Rocannon's World (Hainish Series, Bk. 1)

A short summary:The story is written from the perspective of Rocannon, an anthropologist, visiting and surveying a world of people with little technology. He discovers to his horror that this world has been chosen as a base for a rebellion against the League of All Worlds. With no way of contacting his own world, and all his colleagues dead, he decides to tackle the invaders himself.I really enjoyed this book - what a pity it's out of print. It's short and easy to read, but very powerful. Le Guin has a distinctive writing style, beautiful but still very readable. She manages to convey information about the world and its many peoples and cultures with a few deft strokes, without resorting to heavy-handedness. At the same time Rocannon's character is revealed by his observations and reactions.