U is for Ursula K. Le Guin

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin

There is something to be said for writers who capture the imaginations of younger readers. This author did that for me. Her Earthsea books were some of the first fantasy books I ever read.

I loved her take on dragons and still see them largely through her eyes. I remember wishing I could learn magic at the school of Roke. She added gebbeth, otak and harrekki to my fantasy lexicon.

She showed me that not all quests are over land. Some quests cross seas and delve deeply into self-discovery. And she knows the power of one's true name.

She's an author who asks simple questions that don't have simple answers. She has five Hugo and six Nebula awards to her credit, and more Locus awards (19) than any other author. I've even read that she inspired Neil Gaiman.

Ursula K. Le Guin is one reason why I love science fiction and fantasy.