City of Illusions

City of Illusions is a 1967 science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, set on Earth in the distant future in her Hainish Cycle. City of Illusions was republished in 1978 along with Rocannon's World and Planet of Exile in a volume called Three Hainish Novels and in 1994 with the same novels in Worlds of Exile and Illusion. This is both a post-collapse science fiction tale and a mystery tale.  It starts with a man with no memory, and with eyes who... more

City of Illusions is a 1967 science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, set on Earth in the distant future in her Hainish Cycle. City of Illusions was republished in 1978 along with Rocannon's World and Planet of Exile in a volume called Three Hainish Novels and in 1994 with the same novels in Worlds of Exile and Illusion. This is both a post-collapse science fiction tale and a mystery tale.  It starts with a man with no memory, and with eyes whose appearance suggests he is not human, raising questions as to his true nature: is he human or alien and is he a tool or a victim of the alien enemy, the Shing. The Shing's nature itself eventually comes into question through his journey. The theme of illusion and ambiguity is present throughout the book - both in terms of behaviour (the main female character is initially a friend, then a betrayer and ultimately may be both) and even physical environment (the city Es Toch is a shimmering facade of visual deceptions).  City of Illusions is the... less