Intracom

by Ursula K. Le Guin

first published in Stopwatch | Editor: George Hay (1974)

Genres: Audiobook, Short Stories

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Ursula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. She lived in Portland, Oregon.

She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.

Reviews

[August ✡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to a recording of Le Guin herself read this, and it was awesome! She has some talent in narration as well! Also this was funny and short. Is there and adaptation of this?

[Ekin Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unexpectedly hilarious short story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be sane in an insane world is true insanity. Or is it?
A fun and messy read.

[Lars Bundgaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it might stabilize Mr. Balls."

Something or someone has gone bat .... crazy. Listened to it on youtube, read by Ursula K. Le Guin herself. An enjoyable listen!"

[Steve LaForest · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.

I rated this story "E" when I read it, so a Goodreads score of 1 star is quite generous.

[N Dorville · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very definition of "the sane person in an insane world is the insane one".
Fun little short story