The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness is Ursula K. Le Guin's science fiction novel, first published by Ace Books in the United States in 1969. An envoy visits Gethen, a frozen planet whose people have no fixed sex, and the book won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel.
- Editions tracked
- 3
- First edition
- Ace Books, 1969
- First published
- Ace Books, United States, 1969
- Series
- Hainish Cycle
The first edition of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin was published in New York by Ace Books in 1969. We track 3 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Ace Books1969 Paperback · Hainish Cycle 4 I own The Left Hand of Darkness, Ace Books 1969 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- Ace Books1969 Paperback · Hainish Cycle 4 I own The Left Hand of Darkness, Ace Books 1969 Log in to want this
- Macdonald1969 Hardback · Hainish Cycle 4 I own The Left Hand of Darkness, Macdonald 1969 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Awards and honours
Setting and characters
- Set in
- Gethen
- Characters
- Genly Ai, Estraven
- Genre
- science fiction, gay literature, feminist science fiction
Read next
- Comes after
- City of Illusions
- Followed by
- The Word for World Is Forest
In print
- Editions recorded
- 91 on Open Library, 38 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 32 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Ursula K. Le Guin
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Left Hand of Darkness?
The first edition of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin was published in New York by Ace Books in 1969.
How many editions of The Left Hand of Darkness are there?
We track 3 editions of The Left Hand of Darkness, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Did The Left Hand of Darkness win any awards?
Yes: The Left Hand of Darkness won the NPR Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books, the Otherwise Retrospective Award (1995), the Nebula Award for Best Novel (1970), the Hugo Award for Best Novel (1970), according to Wikidata.
What should I read after The Left Hand of Darkness?
In order, it follows City of Illusions and it is followed by The Word for World Is Forest, according to Wikidata.
Where these facts come from
- The Left Hand of Darkness, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin official site (ursulakleguin.com)
- The Left Hand of Darkness (Q2008211), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.