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Comment by icebraining | Hacker News Reader

The introduction to one of the versions of Left Hand of Darkness is one of my favorite texts about Science Fiction: http://theliterarylink.com/leguinintro.html

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I almost always skip the intro of books like this. I didn't skip this one. The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness are two of my favorite books of all time.

Anyone remember the source of the essay about the town where everyone was happy, and how it feels unbelievable until you find it has a horrible secret, which somehow makes it more believable? I think that is her writing.

That is a short story called "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"

I think I have it in "The Winds 12 Quarters"

Salem O backwards

"People ask me 'Where do you get your ideas from, Ms. Le Guin?' From forgetting Dostoyevsky and reading road signs backwards, naturally. Where else?"

Yes, a story that has haunted me ever since I read it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_Who_Walk_Away_from_Om...

The EarthSea Trilogy has stuck with me too.

Earthsea was a trilogy from '72 to '90, but it's now five novels and a bunch of short stories. They're all good.

It's "the ones who walk away from Omelas".

Short read and available online:https://www.utilitarianism.com/nu/omelas.pdf

It is, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16218616

It's basically taken almost verbatim from a dialogue between two characters in The Brothers Karamazov. She later said she didn't remember the dialogue at the time but it was stuck in the back of her head and was definitely an influence.

The core idea is the same, but "almost verbatim" is a gross misrepresentation.

Great artists steal.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomnesia

That story always makes me question what decision I will make if in a similar situation.

I wondered the same thing.

But then I wondered "Why did they walk away? Why not comfort the child and end it?"

In the story she says a single kind word to the child would end it. I can understand living there, but I don't understand walking away.

By walking away you are not helping the child. So what does it matter that you are not benefiting?

To help the child and end it means to deprive many others of happiness as well. It is also likely to be wasted, as she writes in the story, the kid may be so far gone beyond consolation.

After reading the story I immediately thought that the point was that most of us live in Omelas. I don't think I have it in me to walk away.

It is one of mine as well, but I could not remember the source for it, thank you.

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