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Ursula K. Le Guin
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Rocannon's World (Hainish Cycle) MP3 CD – MP3 Audio, October 1, 2007

by Ursula K Le Guin (Author), Stefan Rudnicki (Reader)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 597 ratings
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This debut novel from preeminent science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin introduces her brilliant Hainish series, set in a galaxy seeded by the planet Hain with a variety of humanoid species, including that of Earth. Over the centuries, the Hainish colonies have evolved into physically and culturally unique peoples, joined by a League of All Worlds.

Earth-scientist Rocannon has been leading an ethnological survey on a remote world populated by three native races: the cavern-dwelling Gdemiar, the elvish Fiia, and the warrior clan, Liuar. But when the technologically primitive planet is suddenly invaded by a fleet of ships from the stars, rebels against the League of All Worlds, Rocannon is the only survey member left alive. Marooned among alien peoples, he leads the battle to free this newly discovered world and finds that legends grow around him as he fights.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    1 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Blackstone Publishing
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    5.8 x 0.57 x 7.45 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1433210835
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1433210839
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

I had forgotten, in the thirty-five years since I first read it, just how good a book Rocannon's World is...So when I listened to Stefan Rudnicki's brilliant reading of the book...I was prepared for the book to be good. It was more than good...I would call the book unforgettable, except that I had forgotten almost everything about the plot. What I didn't forget was the impression it made on me; and this time through, especially with Rudnicki's deeply emotional reading, it made just as strong an impression.

-- "Orson Scott Card"

Stefan Rudnicki's muscular, antiseptic voice is the perfect vehicle to deliver this tale. His tone is impeccable, his pronunciation exact...It's well worth your time.

-- "SFFaudio.com"

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (October 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • MP3 CD ‏ : ‎ 1 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1433210835
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1433210839
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.36 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 0.57 x 7.45 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 597 ratings

About the author

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Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin

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Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (US /ˈɜːrsələ ˈkroʊbər ləˈɡwɪn/; born October 21, 1929) is an American author of novels, children's books, and short stories, mainly in the genres of fantasy and science fiction. She has also written poetry and essays. First published in the 1960s, her work has often depicted futuristic or imaginary alternative worlds in politics, the natural environment, gender, religion, sexuality and ethnography.

She influenced such Booker Prize winners and other writers as Salman Rushdie and David Mitchell – and notable science fiction and fantasy writers including Neil Gaiman and Iain Banks. She has won the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, and World Fantasy Award, each more than once. In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Le Guin has resided in Portland, Oregon since 1959.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
597 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Maciek G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great SF/Fantasy fusion
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2016
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Great SF/Fantasy fusion. The classic story of Lord of The Rings re-told in a beautiful way.
2 people found this helpful
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Robert L Blejer
4.0 out of 5 stars Some interesting life questions are quietly inserted into the story, which raises the level.
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2019
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A little hard going in the beginning as the characters and places are introduced., But picks up and has your attention once this is all established.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2016
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It is a great book. A real fantasy/sci-fi classic.
One person found this helpful
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C.A.
3.0 out of 5 stars Three stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2016
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I haven't read fantasy books before but I think it is beautiful in its own way. It is interesting to see how the author has progressed over the years.
One person found this helpful
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Abigail Tillson
4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Story!
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2019
This book was my first experience reading anything by Ursula K. LeGuin, but I had heard a lot about her from others and I was pretty excited to start this book. 

I actually listened to this book on audio, which was a great choice for me. I really liked the narrator, though I found his voice hard to get into at first, and it allowed me to sit back and crochet while I listened. 

Rocannon's World is a fascinating story. I wasn't sure what to expect from it and the whole story surprised me in the best ways. I loved the blending of fantasy and sci-fi, and the way that the characters went on a quest but that the world was so different from other quest driven stories. At first I found the characters hard to relate to, but by the end I loved Rocannon and was sad to see his story end. 

As soon as I finished this book I knew I had to get the next in LeGuin's series. I was hooked by her style and world and wanted to read more. I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. 
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Robin Helweg Larsen
5.0 out of 5 stars Well told fantasy sf with vivid imagery
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2017
'Rocannon's World', published in 1966, was the first novel from Ursula LeGuin and the first of her Hainish novels, with the galaxy populated by a humanoid diaspora which then lost contact between the worlds for millennia. Rocannon is stranded on a world with humanoids of different types, some like medieval Europeans, some like HG Wells' eloi and morlocks.

The novel has as one of its themes the old European story of the necklace made by dwarves and in the uneasy possession of a beautiful lady. But this is entwined with the losses caused by differences in aging due to the stasis of interstellar travel. There are also elements of telepathy and foreknowledge that move the story back and forth between fantasy and science fiction.

Some aspects of the novel cause it to be less sophisticated, i.e. less defensible, such as the foreknowledge that is given no justification, and the beautiful but unlikely flying battle-tigers. And these mark the book out from her later Hainish novels.

But the story is charming, well told, rereadable, and an excellent (if dispensable) introduction to her writing, with all its sympathy for nobility and diversity, its resignation to loss and death. And the images, including the flights on tigers, are powerful and gorgeous.
9 people found this helpful
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Paul F. Brooks
5.0 out of 5 stars As compelling a science-fiction planetary adventure story that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2013
Rocannon's World by Ursula K. LeGuin

Rocannon's World (1966) is the first novel by the talented writer Ursula K. LeGuin. It is as compelling a science-fiction planetary adventure story that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

The author's concept of interplanetary exploration and the interaction with intelligent aliens is nuanced and credible. The human explorers of inhabited worlds carefully and systematical catalog the societal and technological levels of the intelligent species encountered. The level and types of interactions is strictly controlled so as to not to introduce technology that would cause cultural upheavals. On Fomalhaut II G. Rocannon leads an Ethnographic Survey. On the Northern continent are three related species that have taking a decidedly different evolutionary path.

A rogue group from one of the known inhabited planets destroys Rocannon's survey starship and all remaining team members. Their goal is to use Fomalhaut II as a covert base to establish a dominant role among the inhabitant worlds. Rocannon determines that he must travel to the Southern continent and surreptitiously alert his superiors of the rebellion. In order to make the journey he must enlist the aid of one of the intelligent species. The story is dominated by the descriptions of the dangerous journey, challenges encountered and interactions with natives some with mind reading abilities.

As my summary hopefully conveys this is a complex, many layered story with many interwoven parts. The fact that the author can maintain story credibility and successfully mesh the many plot elements is a tribute to the author's remarkable story telling skills.
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Bodkins
4.0 out of 5 stars Still so relevant
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2020
FIRST LINE REVIEW: "How can you tell the legend from the fact on these worlds that lie so many years away? -- planets without names, called by their people simply The World, planets without history, where the past is the matter of myth, and a returning explorer finds his own doings of a few years back have become the gestures of a god." Always been interested in venturing into the sci-fi/fantasy worlds of Le Guin and this newer Library of America collection is a great way to do that. This first novel of hers took me back to the days when I used to buy the cheap, slim, escapist paperbacks as a kid. A time when I felt so grown up for reading them and getting caught up in their fascinating stories of adventure. And for me, they still work in that vein, but with the added benefit of layering my life experiences of this crazy world onto the struggles of the worlds that Le Guin is exploring. Good stuff!
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Top reviews from other countries

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great story.
Reviewed in India on June 24, 2020
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Shows different aspects of loneliness and longing while never losing focus on the action. Well paced story. Loved it. Going to read more by Ursula K Le Guin.
Would recommend to anyone who's interested in varied expressions of emotions
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Laurie Power
5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious!
Reviewed in Australia on January 10, 2020
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Every LeGuin writing I read or re-read, I delight again in her characters, her stories, her insights into human nature. This has been no exception.
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fai freeburn
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2017
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I don't know why it took me so long to read Ursula K LeGuin. I think I was afraid her books would be worthy and dull. But I read her Earthsea Wizard books and loved them. I was seduced by her spare writing and wonderful imagination. Her books are truly classics. After reading the Earthsea Wizard books I was desperate to read some more and chose Rocannon's World by chance. It is a wonderful mix of fantasy and sci-fi. It is not a large book but the clever writing makes it feel like an epic. It has a lingering sorrowful air. I was surprised it was written so long ago as it feels modern. This story and the wonderful characters will stay with me for a long time. I thoroughly recommend it.
5 people found this helpful
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Herr Kaufrausch
4.0 out of 5 stars Liest sich gut
Reviewed in Germany on November 10, 2016
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Ich kannte das Buch natürlich schon auf Deutsch, sonst wäre es ein hartes Brot geworden.
Es ist die Geschichte des Xenologen Rocannon, der auf einem fernen Planeten miterleben muß, wie sein Raumschiff mit allen Kameraden in einem Atomblitz verglüht. Mit einer bunt zusammengewürfelten Truppe macht er sich auf die Reise über den halben Planeten, ins Herz des Feindes, um...
Aber ich verrate nichts weiter. Die fiktive Welt ist mit der von Ursula K. LeGuin gewohnten Sorgfalt, Plausibilität und Farbigkeit gesschildert.
Obwohl recht märchenhafte Gestalten auftreten bleibt doch ein hohes Erzählniveau gewahrt.
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Astare
4.0 out of 5 stars A clever mix of SF and fantasy.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2023
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A somewhat short and simple tale, but easy to read and quite enjoyable. It could do with being lengthened and more detail included.
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