Always Coming HomeAlways Coming Home
Score Classic
What it's about
Far in the future, in a valley in Northern California, live the Kesh, a peaceful people whose world has recovered from our civilization's collapse. Ursula Le Guin presents their culture as an anthropologist might: their stories, poems, songs, recipes, maps and customs, along with the life story of a woman named Stone Telling, who left the valley and came back.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. It's one of Le Guin's most ambitious and unusual books.
You'll love it if you liked
The Left Hand of Darkness
Parable of the SowerGood to know
It's more like an anthology than a novel. Stone Telling's narrative runs through it.
By the numbers
- Readers58 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller16 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #164 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #247 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #477 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1667 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Adventurous, Dark
More by Ursula K. Le Guin
The DispossessedThe Left Hand of Darkness
A Wizard of Earthsea
PowersIf you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
Foundation
Ficciones
Rendezvous with Rama
The Gods Themselves
UbikExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Always Coming Home worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,667 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Always Coming Home about?
Far in the future, in a valley in Northern California, live the Kesh, a peaceful people whose world has recovered from our civilization's collapse. Ursula Le Guin presents their culture as an anthropologist might: their stories, poems, songs, recipes, maps and customs, along with the life story of a woman named Stone Telling, who left the valley and came back.
How long does it take to read Always Coming Home?
About 16 hours (640 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Always Coming Home?
If you liked it, try The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin or Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.