The Dispossessed is the spellbinding story of anarchist Shevek, the “galactically famous scientist,” who single-handedly attempts to reunite two planets cut off from each other by centuries of distrust. Anarres, Shevek’s homeland, is a bleak moon settled by an anarchic utopian civilization, where there is no government, and everyone, at least nominally, is a revolutionary. It has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras—defined by warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth.
To visit Urras—to learn, to teach, to share—will require great sacrifice and risks, which Shevek willingly accepts. Almost immediately upon his arrival, he finds not the egotistical philistines he expected, but an intelligent, complex people who warmly welcome him. But soon the ambitious scientist and his gift is seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change.
*The above link is an affiliate link. When you purchase through our affiliate links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Learn more
NEC's view
Le Guin beautifully sets up a contrast between two worlds—one built on anarchist principles of mutual aid and scarcity, the other on capitalist abundance and inequality—and then asks what it actually means to live within either.
What we admire most is that Le Guin does not romanticize. The anarchist society on Anarres is fragile, flawed, and full of contradictions, yet it is also resilient and compelling in its attempt to live without domination. Reading it, we were struck by how contemporary it feels, how closely it speaks to the realities of trying to live otherwise within systems that constantly push back.
The Dispossessed made us think harder about what freedom costs, how communities hold together, and how ideals falter when tested by daily life. It is not just a great work of science fiction but a guide to imagining different political and social possibilities. It continues to feel urgent decades after it was written.
