Poor Ursula, a generation of Australians have been turned off her books by being forced to read The Left Hand of Darkness in high school…not that it’s a bad book, but that it’s a tough ask for teenagers to appreciate the themes and the skill.
I love her Earthsea series, both the original trilogy and the way it has continued to develop in the later books. This is a true classic in fantasy fiction, both for the character of Ged and the world of Earthsea itself.
She is also one of the few short story writers that I really enjoy (as well as Connie Willis, for different reasons); even if I don’t personally find much resonance in a particular story, I can always admire the intent and craft behind it. I never really saw the point of literary-style short stories before reading Le Guin’s, but she converted me.
Her protagonists, both male and female, are generally well-drawn and compelling. And there’s one villain, Davidson in The Word for World is Forest, where I can only be grateful we didn’t have to spend too much time in his head.
Le Guin is an elegant writer. That’s about the highest praise I can give. Her new book is Lavinia, based around a character in the Aeneid. More information about her and her works can be found here.
