Best of
Dystopia

1971

The Lathe of Heaven


Ursula K. Le Guin - 1971
    In a future world racked by violence and environmental catastrophes, George Orr wakes up one day to discover that his dreams have the ability to alter reality. He seeks help from Dr. William Haber, a psychiatrist who immediately grasps the power George wields. Soon George must preserve reality itself as Dr. Haber becomes adept at manipulating George's dreams for his own purposes. The Lathe of Heaven is an eerily prescient novel from award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin that masterfully addresses the dangers of power and humanity's self-destructiveness, questioning the nature of reality itself. It is a classic of the science fiction genre.

Drujienna's Harp


Ellen Kindt McKenzie - 1971
    She found herself an unwilling part of the destiny of the land, a destiny that had to be forestalled if she were ever to return to her own land. She gradually learned the forbidden lore of T'Pahl: its Histories spoke of an ancient curse; its Prophecies, of bloodshed and doom. And under the sway of a fiercely tyrannical ruler, in ignorance both real and pretended, the people of T'Pahl awaited the playing of Drujienna's harp.