The Left Hand of Darkness is, in my opinion, the science fiction equivalent of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion collection. The only difference between the two, considering the level of expended mythological musings, intricate world-building, and the difficulty of understanding in an immediate glance or perspective of a novice, is that I have read the former and not the latter. However, because both contain concepts that are alien to us as readers and to us as outsiders looking in on a culture or universe we’ve never seen before, I always think it helpful to have some sort of glossary, because quick referrals over the course of this book would help the first-time reader quite a bit. So, below here, is the compilation of useful terms and practices necessary for understanding some Gethenian culture.

Kemmer: the process by which the Gethenian race departs from androgyny once each mating cycle; hormonal shifts between two consenting partners determine the temporary sex physiology during kemmer. All Gethenians who experience it participate in social etiquette coinciding with stages in the physiological process.

Island: introduced early on, an island is a communal apartment building that can hold from 20 to 200 people; an adaptation of the Hearth.

Hearth: a larger community of people living together, similar to city-states or communes. All people inside a hearth are connected by name in some way, suggesting feudal family titles hold prestige and importance.

Shifgrethor: a social hierarchy based on prestige, the saving of face in order to keep power, and the rises and falls of Gethenians from different positions on the sociopolitical ladder; serves as a motivation for assassination, the keeping of secrets, or the championing of causes that are deemed beneficial to at least one party; also helps determine rules of social authority on what is said and what is implied through not saying it.

Mindspeech: telepathy. Mastered by the Terran peoples, such as Genly Ai, and employed mainly by Ai. It is transspecies, as Gethenians can learn it from one who already knows it, and is a method of communication across nonaudible barriers. Can be used to guard one’s mind if turned off voluntarily, for a short time, and allows some divination of otherworldy energies or visions of those nearby

Foretelling: the communing of individuals in a group setting with the Universe with the primary goal of asking questions and receiving answers. Referred to as a sort of empathy by Ai, the Weaver acts as a receiver for the energies of the other participants which is broken and reformed until a quasi-orgasmic moment of knowing. Philosophically, foretelling exists as a way to know that answers to all the wrong questions.

Hieb: garment worn by the Gethenians and all visitors; given its association with boots and breeches, it serves as a method of displaying status, and possibly functions like a poncho against the cold. Different hiebs could tell people apart, but are largely a common clothing item on Gethen, especially with the more sophisticated Karhidans.

Ansible: communicative device from the Ekumen of Known Worlds. Used by Ai as a way of sending radio signals to his ship to tell it to land, or to send messages to receivers across space-time. Similar to a cellphone, but far more advanced. Requires at least one stable point in the universe to send a message.

Pulefal Farms: though the term itself is not known, the Farms are analogous to work camps or perhaps concentration camps. Those jailed are sent there (in Orgoreyn) to undergo manual labor, while also being used to test pharmaceutical neuters for kemmer or veridical drugs. Most die there, and if not, are docile and mindless. They have no kemmer, and no desire, and are seen as not human by Genly Ai.

Ekumen of Known Worlds: an organization of governments from over 80 worlds under a common banner seeking to explore the universe and make contact with unknown worlds for purposes of trade, commerce, exchange of knowledge, and social unity. They send Investigators to determine the planet’s safeness for future Envoys, and then send one Envoy at a time to the world to wear down the leaders or convince them the join the Ekumen, and thus open channels of trade.