'Her most important book since ALWAYS COMING HOME and her most satisfactory collection since her first, the brilliant THE WIND'S TWELVE QUARTERS. A formidable and rewarding work, a prime candidate for best SF collection of the year. An essential book.' LOCUS Six of the eight pieces are set in Le Guin's classic Hainish cycle. The title story, 'The Birthday of the World', stands alone and the final piece, 'Paradises Lost', is a new short novel original to the collection, a major addition to the generation starship subgenre of science fiction. Contents: Coming of Age in Karhide by Sov Thade Tage em Ereb, of Rer, in Karhide, on Gethen (1995) Mountain Ways (1996) Old Music and the Slave Women (1999) Paradises Lost (2002) Solitude (1994) The Birthday of the World (2000) The Matter of Seggri (1994) Unchosen Love (1994)