Next Read Club

Books Like The Left Hand of Darkness

Looking for books like The Left Hand of Darkness? An envoy travels to a frozen planet where the inhabitants have no fixed gender, and everything he assumed gets questioned.

What tends to stick with readers is its thought-provoking and thought provoking feel. Science fiction used to genuinely interrogate what gender even is. Below are 7 books that carry that feeling in different ways, matched on shared mood, themes and reading experience. The Left Hand of Darkness is a medium, slow-paced read (reading level: moderate), so we've noted where each pick is quicker, slower or heavier.

Cover of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

The book you loved

The Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

7 books you might enjoy

  1. Cover of Dune by Frank Herbert

    1.

    Dune

    Frank Herbert

    Like The Left Hand of Darkness, Dune is thought-provoking. Both carry the #classic and #worldbuilding tags. Expect a bigger commitment than The Left Hand of Darkness.

    Long · Slow pace · Challenging

    Explore this book →Books like Dune
  2. Cover of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

    2.

    The Handmaid's Tale

    Margaret Atwood

    Like The Left Hand of Darkness, The Handmaid's Tale is thought-provoking. The pace is quicker than The Left Hand of Darkness'.

    Medium · Fast pace · Moderate

    Explore this book →Books like The Handmaid's Tale
  3. Cover of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

    3.

    Never Let Me Go

    Kazuo Ishiguro

    Like The Left Hand of Darkness, Never Let Me Go is thought-provoking. It's an easier read than The Left Hand of Darkness.

    Medium · Slow pace · Easy to follow

    Explore this book →Books like Never Let Me Go
  4. Cover of Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

    4.

    Klara and the Sun

    Kazuo Ishiguro

    Like The Left Hand of Darkness, Klara and the Sun is thought-provoking. It's an easier read than The Left Hand of Darkness.

    Medium · Slow pace · Easy to follow

    Explore this book →Books like Klara and the Sun
  5. Cover of Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

    5.

    Slaughterhouse-Five

    Kurt Vonnegut

    Like The Left Hand of Darkness, Slaughterhouse-Five is thought-provoking. Both carry the #classic tag. It's the quicker read of the two.

    Short · Fast pace · Moderate

    Explore this book →Books like Slaughterhouse-Five
  6. Cover of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

    6.

    Jane Eyre

    Charlotte Bronte

    If it was the thought-provoking side of The Left Hand of Darkness you loved, Jane Eyre delivers it too. Both carry the #classic tag. Expect a bigger commitment than The Left Hand of Darkness.

    Long · Slow pace · Moderate

    Explore this book →Books like Jane Eyre
  7. Cover of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    7.

    Fahrenheit 451

    Ray Bradbury

    If it was the thought-provoking side of The Left Hand of Darkness you loved, Fahrenheit 451 delivers it too. Both carry the #classic tag. It's the quicker read of the two.

    Short · Fast pace · Easy to follow

    Explore this book →Books like Fahrenheit 451

How to choose

  • Short on time? Slaughterhouse-Five is a quick read.
  • Want it easier? Never Let Me Go is the gentlest read here.
  • Want something faster-paced? Try The Handmaid's Tale.

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