Ha ha - Left Hand is one of those books that, ten years ago, I decided I wasn't old enough for yet. I believe fandom has since cured me, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. It's on the list, though!

Actually, I love certain of her short stories more than I love any of her novels (although I always at least enjoy the novels).

It occurs to me that you might be interested in Lavinia, about the woman Aeneus married in The Aenid? It's partly one of those "the woman's perspective" stories, but it also involves a fascinating dream-relationship between Lavinia and Virgil himself. I think the combination of female-centric story and meta-story might intrigue you.