[Miriamele]

Has anyone read this book? I did a forum search but came up with nothing.
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/World-Of-Exile-And-Illusion-Ursula-Le-Guin/9780312862114-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527Ursula+Le+Guin% 2527

Three classic novels are offered in one volume by SF's greatest living female writer. These novels, City of Illusions, Rocannon's World, and Planet of Exile, are set in the same universe as the author's ground-breaking The Left Hand of Darkness

I really enjoyed The Left Hand of Darkness. I wonder, should I give these other older novels a try? I haven't even heard of them although I am familiar with many of Le Guin's fiction and non fiction books.

Any advice would be appreciated! :)

[Lowlander]

These book are recommended, surely if you can find them in an omnibus edition. However remember they were written in the mid 1960's. These are not vintage Le Guin novels. Don't expect classics like Left Hand or Disposessed. They are actually more space opera/planetary romances. Still Le Guin is a good writer and it's interesting to see how in the beginning of her career she also wrote some good fun space opera.

[Miriamele]

Well, "good fun space opera" doesn't sound too bad to me. I'm in the mood for something a bit different from my usual fare, so I think I'll pick this one up. Thanks.

[Kneazle]

I just read Rocannon's World. It was an interesting mix of fantasy and sci fi, and felt almost like Lord of the Rings at times. Like everything of Le Guin's I've read (which isn't much yet), it was well written, but it wasn't really deep like Left Hand of Darkness or especially The Dispossessed.

It was her first ever novel, though, so I'd expect it to be different from the others. And it is really different, but not bad.

[Zeratul]

Those are Le Guin's first three novels and it shows. Still very good and definitely worth reading, but not as polished and masterful as "The Left Hand of the Darkness", "The Dispossessed", the Earthsea novels, etc.

BTW, there are lots of inconsistencies between these three and the latter Hainish novels, as Le Guin herself admits. But since each of these is stand-alone, that's not really a problem.