Ursula K. Le Guin, the immensely popular author who brought literary depth and a tough-minded feminist sensibility to science fiction and fantasy with books like “The Left Hand of Darkness” and the Earthsea series, died on Monday at her home in Portland, Ore. She was 88. Her son, Theo Downes-Le Guin, confirmed the death. He did not specify a cause but said she had been in poor health for several months. Ms. Le Guin embraced the standard themes of her chosen genres: sorcery and dragons, spaceships and planetary conflict. But even when her protagonists are male, they avoid the macho posturing of so many science fiction and fantasy heroes. The conflicts they face are typically rooted in a clash of cultures and resolved more by conciliation and self-sacrifice than by swordplay or space battles. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/...ed-for-her-fantasy-fiction-is-dead-at-88.html
RIP I grew up on the Earthsea Quartet, must have read it at least 8 times. Sad to see one of the greats pass away.
I have a signed copy of the fist book somewhere. She, I'm fairly sure, visited my school during the 5th grade almost 30 years ago. I want to say it was her anyway. I remember asking how she writes like she does, and the response was something along the lines of "imagine if it's happening to you. If you're under a rock, what dos I feel like. s it heavy, can you breathe" and so on. I dunno, that's the story I tell myself - but it was so any years ago I can't be sure anymore. Certainly spent a lot of time invested in the first two Earthsea books. Reread em dozens of times.
RIP Loved the Earthsea trilogy -- especially the language, and especially the second book, which really made me feel as if I was really creeping around in a dark tomb. The magic was fresh and breath-taking, and the dragons were alien and awesome.
Earthsea is one of the series that helped spark my love of the fantasy genre. I never knew her, but I’ll miss her anyway.
