Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories vs The Left Hand of Darkness: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories
“That very singular man, old Dr. Heidegger, once invited four venerable friends to meet him in his study.”
vs
The Left Hand of Darkness
[Comment by Kim Stanley Robinson, on The Guardian's website][1]: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin (1969) One of my favorite novels is The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K Le Guin. For more than 40 years…
The verdict
- Readers rate The Left Hand of Darkness highest: The Left Hand of Darkness 4.4 · Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories 3.8.
- Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 6 for The Left Hand of Darkness.
- The Left Hand of Darkness has the widest readership — 576 ratings behind its score.
- The Left Hand of Darkness runs the darker storyline; Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories
≈ 1h vs 6h for The Left Hand of Darkness
Just want the better-reviewed one?
The Left Hand of Darkness
4.4 vs 3.8 from readers
New to the genre?
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories
Moderate vs Challenging for The Left Hand of Darkness
In the mood for something dark?
The Left Hand of Darkness
a darker storyline than Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories
Want something lighter?
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories
an easier tone than The Left Hand of Darkness
Scores by source
| Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories | The Left Hand of Darkness | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (121) | 4.3 (262) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (576) |
Reception
| Dr. Heidegger's Experiment and Other Stories | The Left Hand of Darkness | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 121 | 576 |
| Editions | 75 | 91 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 77 | 502 |
| Reading it now | — | 15 |
| Written reviews | 14 | 27 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 34258 |
| Pages | 30 | 329 |