A parable of racism and colonialism, in which the different “races” are humans and several different alien civilisations, including the peaceful Athsheans, who are obviously meant to resemble an idealised, primitive-yet-wise indigenous people. Unfortunately, the effect of this is to suggest that there are essential, innate differences between “races”, and that these differences underpin racism.

The Athsheans resist human colonisation and in the process learn to kill (humans, as well as each other). Le Guin implies that they really had no history or narrative before this point, as if contact with humans represents the start of their history. It’s weird and Eurocentric and quite un-self-aware. The narrative switches perspective between an evil coloniser, a good scientist and a good Athshean, and Le Guin’s depiction of the evil coloniser’s perspective is scarily accurate, though also rather easy for the reader to condemn (because he’s so bad). The actual prose is great and very vivid, which makes the novella’s weaknesses all the more disappointing.