George Orr dreams - dreams that change reality. When he wakes up, the world has adjusted to whatever he dreamed the night before.
Trying to escape from this situation, he obtains drugs without the required prescription. However, the illegal drug supply results in his mandatory therapy with Dr. William Haber, a psychologist. Haber will soon realize that George's strange dreams are not a product of his imagination and will not hesitate to exploit his patient's "gift" for his own personal purposes and ultimately for the greater good. But the turn of events is not what was expected...

"The Lathe of Heaven," one of Ursula Le Guin's most popular works, was published in 1971 and takes place thirty years later, in the near 2002. With a strong influence of Taoist thought, this work reflects on the ethics of science, the nature of reality, and the limits of human influence on the world.

The book was adapted for the small screen in 1980 by the Public Television of New York under the supervision of the author herself.