Tianjun

Name: Tianjun
ISBN: 9787547747872

厄休拉·勒古恩 / 夏星Beijing Daily Press · ChinaNov 2024

4.3

Word count: 115K words
Chapters: 12
ISBN: 9787547747872

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Summary

George has the ability to change reality through dreams, but he cannot control his dreams. Terrified that his nightmares will come true, he dares not sleep and is driven nearly mad. He turns to psychiatrist Haber for help, but Haber secretly manipulates his dreams to carry out his own plan for a perfect utopia.

But if a butterfly's wingbeat can trigger a tornado, what upheaval might George's dreams set off? One dream ends, and a small painting vanishes. A second dream ends, and a worldwide plague breaks out. A third dream ends.

Editor's review

In this work Le Guin pushes the premise of dreams changing reality deep into ethics and politics: George cannot control his dreams yet must bear their consequences; Dr. Haber manipulates under the guise of treatment, and the utopian blueprint is thus built on another person's fear. The tension lies not in spectacle but in how power invades private consciousness in the name of doing you good, and in the isolation and collapse of an ordinary man driven to dread sleep. Le Guin's prose is restrained and steadily paced; the misalignment of dream and reality accumulates layer by layer, producing a slowly tightening sense of pressure. Best read continuously in a quiet stretch, watching the changes in the world's details after each waking—that is where the author plants her ethical questions. For readers who like speculative science fiction and care about technology and human nature, this book offers not answers but a mirror held up to the will to control.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like Le Guin's work and are used to slow-paced, speculative science fiction
Readers interested in dreams, the subconscious, and power manipulation
Book club members who want to discuss ethical dilemmas through fiction
Mature readers who can accept an oppressive atmosphere and open-ended questions

Not a good fit for

Science fiction readers expecting fast-paced action or satisfying reversals
Readers sensitive to plots involving mind control or loss of control over dreams
Readers who prefer light, healing stories with clear good-and-evil endings

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter and note the subtle changes in reality after each dream to follow the chain of cause and effect.
When reading Haber's treatment passages, pay attention to the persuasive logic in his words and see how manipulation is packaged as benevolence.
After finishing, discuss with like-minded readers who should bear responsibility if dreams really could change the world, grounding the ethical question in specific characters.
If it feels oppressive, pause between chapters and switch to short stories or nonfiction to adjust the pace.

About the publisher

Beijing Daily Press China · Founded in 1981

Beijing Daily Press takes world history, historical reading and foreign literary translations as important publishing directions, alongside science fiction and prose. Its catalogue includes Edward Gibbon's unabridged The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gu Cheng's Southern Ming History and his works on Ming history, reflecting a balance between general and dynastic history; in literature there are Fu Lei's translations of Balzac and of world classics, as well as science fiction and prose such as The Universe Omnipotent Detective Agency, A Canticle for Leibowitz and The Peregrine, with authors ranging from Gibbon, Gu Cheng and Balzac to Fu Lei, Romain Rolland and Douglas Adams. Building on current affairs, history and culture, Beijing-flavoured culture and children's books, the press combines classic translation with original historical writing, emphasising complete editions and translation quality. Public information is limited, so other details are omitted.

版权信息
1 ONE
2 TWO
3 THREE
4 FOUR
5 FIVE
6 SIX
7 SEVEN
8 EIGHT
9 NINE
10 TEN
11 ELEVEN

FAQ

I haven't read Le Guin before. Will I struggle if I start with this book?

There is no barrier. This is a standalone story and requires no prior reading. Le Guin's narration is restrained and atmosphere-heavy, so it may feel slow at first. Accept the pace and focus on the misalignment between the characters' psychology and reality; after two or three chapters you will be drawn in.

Is the science fiction premise complicated? Do I need to understand a lot of terminology?

The core premise is not complicated: George's dreams change reality, but he cannot control them. The book has no dense terminology or hard-science explanations; the focus is on the fear this ability creates and the power relationships around it. Readers need only follow the thread of what has changed in the world after each waking to follow the story.

The book involves a psychiatrist manipulating a patient. Is it heavy reading?

It does feel oppressive. Haber manipulates George's dreams under the name of treatment, and George falls into a fear of sleeping; this situation of being controlled by kindness is the heaviest part of the book. It creates pressure not through gore or violence but through the suffocating sense of betrayed trust. If you are sensitive to mind-control themes, choose with care.

Is it suitable for a book club?

Yes. Questions such as who is responsible when dreams change reality, whether a utopian plan may sacrifice individuals, and where treatment ends and manipulation begins are all debatable, and the cast is small and the length moderate, making it easy for members to discuss from a common ground. Agree on a focus beforehand to avoid vague generalities.

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About the author

厄休拉·勒古恩 Author

Ursula K. Le Guin is an author with seventeen works in this Chinese-language book database. Her writing spans science fiction, otherworldly realms and foreign literature, and is often grouped under fine fiction and classic works. Representative titles include Finding and Losing, The Earthsea Cycle Six-Book Set, Earthsea: A Wizard of Earthsea, Earthsea II: The Tombs of Atuan, Earthsea III: The Farthest Shore, The Dispossessed, as well as The Private Lectures of a Literary Master (three volumes) and Creating the World with Imagination. These works show that she uses imagined worlds as a stage for storytelling, balancing the readability of genre fiction with reflection on human nature and social questions, and she therefore has a lasting influence among fantasy and science fiction readers. Public information in the database about her nationality, dates of birth and death, and detailed biography is limited, so no speculation is offered here; readers may sense her style and imaginative worlds through the works themselves.

夏星 Author

Xia Xing is a Chinese translator about whom little public information is available. Two translated works are currently listed under this name: Robert J. Sawyer's The Neanderthal Parallax and related editions of The Terminal Experiment. In The Neanderthal Parallax, a work of foreign science fiction, Xia Xing translated the volume Hominids. Based on the available material, Xia Xing's translation work serves the introduction of hard science fiction, handling narratives that involve parallel worlds, Neanderthal civilization, and anthropological imagination, where the language must balance scientific concepts with literary readability. No reliable record of the translator's biography, nationality, or education is available, so no speculation is offered here; the entry presents only the direction and contribution of the work itself.