The Word for World Is Forest (1976) Signed First Edition Reference

The Word for World Is Forest is Le Guin’s most directly political Hainish novel — a Vietnam-era allegory about the exploitation of an indigenous, forest-dwelling people by human colonizers. First published as a novella in 1972, the expanded novel was published by Putnam’s/Berkley in 1976. The story’s environmental and anti-colonial themes have made it one of Le Guin’s most prescient works.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Berkley/Putnam, New York Publication date: 1976 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $200–$600
• Unsigned first edition: $30–$75

The novel’s environmental themes and anti-colonial message have kept it relevant for five decades. Its influence on James Cameron’s Avatar has been widely noted.