Perfidious Albion
LE GUIN, Ursula. The Lathe of Heaven. London: Victor Gollancz. 1972.
8vo. Original dark red boards with spine lettered in gilt; striking yellow unclipped dust jacket; pp. [vi], 184, [2], loosely inserted, signed single sheet typed letter headed "N.W Thurman Street, Portland, Oregan, 97210" (see below); spine ends minimally bumped and with spotting to top edge; letter folded three times; otherwise near fine.
The first UK edition, first impression, accompanied by a typed letter signed from Le Guin to her publisher Michael Edwards at Gollancz, dated 8 May 1979, talking about the upcoming film adaptation of The Lathe of Heaven.
The plot of this cult classic novel revolves around a man whose dreams begin to alter reality and explores both the positive and negative consequences that ensue. The Lathe of Heaven was first serialised in Amazing in 1971 and published in the same year by Scriber's, New York.
In the loosely inserted letter, Ursula Le Guin expresses regret for missing the 37th World Science Fiction Convention which was held in Brighton in August 1979 due, in part, to her mother's illness. Le Guin was later honoured in absentia with a Gandalf Award. She also expresses sadness that her children have migrated halfway across the world, writing, "we keep losing our daughters to perfidious Albion". In the letter, she suggests the possibility of sending her cult-clsssic film, The Lathe of Heaven (1980) to the Science Fiction Convention rather than attending the "world-con" herself.
Ursula Le Guin and Michael Edwards had an intimate correspondence. Michael Edwards was an impressive publishing editor at Gollancz and did not just represent Le Guin, he also hosted an array of literary stars including Brian Aldiss and Phillip K. Dick. Despite this list of personalities, he was a leading pioneer of Ursula's work.
Ursula Le Guin was inspired by the writings of Chuang Tzu in the genesis of The Lathe of Heaven and the title itself is cited directly in Chapter Three: "To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven…".
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