When The Left Hand of Darkness made its debut in 1969, it came out in a environment which looked down upon science fiction. Though this book cleared significant headway in gaining the genre respect, these attitudes still exist today and are more prevalent than a fan of the Genre would hope.
The arguments are that science fiction is nothing but childish escapism. The more pretentious critics seeing it as nothing more than a collection of work made to appeal to the lowest common denominator while holding no worthwhile merit. We live in a world were everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it is perfectly acceptable to allow these people to be wrong.
In the introduction of The Left Hand of Darkness added in 1976, the novel's author Ursula K Le Guin examines the concept of science fiction in it's basest form. She posits that the best science fiction, and indeed a great many other genres, are thought experiments.
This idea of thought experiments is why sci fi can be so fascinating, and more importantly why it can resonate with people so strongly. Science fiction can take the reader places they've never been and show them things they've never seen sure, but it can also provoke, and intrigue the reader. Good science fiction, does not cater to the lowest common denominator, but instead invites the reader to think.
The left Hand of Darkness does this. It forces us to consider things we would never have conceived of before, bringing up Gender issues through a setting where gender in the way we perceive doesn't exist. In a society where they're are no gender roles, we can look into this hypothetical situation and imagine what that society would look like. As we do, we compare it to our own society and experiences, perhaps re-evaluating our preconceived notions. That is powerful writing, all brought on by a thought experiment.
Science Fiction can be summed up well with the term, "what if?" What would things be life if this was different? How would people function, how would this reality look? Science fiction can show us truths, through lies which is what good fiction is. An examination of truths told through stories.
Sure it's escapist, but it's far from worthless fantasy. It forces us to ask questions, to imagine new worlds and sometimes even challenge and provoke. In many ways, it is no different from any other story told since the dawn of time. For what is storytelling if not a collection of thought experiments?
