Ursula K. Le Guin is a versatile American writer best known for her science fiction/fantasy works for young adults and independent readers but whose oeuvre covers poetry, plays, novels for adults, picture books, and collections of essays. She has also served as a translator of poetry and also as an editor of various science fiction anthologies. Her reputation as an author was established in the late sixties with the publication of A Wizard of Earthsea, the first in a putative trilogy of books which has since been supplemented with a further three books of prequels and bridging stories. Beyond the Earthsea series, she is also known for her Hainish Cycle series, Catwings series, and Annals of the Western Shore trilogy.
Ursula Le Guin's childhood set the stage for her later foray into science fiction and fantasy and her penchant for creating other, believable worlds filled with the sorts of conflicts and issues faced by different cultures on Earth. Ursula Kroeber was born October 21, 1929 in Berkeley, California to Alfred and Theodora Kroeber. She was the fourth of four children, with three older brothers. Her father was of a German immigrant family and a professor of anthropology. Her mother was a psychologist and writer. In fact she was the author of one of the saddest and tragic stories I have ever read. Visiting my aunt, a botanist in California, in the 1970's when I was in my early teens, she handed me a book, Ishi in Two Worlds. This was written by Le Guin's mother and is the tale of the last surviving Native American to live a traditional life until he made contact with Californians in 1911. He was taken under the care of Alfred Kroeber and Thomas Waterman at the University of California, San Francisco.
Ursula K. Le Guin grew up in Northern California, summering at a family cabin in the Napa Valley which was a gathering place of academics, anthropologists, etc. As she described it, it was "an old, tumble-down ranch in the Napa Valley . . . (and) a gathering place for scientists, writers, students, and California Indians. Even though I didn't pay much attention, I heard a lot of interesting, grown-up conversation."
Le Guin was a superior student and took her University degree from Radcliffe College in 1951 as a Phi Beta Kappa. Heeding her father's advice that she needed a marketable profession on which to count for a living, but perhaps reflecting a rarified intellectual upbringing, Le Guin then pursued a master's degree in Romance Literature at Columbia University. She became a faculty fellow there in 1952 before receiving a Fulbright fellowship to study in Paris in 1953. On her way to France, Le Guin fell in love with a fellow ship-board passenger, Charles Le Guin of Georgia and they wed six months later.
On their return from France they moved to Altanta, Georgia where Charles Le Guin finished up his doctorate at Emory University and had a teaching position. They moved on to the University of Idaho briefly in 1956, before finally settling in Portland, Oregon where they remain resident today having raised three children.
Le Guin was an enthusiastic writer and initially focused on poetry and short stories. Her first published work was a short story in Fantastic magazine in 1962. Her first book, Rocannon's World, did not appear until 1966 when she was 37 years old. Rocannon's World posited a galaxy that was colonized by the Hain (and is the foundation for the whole Hain Cycle of books). However, not having speed of light transportation, as the Hain moved to more and more remote planets, the already colonized planets lost contact with one another and evolved physically and culturally along different paths. When they later began to reconnect they discovered that they needed to navigate entirely different cultural norms from those with which they were familiar. This exploration of the "other" be it race or gender or class is the foundation of virtually all of Le Guin's works.
In the hands of even a marginally less gifted author, this sort of plot would be a recipe for tendentious disaster. With Le Guin it is an opportunity to see a world through different eyes. Her writing is an education not only in ideas, but in perspective. It is the plethora of ideas and the excitement of thinking things through to a logical end that so grips young adults. For, in one respect, they are also in the transition from seeing the world through the eyes of a child to a completely different perspective as adults. Anything that helps them understand differences is a plus.
Her reputation, beyond the specific books, is built on her demonstrated ability to mesh high-concept thinking with strong plots, well-developed characters and detailed descriptions which bring to life the alternate worlds which she has created. She bears some similarity to the English writer of the fifties and sixties, John Wyndham. Wyndham also wrote science fiction/fantasy. Like Le Guin, he focused not so much on the technology and the exuberance of the fantasy, but rather on what that technology or circumstances of alternate reality might mean for the human condition. Thus in one of his more famous books, The Midwich Cuckoos, which was predicated on a cohort of alien children born to human women, it is not so much their telepathic capabilities that drive the plot, but the mystery of a unitary whole made up of a collection of children. How do you deal with the individual child that is just an extension of the group of children?
They also shared similar issues with the craft of science fiction - Wyndham responding to the "galactic gangsters in space opera" prevalent in the early days of science fiction writing and Le Guin to "hardware and soldiers". They both introduced elements of feminist consideration in their writings - Wyndham with strong female characters and contemplations of gender roles (as in The Trouble with Lichen and how prolonged life spans might affect gender roles) and Le Guin with both characters and a revisiting of some of her works to later establish a different and greater role for female characters, as with the later three Earthsea books (Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, and The Other Wind) which supplement the first trilogy and, in effect, even up the gender roles. A focus on the nature of gender roles is also present in Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness where she tackles the implications of an androgynous hermaphroditic society.
Other British writers with whom she has been compared are J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis - and I would add Richard Adams (Shardik) - for their ability to render in sharp, believable detail whole other worlds. Tolkien and Adams, I think, are especially of a similar cloth in that the detail is not only in the written description. It is so concrete and thought out that it extends to comprehendible maps of the other world, just as Le Guin does with Earthsea.
Two other writers with whom I think she shares some characteristics are Susan Cooper and Madeleine L'Engle, primarily in terms of the strength of character development. Across all of these writers there is also a capacity to draw deeply on knowledge of myths, legends, and folklore. There is little surprise that this should be the case with Le Guin since her father was an anthropologist. One would assume that this influence shows itself as well in her talent for thinking through the social and societal implications of different structures of reality which inform so many of her books. It also shows up when she weaves in anthropological themes such as the importance of naming things as she does in Earthsea.
As mentioned earlier, Le Guin's reputation has been built on the bedrock of her Earthsea books. In a limited space it is difficult to convey the richness of these novels and the reality of an alternate world which Le Guin creates. Long before Harry Potter there was an apprentice sorcerer attending a school for wizards - Ged of the Earthsea trilogy.
While both cycles of books (Earthsea and Harry Potter) are a combination of science fiction and fantasy, of quests infused with European mythologies and symbols, and are both in a sense coming of age stories dealing with good and evil, they are not as similar as they might appear on the surface. There is an effervescence across the Harry Potter books that is not present in Earthsea. Correspondingly, there is a depth of thought and authorial contemplation in Earthsea not predominantly present in Harry Potter.
The original trilogy of Earthsea covers three phases of Ged's life - youth and apprenticeship in A Wizard of Earthsea (1968), adulthood in The Tombs of Atuan (1971), and old age in The Farthest Shore (1972). But Le Guin wraps up so much more along these continuums across the three books. You might also characterize them as focusing respectively on introspection, social connection and spirituality; or alternatively coming of age, sexuality, and death.
While Catwings is a good place to start with young ones and the Earthsea trilogy is particularly recommended for Young Adults, in Ursula Le Guin's writing you will always find a refreshing engagement with ideas and a boldness and creativity of exploring other ways of looking at things. This aspect of her writing is particularly appealing to teens.
Catwings Collection by Ursula K. Le Guin Recommended |
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler Recommended |
Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler Suggested |
Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler Suggested |
Jane on Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler Suggested |
Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Recommended |
Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin Recommended |
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin Recommended |
The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Very Far Away from Anywhere Else by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Beginning Place by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Eye of the Heron by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Compass Rose by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Dancing at the Edge of the World by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Searoad by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
A Fisherman Of The Inland Sea by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Four Ways To Forgiveness by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Unlocking the Air and Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Wave in the Mind by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral by Gabriela Mistral and translated by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Selected Stories of H. G. Wells by H.G. Wells and edited by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
The Birthday of the World by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Incredible Good Fortune by Ursula K. Le Guin Suggested |
Ursula K. Le Guin Bibliography
Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin 1966
Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin 1966
City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin 1967
Three Hainish Novels by Ursula K. Le Guin 1967
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Ruth Robbins 1968
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin 1969
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Gail Garraty 1971
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin 1971
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Gail Garraty 1972
The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin 1972
From Elfland to Poughkeepsie by Ursula K. Le Guin 1973
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin 1974
Wild Angels by Ursula K. Le Guin 1975
The Wind's Twelve Quarters: Short Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin 1975
Dreams Must Explain Themselves by Ursula K. Le Guin 1975
The New Atlantis and Other Novellas of Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin 1975
Very Far Away from Anywhere Else by Ursula K. Le Guin 1976
Solomon Leviathan's Nine Hundred and Thirty-First Trip around the World by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Alicia Austin 1976
Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. Le Guin 1976
The Water Is Wide by Ursula K. Le Guin 1976
The Altered I: An Encounter with Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin 1976
Nebula Award Stories 11 by Ursula K. Le Guin 1976
Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 1977
Leese Webster by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by James Brunsman 1979
Malafrena by Ursula K. Le Guin 1979
Tillai and Tylissos by Ursula K. Le Guin 1979
The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin 1979
The Beginning Place by Ursula K. Le Guin 1980
The Eye of the Heron, and Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin 1980
Torrey Pines Reserve by Ursula K. Le Guin 1980
Interfaces: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin 1980
Edges: Thirteen New Tales from the Borderlands of the Imagination by Ursula K. Le Guin 1980
Hard Words, and Other Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin 1981
Gwilan's Harp by Ursula K. Le Guin 1981
The Adventures of Cobbler's Rune by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Alicia Austin 1982
Adventures in Kroy by Ursula K. Le Guin 1982
The Compass Rose by Ursula K. Le Guin 1982
In the Red Zone by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Henk Pander 1983
The Visionary: The Life Story of Flicker of the Serpentine by Ursula K. Le Guin 1984
Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Margaret Chodos 1985
King Dog: A Screenplay by Ursula K. Le Guin 1985
Music and Poetry of the Kesh by Ursula K. Le Guin 1985
Rigel Nine: An Audio Opera by Ursula K. Le Guin 1985
Uses of Music in Uttermost Parts by Ursula K. Le Guin 1986
Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences by Ursula K. Le Guin 1987
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler 1988
A Visit from Dr. Katz by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Ann Barrow 1988
Wild Oats and Fireweed by Ursula K. Le Guin 1988
Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler 1989
Fire and Stone by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Laura Marshall 1989
Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places by Ursula K. Le Guin 1989
The Way of the Waters Going: Images of the Northern California Coastal Range by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Ernest Waugh 1989
Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 1991
Searoad: Chronicles of Klatsand by Ursula K. Le Guin 1991
Myth and Archetype in Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin 1991
Talk about Writing by Ursula K. Le Guin 1991
Fish Soup by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Patrick Wynne 1992
A Ride on the Red Mare's Back by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Julie Downing 1992
Blue Moon over Thurman Street by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Roger Dorband 1993
Earthsea Revisioned by Ursula K. Le Guin 1993
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin 1993
The Norton Book of Science Fiction: North American Science Fiction, 1960-1990 by Ursula K. Le Guin 1993
Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler 1994
Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Susan Seddon Boulet 1994
Going Out with Peacocks and Other Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin 1994
A Fisherman of the Inland Sea: Science Fiction Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin 1994
Four Ways to Forgiveness by Ursula K. Le Guin 1995
World of Exile and Illusion by Ursula K. Le Guin 1996
The Twins, The Dream: Two Voices / Las Gemelas by Ursula K. Le Guin 1996
Unlocking the Air: And Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin 1996
Lao Tzu: Tao Teh Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way by Ursula K. Le Guin 1997
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew by Ursula K. Le Guin 1998
The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin 2000
Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin 2003
Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin 2004
Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 2001
The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin 2001
Tom Mouse by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by Julie Downing 2002
Jane on Her Own: A Catwings Tale by Ursula K. Le Guin and illustrated by S. D. Schindler 1999
The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Reader, and the Imagination by Ursula K. Le Guin 2004
Gabriela Mistral: Selected Poems by Gabriela Mistral 2003
Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was by Angelica Gorodischer 2003
Selected Stories of H. G. Wells by H.G. Wells 2004
Sixty Odd: New Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin 1999
The Birthday of the World and Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin 2002
Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin 2006
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin 2008
Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin 2007
Incredible Good Fortune by Ursula K. Le Guin 2006
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