An ethnologist scholar visits the planet Gethen (which in the Earth language means winter), thus facing a completely different world than Earth.

This contact with the "foreign" forces the hero to completely reevaluate taboo positions and views, not only regarding the nature of sex and sexism but also concerning cultural alienation in general. The Earthly Envoy slowly but steadily sheds outdated ideas and inhumane philosophies, overcoming a multitude of arteriosclerotic conventions, ultimately leading to understanding.

On a long journey through the ice, which contains the notion of initiation, along with his Gethenian co-protagonist, he will realize the significance of the Other Reality, the power and complexity of Nature, the overwhelming authenticity of events, and ultimately the dark side of the self.

(. . .) [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]