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Ursula Kroeber Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin at an informal bookstore Q&A session, July 2004
BornOctober 21, 1929 (1929-10-21) (age 78)
Berkeley, California, United States
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
GenresScience fiction
fantasy
Influenced
Official website

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (pronounced /ˈɝsələ ˈkroʊbɚ ləˈgwɪn/) (born October 21, 1929) is an American author. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty A literary genre is a category of literary composition Genres may be determined by Literary technique, tone, Content, or even (as in the case of fiction Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and Susanna Clarke (born November 1, 1959) is a British author best known for her debut Novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, most notably in the fantasy and science fiction genres. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Children's literature is an age category of literature written for published for or marketed to Children roughly through age 12 An essay is usually a short piece of writing It is often written from an author's personal point of view. The short story is a literary genre of Fictional Prose Narrative that tends to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction such Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting

She was first published in the 1960s. Her works explore Taoist, anarchist, ethnographic, feminist, psychological and sociological themes. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Ethnography ( Greek ethnos = people and graphein = writing is a genre of writing that uses Fieldwork to provide a descriptive Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" She has received several Hugo and Nebula awards, and was awarded the Gandalf Grand Master award in 1979 and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master Award in 2003. The Hugo Awards are given every year for the best Science fiction or Fantasy works and achievements of the previous year The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction The Gandalf Award was awarded annually by the World Science Fiction Society from 1974 to 1980 Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Science Fiction Writers of America, or SFWA (ˈsɪfwə or /ˈsɛfwə/ was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight. The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an Award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She has received eighteen Locus Awards, more than any other author. The Locus Awards were established in 1971 and are presented to winners of Locus Magazine 's annual readers' poll Her novel The Farthest Shore won the National Book Award for Children's Books in 1973. The Farthest Shore is the third of a series of books written by Ursula K The National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the United States.

Le Guin was the Professional Guest of Honor at the 1975 World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne, Australia. Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called Science fiction fandom) of various forms of Speculative fiction including Science The 33rd World Science Fiction Convention, informally known as Aussiecon, was held in Melbourne, Australia, 14– 17 August 1975 Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. She received the Library of Congress Living Legends award in the "Writers and Artists" category in April 2000 for her significant contributions to America's cultural heritage. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress A Library of Congress Living Legend is someone recognized by the Library of Congress for his or her creative contributions to American life [1] In 2004, Le Guin was the recipient of the Association for Library Service to Children's May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC is a division of the American Library Association. May Hill Arbuthnot ( 27 August 1884 - 2 October 1969) born May L She was honored by The Washington Center for the Book for her distinguished body of work with the Maxine Cushing Gray Fellowship for Writers on 18 October 2006. [2]


Contents

Biography

Le Guin was born and raised in Berkeley, California, the daughter of the anthropologist Alfred L. Kroeber and the writer Theodora Kroeber. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Alfred Louis Kroeber (June 11 1876&ndashOctober 5 1960 was one of the most influential figures in American Anthropology in the first half of the twentieth A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Theodora Kracaw Kroeber Quinn ( March 24, 1897 - July 4, 1979) was a writer and anthropologist, best known for her accounts of Her father was granted the first Ph. D. in Anthropology in the United States in 1901 (Columbia University). Her mother's biography of Alfred Kroeber, Alfred Kroeber: A Personal Configuration, is a good source for Le Guin's early years and for the biographical elements in her late works, especially her interest in social anthropology.

She received her B. A. (Phi Beta Kappa) from Radcliffe College in 1951, and M.A. from Columbia University in 1952. The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic Honor society with the mission of "fostering and recognizing excellence" in the Undergraduate Liberal arts Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge Massachusetts, and was the Coordinate college for Harvard University Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She later studied in France, where she met her husband, historian Charles Le Guin. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it They were married in 1953. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

She became interested in literature when she was very young. At the age of eleven she submitted her first story to the magazine Astounding Science Fiction (it was rejected). A science fiction magazine is a Magazine that publishes primarily Science fiction, in print or on the internet or both Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American Science fiction Magazine. Her earliest writings (little published at the time, but some appeared in adapted form much later in Orsinian Tales and Malafrena), were non-fantastic stories of imaginary countries. Orsinian Tales is a collection of short stories by American writer Ursula K Malafrena is a novel published in 1979 by Ursula K Le Guin. Although she is best known for Science fiction and Fantasy, the only unusual A fictional country is a Country that is made up for fictional stories Searching for a publishable way to express her interests, she returned to her early interest in science fiction and began to be published regularly in the early 1960s. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 She became famous after the publication of her 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness, which won the Hugo and Nebula awards. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Left Hand of Darkness is a Science fiction Novel by Ursula K The Hugo Awards are given every year for the best Science fiction or Fantasy works and achievements of the previous year The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction

Le Guin has lived in Portland, Oregon since 1958. Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She has three children and four grandchildren.

Themes

Much of Le Guin's science fiction places a strong emphasis on the social sciences, including sociology and anthropology, thus placing it in the subcategory known as soft science fiction. The social sciences comprise academic disciplines concerned with the study of the social life of human groups and individuals including Anthropology, Communication studies Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Soft science fiction, or soft SF, like its complementary opposite Hard science fiction, is a descriptive term that points to the role and nature of the [3] Her writing often makes use of unusual alien cultures to convey a message about human culture in general, for example, the exploration of sexual identity through the hermaphroditic race in The Left Hand of Darkness. Extraterrestrial life is Life originating outside of the Earth. Sexual identity is a term that like sex, has two distinctively different meanings A hermaphrodite is an organism having both male and female reproductive organs The Left Hand of Darkness is a Science fiction Novel by Ursula K Such themes place her work in the canon of feminist science fiction. Feminist science fiction is a sub-genre of Science fiction which tends to deal with women's roles in society [4] Her works are also often concerned with ecological issues.

Le Guin's work is marked by the attention she pays to the ordinary actions and transactions of everyday life. For example in 'Tehanu' it is central to the story that the main characters are concerned with the everyday business of looking after animals, tending gardens and doing domestic chores. Tehanu was the fourth of Ursula K Le Guin 's Earthsea books It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1990. Thus, her works can be seen as anthropological. They examine what humans do — on Earth or off. She creates "un-Earthly" perspectives to explore political and cultural themes. Le Guin has also written fiction set much closer to home; many of her short stories are set in our world in the present or the near future.

A number of Le Guin's science fiction works, including her novels The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness, are set in a future, post-Imperial galactic civilization loosely connected by a co-operative body known as the Ekumen. The Dispossessed An Ambiguous Utopia is a 1974 Utopian Science fiction novel by Ursula K The Hainish Cycle is the setting for a number of Science fiction novels and stories of Ursula K Le Guin describes the Ekumen as a conduit for the exchange of information, goods, and mutual cultural understanding but not a governing body in any sense. Much of her science fiction work deals with the consequences of contact between different worlds and cultures and the Ekumen serves as a framework in which to stage these interactions. For example, the novels The Left Hand of Darkness and The Telling deal with the consequences of the arrival of Ekumen envoys (known as "mobiles") on remote planets and the culture shock that ensues. The Telling is a 2000 Science fiction novel by Ursula K Le Guin set in her fictional universe of Hainish Cycle. Culture shock refers to the Anxiety and Feelings (of surprise disorientation uncertainty confusion etc

A notable feature of her science fiction work that sets it from much of mainstream 'hard' science fiction is that none of the civilizations she depicts possess reliable or useful faster-than-light travel. This comes into play in some of the stories and novels of the Ekumen. The protagonist of The Dispossessed is a physicist working on theories that could lead to faster-than-light communication. In other stories (some written earlier) we see the importance to the League of Worlds and the later Ekumen of a means of instantaneous interstellar communication, a device called the ansible. An ansible is a hypothetical machine capable of Superluminal communication and used as a Plot device in Science fiction literature

A remarkable thematic element to the Hainish Cycle novels and stories is in relation to the Ekumen's "Mobiles," who give up their connections to their home planets in order to travel in time-dilation (a few days pass for them on board their space ships while decades pass on both the worlds they are leaving behind and on the worlds they are heading towards). Generations pass where they left and are traveling to as they travel, their loved ones long gone back home when they arrive. This dynamic of loneliness creates an incredible pathos for the author's characters (often the protagonist), as they deal with leaving behind all they know and cultures they often do not expect to arrive to.

In this loose background scenario, the human species originated on the planet Hain in the distant past, near the galactic center. Hain is a fictional planet that plays an important background role in the science fiction novels of Ursula K The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way Galaxy. A Galactic Empire had expanded far across the galaxy over many millennia but, because it lacked faster-than-light (FTL) travel or communication, the Empire was finally stretched beyond its limits by the vast distances involved and it collapsed catastrophically. Thousands of years passed, during which time the populations of many outlying planets became so isolated from the central galactic civilization that they lost all knowledge of their origins, reverting to more archaic forms of civilization and technology, and in some cases developing significant evolutionary differences.

Some of the stories in A Fisherman of the Inland Sea describes "Churten" technology that provides travel faster than the speed of light that is impractical because it warps reality and the consciousnesses of travelers. A Fisherman of the Inland Sea is a 1994 collection of short stories by Ursula K

Fiction

Earthsea (fantasy)

The Earthsea novels

Note: The short story "Dragonfly" from Tales from Earthsea is intended to fit in between Tehanu and The Other Wind and, according to Le Guin, is "an important bridge in the series as a whole". Earthsea is a Fictional realm created by Ursula K Le Guin for her short story " The Word of Unbinding " published in 1964 but that became more Earthsea is a Fictional realm created by Ursula K Le Guin for her short story " The Word of Unbinding " published in 1964 but that became more A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968 is the first of a series of books written by Ursula K The Tombs of Atuan is the second of a series of books written by Ursula K The Farthest Shore is the third of a series of books written by Ursula K The National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the United States. Tehanu was the fourth of Ursula K Le Guin 's Earthsea books It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1990. The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction The Other Wind is the sixth and (so far last of a series of books written by Ursula K Tales from Earthsea, by Ursula K Le Guin, first published in 2001, is a collection of short stories from Le Guin's Earthsea world Tehanu was the fourth of Ursula K Le Guin 's Earthsea books It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1990. The Other Wind is the sixth and (so far last of a series of books written by Ursula K [5]

The Earthsea short stories

Hainish Cycle (science fiction)

The Hainish Cycle novels

The Hainish Cycle short stories

Miscellaneous novels and story cycles

Note: Le Guin has said that The Eye of the Heron might form part of the Hainish cycle. Tales from Earthsea, by Ursula K Le Guin, first published in 2001, is a collection of short stories from Le Guin's Earthsea world Tales from Earthsea, by Ursula K Le Guin, first published in 2001, is a collection of short stories from Le Guin's Earthsea world The Endeavour Award, announced annually at OryCon in Portland Oregon is awarded to a distinguished Science fiction or fantasy book written by a Pacific Northwest The Hainish Cycle is the setting for a number of Science fiction novels and stories of Ursula K The Hainish Cycle is the setting for a number of Science fiction novels and stories of Ursula K Rocannon's World was Ursula K Le Guin 's first Novel. It was published in 1966 as an Ace Double, along with Avram Davidson 's Planet of Exile is a 1966 science-fiction novel by Ursula K Le Guin in her Hainish Cycle. City of Illusions is a 1967 Science fiction Novel by Ursula K The Left Hand of Darkness is a Science fiction Novel by Ursula K The Hugo Awards are given every year for the best Science fiction or Fantasy works and achievements of the previous year The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction The Dispossessed An Ambiguous Utopia is a 1974 Utopian Science fiction novel by Ursula K The Hugo Awards are given every year for the best Science fiction or Fantasy works and achievements of the previous year The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction The Word for World Is Forest is a Science fiction Novel by Ursula K The Hugo Awards are given every year for the best Science fiction or Fantasy works and achievements of the previous year Four Ways to Forgiveness is a collection of four short stories by Ursula K Worlds of Exile and Illusion is a combined reissue of three novels by Science fiction author Ursula K Rocannon's World was Ursula K Le Guin 's first Novel. It was published in 1966 as an Ace Double, along with Avram Davidson 's Planet of Exile is a 1966 science-fiction novel by Ursula K Le Guin in her Hainish Cycle. City of Illusions is a 1967 Science fiction Novel by Ursula K The Telling is a 2000 Science fiction novel by Ursula K Le Guin set in her fictional universe of Hainish Cycle. The Endeavour Award, announced annually at OryCon in Portland Oregon is awarded to a distinguished Science fiction or fantasy book written by a Pacific Northwest The Hainish Cycle is the setting for a number of Science fiction novels and stories of Ursula K The Wind's Twelve Quarters is a collection of short stories by Ursula K Rocannon's World was Ursula K Le Guin 's first Novel. It was published in 1966 as an Ace Double, along with Avram Davidson 's The Day Before the Revolution is a Nebula Award -winning Short story by Ursula K The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction The Locus Awards were established in 1971 and are presented to winners of Locus Magazine 's annual readers' poll A Fisherman of the Inland Sea is a 1994 collection of short stories by Ursula K The Birthday of the World is a collection of short fiction by Ursula K The James Tiptree Jr Award is an annual literary prize for works of Science fiction ("SF" or Fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of The Nebula Award is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA for the best Science fiction / Fantasy fiction The James Tiptree Jr Award is an annual literary prize for works of Science fiction ("SF" or Fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of The Lathe of Heaven is a 1971 Science fiction Novel by Ursula K The Eye of the Heron is a 1978 Science fiction Novel by US Author Ursula K Millennial Women is a 1978 Science fiction Anthology, edited by Virginia Kidd, in which all the stories are written by women Malafrena is a novel published in 1979 by Ursula K Le Guin. Although she is best known for Science fiction and Fantasy, the only unusual The Beginning Place is a short Novel by Ursula K Le Guin, written in 1980. Always Coming Home is a novel by Ursula K Le Guin published in 1985 In Roman mythology, Lavinia was the daughter of Latinus and Amata. The Eye of the Heron is a 1978 Science fiction Novel by US Author Ursula K The other tales are unconnected with any of her other works, except that Malafrena takes place in the same realistic-but-imagined part of Europe as Orsinian Tales. Malafrena is a novel published in 1979 by Ursula K Le Guin. Although she is best known for Science fiction and Fantasy, the only unusual Orsinian Tales is a collection of short stories by American writer Ursula K

Short story collections

Books for children and young adults

The Catwings Collection

Annals of the Western Shore

Other books for children and young adults

Nonfiction

Prose

Poetry

Translations and Renditions

See also: "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"

Le Guin is a prolific author and has published many works that are not listed here. " The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas " (Variations on a theme by William James) is a short story by Ursula K Many works were originally published in science fiction literary magazines. Those that have not since been anthologized have fallen into obscurity.

Adaptations to film and television

Despite her many awards and her considerable popularity, Le Guin's major SF and Fantasy works have not as yet been widely adapted for film or television. For television, The Lathe of Heaven has been adapted twice, in 1980 by thirteen/WNET New York, with her own participation, and in 2002 by the A&E Network; while the first two books of the Earthsea trilogy were adapted into the miniseries Legend of Earthsea in 2004 by the Sci Fi Channel. The Lathe of Heaven is a 1971 Science fiction Novel by Ursula K Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) WNET, channel 13 is a television station licensed to Newark New Jersey. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. A&E is a cable and Satellite television network with headquarters in Manhattan and offices in Stamford, Atlanta, A miniseries (also mini-series) in a serial Storytelling medium is a production which tells a story in a pre-planned limited number of episodes Legend of Earthsea is a miniseries (later shortened to Earthsea) adapted quite loosely from the award-winning Earthsea novels by Ursula "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This adaptation was extremely poorly received by both readers of the books and Le Guin herself, who reports that she was "cut out of the process" and that the miniseries was "[a] far cry from the Earthsea I envisioned. "[6]

The animated feature film Tales from Earthsea (ゲド戦記 Gedo Senki?), based on characters and events from the 3rd and 4th Earthsea books, was produced by Studio Ghibli (スタジオジブリ?) in 2005 under the direction of Gorō Miyazaki. is a feature Anime film from Studio Ghibli, released in Japan on July 29, 2006, and in the rest of the world soon afterwards is a Japanese Animation Film studio, and previously was a subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten. is a Japanese Animation Film studio, and previously was a subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. was born on January 21, 1967 in Tokyo, Japan, the son of Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki. Le Guin was generally disappointed with the film, if not as outrightly disapproving as she been of the Sci Fi Channel miniseries, as both adaptations added major characters and events which she felt were unfaithful to her work in terms of both content and spirit. Most of all, she was saddened that Goro's father Hayao Miyazaki missed his chance to direct an Earthsea film. is a (The elder Miyazaki had asked permission to create an Earthsea adaptation back in the early 1980s, but Le Guin, not knowing his work, or indeed anime in general, turned him down. (anime in Japanese, After viewing My Neighbour Totoro, she then came to the idea that if anyone should be allowed to direct an Earthsea film, it should be Hayao Miyazaki. is a 1988 Japanese anime film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. )[7]


Scholarship

References

  1. ^ "Legends: Ursula LeGuin", Awards and Honors (Library of Congress).
  2. ^ "News Release," The Seattle Public Library, 19 October 2006.
  3. ^ Charlotte Spivack, "'Only in Dying, Life': The Dynamics of Old Age in the Fiction of Ursula Le Guin," Modern Language Studies, Vol. 14, No. 3. (Summer, 1984), pp. 43-53
  4. ^ Marilyn Strathern, "Gender as It Might Be: A Review Article," RAIN, No. 28. (Oct., 1978), pp. 4-7.
  5. ^ The Other Wind, Ursula K. Le Guin's Website
  6. ^ A Whitewashed Earthsea: How the Sci Fi Channel Wrecked My Books.
  7. ^ Ursula K. LeGuin, "Gedo Senki"

External links


Persondata
NAMELe Guin, Ursula K.
ALTERNATIVE NAMESLe Guin, Ursula Kroeber
SHORT DESCRIPTIONAmerican novelist
DATE OF BIRTHOctober 21, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTHBerkeley, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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