Recreational reading has become very hard to fit into a busy schedule so, when I pick something for pleasure I usually need a connection to something that’s proven interesting in order to ensure it’s not a complete waste of my time. Such was the case with The Lathe Of Heaven. I was first turned on to Ursula K. Le Guin in a class taught by Bob Carlson. We read The Left Hand of Darkness in a class he taught called “Man’s Search for Meaning.” So when I stumbled across a reference to The Lathe of Heaven, I decided to give it a try.
The fluid nature of the story was at first disorienting but, as I settled in I quickly became at home in a world that was subject to constant retroactive editing. The main character wrestles with his dreams because he has discovered that they actually control the fate of humanity. George Orr wakes up one day to discover that the worlds he dreams of have changed reality. Terrified at the lack of control he has over this power, George attempts to stop his dreams through the use of drugs. This lands him trouble with the government and he ends up under the care of a psychiatrist who immediately grasps the power George wields and decides he must commandeer it for the greater good. As George fights to control his own mind he must also navigate the dangers that arise as his doctor becomes adept at manipulating George’s dreams for his purposes.
The dystopian sci-fi work from 1971 remains relevant and even timely. The mammoth government healthcare machine in the story removes much of the individual’s ability to choose their treatment options, and obsessive surveillance drives people into black market behavior. But the truly sinister alignment is in the government caretakers’ good-natured belief that they know best and that they alone can wield this mighty power that George possesses.
However, the most compelling aspect of the book is Le Guin’s use of changing reality to force the reader to consider the very nature of perception. George’s experience with his gift serves is an interesting vehicle to consider how personal our reality is. Freed from the scrutiny of others, it can be built into narratives that exist only in our minds and are constantly changing and shifting to accommodate our needs and desires.
