The crew forms a miniature society in which each member must participate in creating a cohesive group narrative to alter the nature of reality, which causes the travel.

[2] A starship crew faces the physical and psychic effects of traveling faster than light from Hain, the Prime World, the source of the oldest culture and most intelligent life among the planetary group called the Ekumen.

The crews' ritual is gathering around a campfire to discuss the Churten theory and to tell stories that will bond them together.

They start to lose their social cohesion and in order for the Shobies to tell their story, they must establish themselves with relation to time.

Le Guin also shows cultures coming together to work and live in overcoming the struggles the crew faces.

"The Shobies' Story" touches on themes such as interstellar travel, time dilation, cultural dominance, and perceptions of reality.

Tai, Betton, Lidi, and Shan are from Terra; Oreth, Karth, Asten, and Rig are from Gethen; Gveter is from Anarres; and Sweet Today is Hainish-chiffewarian.

Another theme of the story deals with time dilation and how long the trip will take and when or if the Shoby ship will return to Ve in seventeen years.

Only twenty-five, the only Cetian in the crew, much hairier then the others, and not gifted in language, he spends a lot of time on the defensive.

Gveter has a mane on his head, a pelt on his limbs and body, fuzz on his feet and a silvery nimbus (of hair) on his hands and face.

Sweet Today: a big, tall, heavy, Hainish woman in her late fifties, with a slow and comfortable voice.