Rocannon’s World
{4.5/5} “The kind of ship Rocannon had come here on took years and years to ride the night between the worlds, those years to the men in the ship seemed only a few hours. In the City Kerguelen on the star Forrosul this man Rocannon had spoken to Semley of Hallan and given her the jewel Eye of the Sea, nearly half a hundred years ago. Semley who had lived sixteen years in one night was long dead, her daughter Haldre was an old woman, her grandson Mogien a grown man; yet here sat Rocannon, who was not old. Those years had passed, for him, in riding between the stars.”
Rocannon’s ship has been destroyed, along with all the other members of his team. He was on this world to study it, as a representative of the League of All Worlds, but others had obviously come with another purpose in mind. He’s trapped here, in danger along with the locals. The people of the world were fairly primitive, so what could Rocannon do against an unknown enemy?
Rocannon’s World by Ursula K. Le Guin was published in 1966. It was her first book.
Sometimes after reading a long book I feel like reading a short book.
This one feels a bit like an Earthsea book — both in terms of its use of language, and the fact that most of the characters are not very technological.
The solution to the problem is a bit of a deus ex machina but other than that it’s a great book — a journey with some interesting characters, with obstacles along the way.
Le Guin is one of my favourite authors. Her novels include The Left Hand of Darkness, The Other Wind, and The Lathe of Heaven. Her collections include The Birthday of the World and Tales From Earthsea. Her nonfiction includes The Language of the Night.