Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe Of Heaven

Ursula K. Le Guin, a renowned and recognized author, wrote The Lathe Of Heaven, a science fiction novel that tells the story of George Orr, a timid draftsman, who has the power to alter reality through his dreams. George meets Dr. Haber, an ambitious doctor, who discovers potential in George’s dreams so he manipulates George into altering reality but they both discover that altering reality has consequences.

The Lathe Of Heaven was published in 1971 and events of the story take place is the year 2002, this novel was considered futuristic at the time (“Lathe Of Heaven Setting”).This story takes place in the 1990s to the 2000s in Portland, Oregon with a crowded city setting as a backdrop. Even though the place stays the same throughout the story, reality changes drastically because of George Orr’s ability to alter it.The reason Ursula K. Le Guin chose Portland as the setting is so that the effects of George’s powers can be seen clearly (“Lathe Of Heaven Setting”). Ursula K. Le Guin has written many stories and a theme that is prevalent throughout all her stories is her “use of psychology” (

and thus are very common (Elements of the Epic Tradition). This story also involves common character archetypes found in every story, the villain, Dr.Haber, who’s bound to lose, the damsel in distress, Heather Lelache, and the world George has to save because he’s the hero, the only one who can use “iahklu” the power to dream (Le Guin 167). Even though george is the hero is is very timid and seems to only stand up to Haber’s manipulative ways towards the end of the story by not obediently obeying Dr.Haber and saving and fixing the world by leaving his dreams