I came across The Word for World is Forest by Usula K. Le Guin as a short book recommendation on Bookstagram, with the novel clocking in at 190 pages or so. The little premise given mentioned “Avatar, but good” which gave me a laugh, and followed up with noting the themes of colonialism and conflict of ideals. It intrigued me, and upon reading it all I can think about is how this novel was published in 1972 and still remains relevant and significant as a text today.

When the inhabitants of a peaceful world are conquered by the bloodthirsty yumens, their existence is irrevocably altered. Forced into servitude, the Athsheans find themselves at the mercy of their brutal masters. Desperation causes the Athsheans, led by Selver, to retaliate against their captors, abandoning their strictures against violence. But in defending their lives, they have endangered the very foundations of their society. For every blow against the invaders is a blow to the humanity of the Athsheans. And once the killing starts, there is no turning back.

The Word for World is Forest was reportedly written as a response the the Vietnam War and contains strong themes of anti-colonialism, anti-violence, and anti-militarism. It also serves as an inspiration for Avatar, though once you read the book you will find differences between the two that show it is largely inspiration and aesthetic. But back to the text. The Word for World is Forest may be set on a fr away planet, but the setting and social environment feels all too familiar and human.

On one hand, we have the military colonial force that is trying to establish itself as a colony, a force that holds strong beliefs that their will and action is law and they have the right to do as they please, especially considering the “aliens” on this planet are smaller and less human than them, making them inferior and subservient in their eyes. These colonists are made up of a range of positions and occupations, though notably they are men, with women being shipped in and kept like cattle for male pleasure and later breeding purposes. While they are military and should be following strict orders, some are not afraid of dishing out punishments for supposed laziness, nor are they opposed to sexually assaulting female Athsheans for their own pleasure.

Then you have the Athsheans who have their peaceful ways of life thrown off balance by the arrival of “aliens”, their forests cut down, and hundreds of their peoples enslaved and forced to do labour for these tall yumens, suffering from heinous living conditions and cruelty, and even death. The men and women are separated from each other and held in pens like animals. Any peaceful approach to freedom and fair treatment is ignored, and their women keep being assaulted by these yumens. Another Athesean women is killed by one of the yumens, having been raped. Then one of the Athsheans breakdown in grief and lashes out, changing the course of history and future relationships between the two species.

The Word for World is Forest is a compelling read, showing the two sides and how they act and react, though the yumen/humans have a perspective in their selection of characters that is a strong proponent of the racist, sexist, xenophobic and bigoted ideology at play here. I don’t disagree with the novels direction and message, but the angle for this character is undeniable, and what they represent is pretty clear. It comes across heavy-handed, but perhaps that is what is needed to make the message more identifiable for some readers. Outlining the perspectives that are destructive to the mutual coming together of peoples.

I liked The Word for World is Forest, and feel that it is a novel that should be read and analysed at tertiary level (I would say school, but the themes and content warnings are pretty heavy and inappropriate for children). It explores themes of colonialism in a way that highlights the notion of power being given up by the colonisers, and how because power and control went out of their favour, their goals were made impossible. Usually, at least from the novels I have seen, colonialism isn’t questioned in the moment, only after once the coloniser has done what they wanted to do and ceased control. To see these themes addressed in the moment and change the ideas on colonialism and interactions between parties makes for an interesting and informative read. I highly recommend it for the academics, science fiction fan, speculative fiction readers, and generally curious readers.