"The Word for World is Forest" by Ursula K. Le Guin is a thought-provoking novel that may have inspired the story of the first Avatar movie. The similarities between the two are striking1. In Le Guin's novel, the original humanoid inhabitants of a distant planet, distant relatives of Earth's people, are enslaved and their planet exploited for its resources by a group of Terran colonists. The colonists disregard the tremendous harm and destruction they cause in their quest for power and wealth2. This mirrors our real-life situation in many places of the world, both in 1972 when Le Guin wrote the novel and now.

The novel won the Hugo Award in 1973 and is part of Le Guin's Hainish Cycle. It explores themes of colonialism, environmental destruction, and cultural clash. The story follows a native who leads a revolt against the colonizers, introducing violence to a previously peaceful culture. This narrative shares key elements with Avatar, including a depleted Earth, exploitative resource extraction on another planet, and a successful revolt by the natives1.

Le Guin's work serves as a reminder that the world doesn't have to be the way it is, showing us the consequences of our choices, both good and bad. Stories like these are crucial as they keep us aware of the impact of our actions and inspire us to envision a better future