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The Lathe of Heaven
- 43 statements
- 7 feature instances
- 15 referencing feature instances
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The Lathe of Heaven | |
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TheLatheOfHeaven | |
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The Lathe of Heaven is a 1971 novel by Ursula K. Le Guin first serialized in Amazing Stories. It was nominated for the Hugo Award and Nebula Award and won the Locus Award.George Orr is a perfectly ordinary man with one problem. Namely, when he wakes up from dreams, he knows that things are different. His dreams change the past and present, leaving him with the memories of the old and new realities, but no one but him notices.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })He goes to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Haber, who, while dismissing his claims as delusions of grandeur, has a machine that may focus his dreams, curing his problems. Except that once Dr. Haber discovers that Orr's dreams can indeed change reality, he has no intention of curing him. Instead, he decides to harness Orr's dreams to shape reality into what he feels will be a perfect world.The world changes bit by bit while Haber tries to create his utopia, passing through many classic dystopian sci-fi ideas in the process. Orr suspects what Haber is up to, and tries to stop the doctor from using him to warp reality. Then things get a lot worse, and a lot weirder.The Lathe of Heaven has been adapted twice into TV movies, first by PBS in 1980 (as part of a series that included Overdrawn at the Memory Bank) and then remade by A&E in 2002.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); }) | |
| The Lathe of Heaven | fetched |
2023-01-18T08:57:11Z | |
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2023-01-18T08:57:11Z | |
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| The Lathe of Heaven / int_4eaa9b84 | type |
Author Tract | |
| The Lathe of Heaven / int_4eaa9b84 | comment |
Author Tract: the plot was informed fairly heavily by Le Guin's Taoist beliefs: whereas Haber tries to make the world better by forcing change through Orr's dreams, Orr tries his very best to stop anything from changing. The aliens counsel Orr to just "go with the flow" and be content with the reality that he has. Le Guin also clearly dislikes utilitarianism: in a reality where Haber essentially rules the world, his philosophy is summarized as "the greatest happiness for the greatest number," a utilitarian phrase, and the effect is terrifying. | |
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| The Lathe of Heaven / int_8430699a | type |
Alternate Universe | |
| The Lathe of Heaven / int_8430699a | comment |
Alternate Universe: Each time Orr dreams, the world is shifted into one. | |
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| The Lathe of Heaven / int_91e894b4 | type |
Apocalypse How | |
| The Lathe of Heaven / int_91e894b4 | comment |
Apocalypse How: Of various sorts. All of the following are involved in at least one reality: global climate change due to pollution, overpopulation and food shortages, a third World War, nukes, widespread radiation sickness, global plague which kills upwards of 5 billion people, aliens (complete with space battles, a moon base, and an invasion), a goddamn volcano, and whatever weirdness The Break is. | |
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Be Careful What You Wish For | |
| The Lathe of Heaven / int_b06bbf4b | comment |
Be Careful What You Wish For: Haber's attempts to "perfect" the world continually go wrong because Orr's mind invokes this trope. Wish for the world to be united? They'll be united by an Alien Invasion of the moon. Wish for the aliens to leave the moon? Fine, they leave the moon... in order to invade Earth. | |
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| The Lathe of Heaven / int_d001c42c | type |
Anti-Villain | |
| The Lathe of Heaven / int_d001c42c | comment |
Anti-Villain: Haber, although YMMV | |
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| The Lathe of Heaven / int_dd48b81d | type |
Totalitarian Utilitarian | |
| The Lathe of Heaven / int_dd48b81d | comment |
Le Guin also clearly dislikes utilitarianism: in a reality where Haber essentially rules the world, his philosophy is summarized as "the greatest happiness for the greatest number," a utilitarian phrase, and the effect is terrifying. | |
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The Lathe of Heaven |
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