Planet of Exile - Ursula K. LeGuin Book Review

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Review Summary

For 600 years, a colony of humans have lived on Gamma Draconis III. It's a planet that has various humanoid species and clans, where a planetary year lasts 60 Earth years, so each person experiences but one long turn of the seaons in a lifetime. Constrained by League of All Worlds precepts not to use or introduce more sophisticated technologies to the planet's inhabitants than they already have, the "Alterrans" have slowly devolved -- forgetting the use of space ships and shrinking in population, although some have developed basic telepathy skills. Agat, one of the "farborns" as the planet's indigenous peoples call them, falls in love with Rolery, an independent-minded female of the Tevar, who marries him even though they cannot reproduce. The beastly and primitive Gaal are invading from the north, in front of the creeping Winter season, and instead of merely scavenging they have formed a united army, so the question is whether the historically distrustful Tevar, Pernmek, and Allakskat can form an alliance with the "farborn" Alterrans to stop or divert the Gaal. This early LeGuin (1966) is more unified and satisfying than _Rocannon's World_ (there is even a passing mention of Rocannon in this book), but still fairly basic.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Planet of Exile

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture Yes
Intense exploration of society's culture? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - warrior/knight
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Terrain - Water - Mountains - Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society - inhabited by friendly aliens - unfriendly aliens - primitive aliens
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only - descript of kissing
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books to Planet of Exile
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Contact Imminent by Kristine Smith

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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