ones society still weighs today. Le Guin’s choice to set the novel in a real location makes the city’s state in the different continua seem more realistic and plausible. Le Guin’s novel is a stirring and engaging read.

This is one of those very rare fiction books that are enjoyable to read but pack a lot of meaning and wisdom. If you want to experience what LeGuin is talking about read Roy Laurens non-fiction book "Fully Alive." Both are great books

Fantastic story. Much better than the movie. Definitely a must read for any sci fi enthusiast. The idea behind this one is a simple one, but it is well developed and amazing enjoyable. Although I don't know why this has been considered to be a 'teen' book, as I think Le Guin's works are always very adult. This one is on the dark side.

The way the descriptions of settings and people matter in this book wasn't something I'd encountered before, I think. And it was fun to see Le Guin send Ged through the Mountains of Pain in Portland, Oregon. There are returns.

Ursula K. Le Guin has succeeded in writing a perfect sci-fi fable about ourselves and the nature of reality. This small tome is so many different things at once: an introduction to Taoism, a gripping sci-fi read, and a realistic tale about the dangers of desiring power. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in what science fiction is supposed to be: a literary genre with no limits on the metaphors that can be used to describe the complexities of humanity.

I REALLY enjoyed this book - twice. The first time was when I was in my teens and the second time was recently, a mere twenty-five years later. It passed the test of interest for two completely different age groups: 16 and 41. The story stood the test of time. It is interesting, thoughtful, inventive, elusive, funny (at times), and it has great settings that change right before you.

The main character is marvelously memorable, unusually quirky and very likable. I was with him all the way through his plight in the story.

My only complaint? The cover of the recent edition I bought gets a garbage can rating. [Harper Perennial Modern Classics (September 1, 2003).] The cover looks like it was printed wrong - but it wasn't; it was a very poor choice of art work. There are scratchy looking streaks that make it appear to be a used book - even when it is brand new. (Why is this big deal?) I bought several copies for gifts and the new books, which were in perfect condition, looked like they had been thoroughly rubbed on gravel or concrete to give a sense of rustic aging.

I like to give pristine copies of books for presents - unless they are signed, first editions.

With this edition, Harper Perennial Modern Classics (September 1, 2003), I found myself explaining, with each gift, that the copy was NOT used. I noticed that every recipient had to rub their fingers across the cover - checking for roughness - because they also thought it looked worn.

I would have (even) preferred a rumpled brown-bag paper with a jagged black slash across it to have been chosen as the cover. At least that non-cover would have made sense as it illustrated the unknown blankness of the future and the descent into chaos that continues on its downward slide and unexpected spins through each new chapter of the book.

There have been several covers over the years for this long-time classic. The rotten art work on this one doesn't add a thing to the meaning of the story. I can easily think of 2,000 better possibilities that would have related to the storyline. This one doesn't invite ANY readers to pick up this truly marvelous, classic book. Visually inspired buyers will be the poorer for ignoring this one.

"Hey! Harper Perennial. Pick a cover that looks good and actually CONNECTS to the storyline."

the movie version of the book was shown on a local pbs station and i would love to get support enough to get it aired again.bruce davison was a strong choice to play jorjor...and when the alien gave george the beatles' tune "i get by with a little help from my friends" sung by ringo (who reflects a nature similar to georges own) i nearly cried with the subtleness of the selection... wonderfully thought out eastern themes...it is a powerful book and a provocative film...do yourself a big favor and enrichen your own experience.....

When the main character dreams it, it becomes real. His psychiatrist decides to use this ability to make some small improvements in society. Imagine there's no disease, or war, or racism... but things keep going wrong. This is an off-beat love story, fascinating science fiction, and thought-provoking philosophy. I've loved this book ever since I read it in high school.

I just read a part of that book last week for my great human questions class, and I realized that it has a significant importance in analysing the subject of good and evil in our society. George Orr has a phenomenal talent to dream things that would happen in the real world somehow at anytime. The death of his aunt is a key example. Although George Orr found that Dr. Haber was uising him, the positive aspect of his talent remains in his meeting with that excellent professional who has introduced a way to help him controlling his dreams to change the world. The problems of pollution, and the excess of the world's population, ect. are listed among those that George could really change with his dreams. However, beyond that and beyond any other help he could receive, he did not have any control over his dreams. Otherwise, he would never dream the death of his aunt.

I read this book years ago and I loved it. It was a frightening thought that even someone with good intensions could not save humans from themselves. Whenever one problem is solved another takes it's place. There is no such thing as a perfect world, we need to strugle to be happy. As strange as that may sound. Even God can't please all the people all the time and he created us. I think this is a book that should be required reading in school. I would love to know if there was a movie made of it. I think I will have to read it again, it was that good.

This main character has the ability to change the world with his dreams. The way the book started off was quite intriguing. I felt like the plot and story had so much potential. It was quite creative for an author to come up with such a unique concept as changing the world with your mind/dreams. However, the actual story was disappointing. As I listened to this audible book, the story never took any brilliant turns that I felt like the plot warranted.

Absolutely cool classic. I wish the movies adapted from this book could have been a little closer to the book. The book is much better. This book should make you a fan of Ursula Le Guin's books if you aren't already.

This was my first Ursula K. LeGuin novel, and my last. After reading this I have no clue why she's gotten so much acclaim over the years. It reads like a sorry attempt to be Philip K. Dick (a genuine genius). It's a good idea poorly executed. I had to force myself to finish it.
Maybe I should have tried The Left Hand of Darkness instead.

Interesting enough premise and plot, but in the end it just feels a bit like a second rate PKD novel. The writing is pretty crude and the characters are utterly uninteresting.

Excellent title, though.

leguin's writing has occasional flashes of poetry,

but there's really not much to this book outside the main concept. reminds me of philip k dick's work except the characters do not feel REAL. the reader never really feels any sympathy for george--at least i didnt. and if youve read a lot of sf the ending is easy to predict--pure pulp.

still, no shame. leguin is always a fun read. won't take much time to get thru this one.

This book is boring (or at least the 30 pages I read). The author spends so much time describing needless details of machinery that I found myself blanking out or skipping ahead. Self-indulgent writing. First 30 pages is one long scene with a doctor and a patient discussing dreams.

Very lame.

I had high hopes for this book because I love "The Left Hand of Darkness" and "Worlds of Exile and Illusion." The premise of "The Lathe of Heaven" has tremendous potential, but I found Le Guin's take to be rather monotonous and difficult to pick back up. I do not recommend this book.

What an overrated load of crap. This review would have been a little more "polite", had I not been forced to read it for class. The obvious poorly-articulated preachy tone of this book and the one too many non-sequiturs –For instance, the main character, George, brings up issues of feeling trapped within his thoughts, and "double memories", feeling choked; and the psychiatrist, Haber, directly jumps to the conclusion that it is overpopulation that's causing George to suffer. Then George dreams of a fixing, a world with less population, and suddenly he becomes rich, feels less choked by his thoughts. What? How can those who rated this book so highly not scoff at the disgusting leaps of logic in this book?– are just sad to me. I'm 50% through, but I'm already so frustrated with the book, I am not sure how I'll go about finishing it. Oh, and the quotes: why are they filled with so much verbiage? I mean, isn't the point of writing connecting with your readers? It seems that many of the work we force students to read is made by authors who merely like to stroke their d cks at the thoughts of sounding articulate. Why else would someone write something so "heavy", you have to endure headaches to understand it? How ironic, that before jumping to this book, we read one book which central point was that academic writing, and any other writing for that matter–literary fiction included, though this book is simply a preachy essay masquerading as a literary novel–, was more conversational at the core than it was an exposé of one's ability for critical thinking, or even "heavy" writing.

I have never been this angry at a book, maybe because in the past I never worried so much about my English class grades, so would just dismiss a piece once I realize it didn't deliver.

Edit: Finished the book a couple of weeks ago; Really had to power through the end. As we --the class and I-- discussed the book, I realized I was more intrigued by it than I thought. I still maintain that the plot was very poorly executed though, even "rushed" (as it's ridden with so many leaps of logic), but I will recognize Le Guin did a good job at sparking discussion with this piece.