Stories

Contents
From the translator’s note
King of the Planet of Winter
The Box in Which There Was Darkness
The Victor
The Rule of Names
The Liberating Enchantment

King of the Planet of Winter
This is the story of King Agraven: during one of his walks he was abducted and subjected to psycho-correction, after which he gave up power and flew to another planet.

Note:
This story was written while working on material for the novel “The Left Hand of Darkness.”

A Chest of Darkness [= The Box in Which There Was Darkness; the Trunk of Darkness; a Box with Darkness]
A very stylish story about a fairy-tale prince and his shadow. Despite the apparent ease, it is a very serious parable.

The Rule of Names
You may not tell anyone your true name, and you may not ask anyone about their true name. Because a true name embodies the very essence of a thing. To name it is to gain power over that thing. Real trouble happens when an unfamiliar person arrives at the Satin Island and calls the local wizard, Mr. Gorovik, by his true name.

The Liberating Enchantment
It’s not easy to break free from the dungeon where a terrible and powerful enemy has imprisoned you. Even harder is the decision to leave life, in order to meet him in another world, defeat him, and remain forever, guarding the peace of those who live there.