Ursula K. Le Guin Has Died at 88 - Page 2

HarryT · 01-25-2018, 03:07 AM

I enjoyed her earlier books, but her later "radical feminist" phase didn't appeal to me at all.

BenG · 01-25-2018, 09:56 AM

There are rumors that she was a candidate in recent years for the Nobel Prize.

HarryT · 01-25-2018, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

There are rumors that she was a candidate in recent years for the Nobel Prize.

A thoroughly deserving recipient, if so. Shame it can't be awarded posthumously.

ElspethB · 01-25-2018, 02:43 PM

I have two ancient paperback collections of her short stories that I refuse to part with: The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose. The first was finally released as an ebook last February; I hope the other will one day be available. I re-read them both last year and still love nearly all the stories. Thank you, Ms. Le Guin, for many hours of reading pleasure.

HarryT · 01-25-2018, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElspethB

I have two ancient paperback collections of her short stories that I refuse to part with: The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose. The first was finally released as an ebook last February; I hope the other will one day be available. I re-read them both last year and still love nearly all the stories. Thank you, Ms. Le Guin, for many hours of reading pleasure.

"The Compass Rose" is available as an ebook - at least in the UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00V3KK060

bfisher · 01-25-2018, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

The Earthsea books were one of my favorite series. She was definitely one of the leading lights on the literary side of SF&F.

I discovered the Earthsea books at the same time as I found the Lord of the Rings. I loved both of them, but they had quite different takes on the nature of right vs wrong. I think Le Guin's was more nuanced.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frahse

The Earth Sea Cycle (6 books) was marvelous. A favorite of mine.

The Left hand of Darkness was perplexing when I read it, but these days it gets a lot of attention. I always wondered about "pepper pills" (I believe that was what they were called,) but the military later gave me the answer: amphetamine, speed, and now days meth.

I love the sea as much as the land, and have often thought the Wind Mage was out to thwart me as he did Ged.

.

When I discovered the Earthsea books, I was working in a small coastal village where the normal way to get in and out was by boat. It was very interesting to me to in some ways live in the same environment as Ged. The villagers would often talk about going down the reach. They would take their boat across the harbour, rather than walking. They were as much at home on the sea as on land.

Le Guin created a marvelous world. I used to love looking at the islands in the maps of my old paperbacks. That's one of the few downsides to me about having gone totally digital - the maps just aren't as easy to read on a device.

svenlind · 01-26-2018, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfisher

Le Guin created a marvelous world. I used to love looking at the islands in the maps of my old paperbacks. That's one of the few downsides to me about having gone totally digital - the maps just aren't as easy to read on a device.

I also like to look on maps when reading fantasy books. I then take a screen shot of the page in question on my PC and use that paper beside the ebook.
Very easy to do if the book is in Calibre.

ElspethB · 01-26-2018, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

"The Compass Rose" is available as an ebook - at least in the UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00V3KK060

Yes, indeed. The Kindle version of The Wind's Twelve Quarters was available in the UK for a few years before it was released here in the US. I hope that means we'll get The Compass Rose eventually, too

frahse · 01-27-2018, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfisher

I discovered the Earthsea books at the same time as I found the Lord of the Rings. I loved both of them, but they had quite different takes on the nature of right vs wrong. I think Le Guin's was more nuanced.

.

When I discovered the Earthsea books, I was working in a small coastal village where the normal way to get in and out was by boat. It was very interesting to me to in some ways live in the same environment as Ged. The villagers would often talk about going down the reach. They would take their boat across the harbour, rather than walking. They were as much at home on the sea as on land.

Le Guin created a marvelous world. I used to love looking at the islands in the maps of my old paperbacks. That's one of the few downsides to me about having gone totally digital - the maps just aren't as easy to read on a device.

Amen Brother.
When I was young, very young, I spent wonderful times on the coast of SC at my grandparents, on the saltwater Wadmalaw River, the inland coastal waterway to Charleston Harbor. In fact my first choice for College was the NROTC, but life took a turn and I ended up in the Army.
I spent great summers on the water. Picture a small boy in a large open row boat with rough men (including my father and uncle) out on the open sea beyond the sight of land, shrimping from that open boat, and me mainly trying to keep my bare toes out of the way of big crabs scuttling around on the bottom of the boat. On calm water you could pull your feet up on the seat, but in the open sea, working the nets, etc, there is so much pitch and yaw that you have to use your feet on the bottom of the boat to brace to keep from being slid and tossed around to possible disaster.

I consider the loss of my youthful shark, whale, and the like tooth collection gathered over many years of scouring the saltwater river flats, marshes, dunes and bars to be one of the great misfortunes of my life. One that I have never had the heart to replace.

Bookpossum · 01-28-2018, 11:48 PM

A great writer and a sad loss because of her compassion and her moral integrity.

Red Falcon · 01-29-2018, 11:21 PM

She was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Her social focused approach to Sci-Fi and Fantasy added a much needed human dimension that was largely lacking before her.

Philippe D. · 02-02-2018, 03:52 AM

The Earthsea books were among the very first books I read in English (I'm not a native speaker) as a teenager - unless I remember it wrong, I first read The Hobbit, and some time later moved on to Earthsea (this was in the 80's - at the time there were very few RPG books that were published in French, and that was a strong incentive to me).

I have to admit, though, that I never read much more of her books.

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01-25-2018, 03:07 AM	#16
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I enjoyed her earlier books, but her later "radical feminist" phase didn't appeal to me at all.

01-25-2018, 09:56 AM	#17
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	There are rumors that she was a candidate in recent years for the Nobel Prize.

01-25-2018, 02:43 PM	#19
ElspethB Passionate Reader Posts: 274 Karma: 1829152 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Central Jersey, USA Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, Kobo Clara HD, Fire HD 8, Voyage, Oasis 3, PW5	I have two ancient paperback collections of her short stories that I refuse to part with: The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose. The first was finally released as an ebook last February; I hope the other will one day be available. I re-read them both last year and still love nearly all the stories. Thank you, Ms. Le Guin, for many hours of reading pleasure.

01-28-2018, 11:48 PM	#25
Bookpossum Snoozing in the sun Posts: 10,137 Karma: 115423645 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: iPad Mini, Kobo Touch	A great writer and a sad loss because of her compassion and her moral integrity.

01-29-2018, 11:21 PM	#26
Red Falcon Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 1593188 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle Keyboard	She was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Her social focused approach to Sci-Fi and Fantasy added a much needed human dimension that was largely lacking before her.

02-02-2018, 03:52 AM	#27
Philippe D. Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 3600000 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: France Device: Kobo Aura H2o; reMarkable; Onyx Max 2 Pro	The Earthsea books were among the very first books I read in English (I'm not a native speaker) as a teenager - unless I remember it wrong, I first read The Hobbit, and some time later moved on to Earthsea (this was in the 80's - at the time there were very few RPG books that were published in French, and that was a strong incentive to me). I have to admit, though, that I never read much more of her books.

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