--- product_id: 688737214 title: "The Dispossessed [50th Anniversary Edition]: A Special Edition of the Nebula Award–Winning Classic" price: "€ 27.55" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/688737214-the-dispossessed-50th-anniversary-edition-a-special-edition-of-nebula store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # The Dispossessed [50th Anniversary Edition]: A Special Edition of the Nebula Award–Winning Classic **Price:** € 27.55 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Dispossessed [50th Anniversary Edition]: A Special Edition of the Nebula Award–Winning Classic - **How much does it cost?** € 27.55 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/688737214-the-dispossessed-50th-anniversary-edition-a-special-edition-of-nebula) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels “One of the greats. . . . Not just a science fiction writer; a literary icon.” ― Stephen King "Engrossing. . . . [Le Guin] is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscape of the mind." ―Cincinnati Enquirer In celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, a commemorative edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award–winning classic, a profound and thoughtful work of philosophical science fiction exploring anarchism and capitalism, individualism and collectivism, and one ambitious man’s quest to bridge the ideological chasm separating two worlds. This special edition includes a new foreword by Karen Joy Fowler. A science fiction classic for the ages, The Dispossessed is the spellbinding story of anarchist Shevek, the “galactically famous scientist,” who single-handedly attempts to reunite two planets cut off from each other by centuries of distrust. Anarres, Shevek’s homeland, is a bleak moon settled by an anarchic utopian civilization, where there is no government, and everyone, at least nominally, is a revolutionary. It has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras―defined by warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Now Shevek, a brilliant physicist, is determined to unify the two civilizations. In the face of great hostility, outright threats, and the pain of separation from his family, he makes an unprecedented trip to Urras. Greater than any concern for his own wellbeing is the belief that the walls of hatred, distrust, and philosophic division between his planet and the rest of the civilized universe must be torn down. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and explore differences in customs and cultures, determined to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart in this landmark of social science fiction. To visit Urras―to learn, to teach, to share―will require great sacrifice and risks, which Shevek willingly accepts. Almost immediately upon his arrival, he finds not the egotistical philistines he expected, but an intelligent, complex people who warmly welcome him. But soon the ambitious scientist and his gift is seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change. Review: Burns with a quiet passion - Like Shevek himself, this book has a quiet, intelligent stoicism about it, and yet burns with the hot, subversive passion of revolution at its core. This is a book of ideas, and the "action" of this novel revolves around the creation and development of these ideas, rather than around specific "events" per se. Indeed, moments of "action", such as the military firing into a massive, unarmed insurrectionary crowd, barely seems to raise Shevek's (and by extension, as the lens through which we see this world, our) pulse rate. Instead, it is the subtler moments of dispossession, possession, being outcast, returning home where the emotion and the passion swell. The narrative structure is quite fascinating and effective, as chapters in Shevek's "real time" alternate with Shevek's past; however, true to the ideas of time in the book, these distinct pieces combine to form an inseparable whole. More broadly, they serve to show the seductive promise of the worlds of Urras and Anarres, and then the deep flaws of each, ending on a ambiguous note that is ultimately satisfying, for this is a book that asks more questions than it answers. What makes these two worlds, and indeed this whole story, timeless is the fact that although this book was written during the Cold War, it would be more fair to say that Urras and Anarres represent stylized manifestations of capitalism and communism, respectively rather than more straight-forward metaphors for the U.S. and Soviet Union (which would've made this story feel somewhat dated). Indeed, despite the end of the Cold War, reading this book at a time when the frailty of both capitalism and democracy in the developed world are on display makes for an interesting and contemplative experience. It is important to note, however, that this story is much more complex than a simple ideological battle between two worldviews. For, while Le Guin seems to favor the Odonian vision of Anarres over the nations of Urras, both societies are critically flawed. Urras is seen as a hell by Shevek, who abhors the greed, exploitation, dishonesty, and selfish ambition he sees there. Yet, Anarres in many ways, is just as or more flawed; pressures to conform to societal norms and expectations, informal bureaucracies just as autocratic as authoritarian states, and a xenophobic fear and rejection of Other create a repression of the mind and of creativity almost as stifling as the more overtly oppressive states on Urras. Some see the introduction of Terran and Hainish actors toward the end as a bit of a deus ex machina, and it is to some degree from the perspective of the *action* in the plot; but from the all-important perspective of the *ideas* of the novel, they provide an interesting and important counterbalance to Shevek's perspective on the two worlds, and importantly provide the possibility at the end of a way forward, and a new, more wide-spread revolution and evolution of ideas. This is a complicated, subtle novel; but the beauty of it is that its essence is captured entirely in the first two paragraphs. This is a novel about a wall and all it implies. Insider versus outcast. Belonging versus exclusion. Laughably trivial and yet the most important thing in the universe. Humanly-devised, given meaning only through the social constructions of the collective. Viewed, in our case, from the dispossessed traveler who journeys forth but always returns. A joy to read, and even more so to contemplate; a timeless classic of science fiction as powerful today as when it was first written. Review: Sociology as science fiction as ancient Greek drama - ‘Little children might say “my mother,” but very soon they learned to say “the mother.” Instead of “my hand hurts,” it was “the hand hurts me,” and so on; to say “this one is mine and that’s yours” in Pravic, one said, “I use this one and you use that.”’ (p54) What should society look like – norms, structures, goals, relationships, obligations, expectations? What can it look like? What does it look like? What does all this mean for each of us as individuals? Karen Joy Fowler’s forward to this fiftieth anniversary edition talks about science fiction (and Le Guin’s style) as “thought experiment”. What kind of thought experiment do we get here? This book reminds me of an ancient Greek play. It’s “Brave New Worlds” (deliberately plural here) and a little “Nineteen Eighty-Four” written as a thoughtful debate that includes choral commentary. The plot is a wrapper around a philosophical discussion – fiction as scaffolding for an essay. The novel’s narrative chronology is interesting. The book opens with the protagonist departing one planet for another under awkward and somewhat mysterious circumstances. This event anchors the story: the chapters alternate between a timeline on the first planet that leads to the protagonist’s departure, and another timeline on the second planet that follows the departure. The parallel threads eventually come together in a fascinating climax that brings the story full circle. In “The Left Hand of Darkness”, Le Guin’s story (the wrapper, the scaffolding) is compelling – it captivates readers and complements well the deep commentary. Here, the plot’s sometimes a little artificial and clunky. Both books are powerful and well worth your time. But “Left Hand” is more fun because the tale itself is richer. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #4,451 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #11 in Science Fiction Short Stories #218 in Classic Literature & Fiction #362 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,730 Reviews | ## Images ![The Dispossessed [50th Anniversary Edition]: A Special Edition of the Nebula Award–Winning Classic - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91v+uOTqnzL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Burns with a quiet passion *by C***S on September 12, 2011* Like Shevek himself, this book has a quiet, intelligent stoicism about it, and yet burns with the hot, subversive passion of revolution at its core. This is a book of ideas, and the "action" of this novel revolves around the creation and development of these ideas, rather than around specific "events" per se. Indeed, moments of "action", such as the military firing into a massive, unarmed insurrectionary crowd, barely seems to raise Shevek's (and by extension, as the lens through which we see this world, our) pulse rate. Instead, it is the subtler moments of dispossession, possession, being outcast, returning home where the emotion and the passion swell. The narrative structure is quite fascinating and effective, as chapters in Shevek's "real time" alternate with Shevek's past; however, true to the ideas of time in the book, these distinct pieces combine to form an inseparable whole. More broadly, they serve to show the seductive promise of the worlds of Urras and Anarres, and then the deep flaws of each, ending on a ambiguous note that is ultimately satisfying, for this is a book that asks more questions than it answers. What makes these two worlds, and indeed this whole story, timeless is the fact that although this book was written during the Cold War, it would be more fair to say that Urras and Anarres represent stylized manifestations of capitalism and communism, respectively rather than more straight-forward metaphors for the U.S. and Soviet Union (which would've made this story feel somewhat dated). Indeed, despite the end of the Cold War, reading this book at a time when the frailty of both capitalism and democracy in the developed world are on display makes for an interesting and contemplative experience. It is important to note, however, that this story is much more complex than a simple ideological battle between two worldviews. For, while Le Guin seems to favor the Odonian vision of Anarres over the nations of Urras, both societies are critically flawed. Urras is seen as a hell by Shevek, who abhors the greed, exploitation, dishonesty, and selfish ambition he sees there. Yet, Anarres in many ways, is just as or more flawed; pressures to conform to societal norms and expectations, informal bureaucracies just as autocratic as authoritarian states, and a xenophobic fear and rejection of Other create a repression of the mind and of creativity almost as stifling as the more overtly oppressive states on Urras. Some see the introduction of Terran and Hainish actors toward the end as a bit of a deus ex machina, and it is to some degree from the perspective of the *action* in the plot; but from the all-important perspective of the *ideas* of the novel, they provide an interesting and important counterbalance to Shevek's perspective on the two worlds, and importantly provide the possibility at the end of a way forward, and a new, more wide-spread revolution and evolution of ideas. This is a complicated, subtle novel; but the beauty of it is that its essence is captured entirely in the first two paragraphs. This is a novel about a wall and all it implies. Insider versus outcast. Belonging versus exclusion. Laughably trivial and yet the most important thing in the universe. Humanly-devised, given meaning only through the social constructions of the collective. Viewed, in our case, from the dispossessed traveler who journeys forth but always returns. A joy to read, and even more so to contemplate; a timeless classic of science fiction as powerful today as when it was first written. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sociology as science fiction as ancient Greek drama *by D***J on March 26, 2026* ‘Little children might say “my mother,” but very soon they learned to say “the mother.” Instead of “my hand hurts,” it was “the hand hurts me,” and so on; to say “this one is mine and that’s yours” in Pravic, one said, “I use this one and you use that.”’ (p54) What should society look like – norms, structures, goals, relationships, obligations, expectations? What can it look like? What does it look like? What does all this mean for each of us as individuals? Karen Joy Fowler’s forward to this fiftieth anniversary edition talks about science fiction (and Le Guin’s style) as “thought experiment”. What kind of thought experiment do we get here? This book reminds me of an ancient Greek play. It’s “Brave New Worlds” (deliberately plural here) and a little “Nineteen Eighty-Four” written as a thoughtful debate that includes choral commentary. The plot is a wrapper around a philosophical discussion – fiction as scaffolding for an essay. The novel’s narrative chronology is interesting. The book opens with the protagonist departing one planet for another under awkward and somewhat mysterious circumstances. This event anchors the story: the chapters alternate between a timeline on the first planet that leads to the protagonist’s departure, and another timeline on the second planet that follows the departure. The parallel threads eventually come together in a fascinating climax that brings the story full circle. In “The Left Hand of Darkness”, Le Guin’s story (the wrapper, the scaffolding) is compelling – it captivates readers and complements well the deep commentary. Here, the plot’s sometimes a little artificial and clunky. Both books are powerful and well worth your time. But “Left Hand” is more fun because the tale itself is richer. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Book! I recommend it! *by A***R on May 9, 2026* The book was great! We read it in my Book Club and it was so interesting to discuss!! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/688737214-the-dispossessed-50th-anniversary-edition-a-special-edition-of-nebula](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/688737214-the-dispossessed-50th-anniversary-edition-a-special-edition-of-nebula) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-06-23*