The Birthday of the World and Other Stories

'Complex and haunting . . . Remarkable' Time 'Beautiful, profound, irresistible' Robert Silverberg 'Splendid and necessary stories' Boston Globe Ursula K. Le Guin was a writer who, through her many beloved stories and novels, created an ever-evolving universe. In this collection of stories, she returns to these worlds, introducing us to ancient civilisations governed by sun and sea, a planet where women greatly outnumber men and a spaceship where five generations have lived without ever knowing clouds, wind or sky. Together, these stories offer mind-bending, exhilarating alternatives to the ways we choose to live. From the legendary author of The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed, here are eight stories that define and defy the meaning of connection, oppression, humanity and hope.