Read this when
The Lathe of Heaven
A man whose dreams change reality asks his psychiatrist for help. The psychiatrist has… plans. Le Guin on the helper who's actually in charge.
Who it's for
George Orr, whose dreams literally change reality, goes to psychiatrist Dr.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Ursula K. Le Guin's 1971 science fiction novel is set in a rain-soaked, overcrowded Portland, Oregon, in 2002. George Orr, a draftsman, has 'effective' dreams that change reality. His psychiatrist, Dr. William Haber, discovers the power and builds a device, the Augmentor, to steer Orr's dreams toward his own plans to improve the world, and each intervention produces a worse alternative reality.
Where to find it
In print (Scribner); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain.
Before you start
Heads up: Mass death and coercive psychiatry.
Age: Ages 14+
But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, “On Marriage”
