Not much else to talk about today so let's get right to my look at the Science Fiction Novel.
The Science Fiction Novel - Ursula Kroeber Le Guin
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| Ursula K. Le Guin |
Le Guin is best known for her works of speculative fiction, especially the Hainish universe and the Earthsea fantasy series. She was first published in 1959 and over her career, which spanned 60 years, she had over 20 novels published and more than 100 short stories. She also wrote poetry, literary criticism and children's stories.
She began writing full time in the '50s and received most success for The Wizard of Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness. For the latter she was awarded both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, becoming the first woman to do so. In 2003 she became the second woman to be honored as a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2014 she won the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
I have read three of her books so far (not counting The Dispossessed as I have to read that again) and have another three sitting on my bookshelf. I'll take a look at those today.
"A classic science fiction novel by one of the greatest writers of the genre, set in a future world where one man's dreams control the fate of humanity.
In a future world racked by violence and environmental catastrophes, George Orr wakes up one day to discover that his dreams have the ability to alter reality. He seeks help from Dr. William Haber, a psychiatrist who immediately grasps the power George wields. Soon George must preserve reality itself as Dr. Haber becomes adept at manipulating George's dreams for his own purposes." (4 stars)
"Back in my university days, 74 - 78, I took a science fiction novel course and was introduced to Ursula K. Le Guin, specifically The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed. I enjoyed those books so much that I went looking for others of her books. I found A Wizard of Earthsea but over the years I never tried to read it.
I found another copy of the book recently and decided to try this series again and I'm glad that I did. Ged is a young man of Earthsea who lives on the island of Gont. When the island is invaded by pirates, we discover Ged's talents as a wizard. He saves his village. The wizard of the island takes him in after his naming ceremony to teach him how to be a wizard. After Ged brings a shadow from the underworld up in an effort to impress a young girl, Ogion sends him to the Wizard school on the Island of Roke.
Much time is spent with Ged's education as a Wizard but he is involved in a number of incidents, almost dying when he tries to impress another wizard - student by bringing up a spirit from the underworld. A Shadow remains on the earth and when Ged finally completes his wizard training he must go after the Shadow as it is a threat to his life.
It's a fascinating story, thoughtfully written and describing an interesting new world. In so many of these stories, I struggle to read the maps or many places are left out, but I was quite happy that these were clear and easy to read, even in a paperback edition. Ged is an interesting character and the others, while not as major, are still interesting, especially his friend Vetch. There were intimations of events that take place in Ged's future, presumably they'll be described in the continuing versions of the Earthsea saga. (4 stars)"
"When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away - home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan.
While she is learning her way through the dark labyrinth, a young wizard, Ged, comes to steal the Tombs' greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. But Ged also brings with him the light of magic, and together, he and Tenar escape from the darkness that has become her domain."
"Fleeing from the monotony of his life, Hugh Rogers finds his way to "the beginning place"--a gateway to Tembreabrezi, an idyllic, unchanging world of eternal twilight. Irena Pannis was thirteen when she first found the beginning place. Now, seven years later, she has grown to know and love the gentle inhabitants of Tembreabrezi, or Mountaintown, and she sees Hugh as a trespasser. But then a monstrous shadow threatens to destroy Mountaintown, and Hugh and Irena join forces to seek it out. Along the way, they begin to fall in love. Are they on their way to a new beginning...or a fateful end?"
"Wizardry, transforming its master into a cloud of fine mist...cloning, duplicating the ideal man ten times over...Utopia, in a city where almost everyone is perfectly happy...
Ursula Le Guin, author of The Earthsea Trilogy, has a special way of blending stirring adventure with fantasy that has made comparison with such masters as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien inevitable.
Now, in The Wind's Twelve Quarters, seventeen of her favorite stories reaffirm Ursula Le Guin as one of America's outstanding writers.
CONTENTS:
Foreword
Semley's Necklace
April in Paris
The Masters
Darkness Box
The Word of Unbinding
The Rule of Names
Winter's King
The Good Trip
Nine Lives
Things
A Trip to the Head
Vaster than Empires and More Slow
The Stars Below
The Field of Vision
Direction of the Road
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
The Day Before the Revolution"
"A ground-breaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can change their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters. Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction." (5 stars)
OK, let's throw in this one even though I no longer have a copy and I've not read since the 1970's.
"A tale of two worlds.
In her most ambitious and prophetic novel to date, Ursula K. Le Guin has produced a stunning tour de force — the spellbinding story of Shevek, a brilliant physicist who single-handedly attempts to re-unite two planets cut off from each other by centuries of distrust.
Anarres, Shevek's homeland, is a bleak moon settled by an anarchic utopian civilization; Urras, the mother planet, is a world very similar to Earth, with its warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Shevek risks everything in a courageous visit to Urras — to learn, to teach, to share. But his gift becomes a threat... and in the profound conflict which ensues, Shevek must re-examine his philosophy of life."
The complete list of Le Guin's books is available at this link.
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