Ursula K le Guin dies

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 Bulls Crack 25 Jan 2018

 A great writer. A school for wizards long before Harry Potter (and much better written) and a long series of ground-breaking sci-fci/fantasy modern fables dealing with sexuality,  radical politics, equality.....and dragons of course!

I found with her stories I was usually immersed within a paragraph or two and her ability to create other worlds and sympathetic characters that explored complex issues was marvellous.

 Pedro50 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:

The lathe of heaven spares no one. 

 toad 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:the Earthsea books probably have much more in common with Phillip Pullman than JK Rowling, in terms of depth, scope and ideas

 is t to denigrate Harry Potter, it’s just they were written for a much younger audience

 

 John Ww 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:

Bugger! “Wizard of Earthsea” is still one of my all-time favourites. And it may just be me, but I still to this day use “avert”.

 

 Dave Garnett 25 Jan 2018
In reply to John Ww:

I've re-read (and read aloud) the Earthsea books several times.  I'm always struck by the elegance of the writing and the surprisingly deep and adult themes they deal with. 

Yes, there's magic, but it has strict rules and consequences.  Its power is not limitless and the magician pays the price for overreaching.  There's so much about pride, guilt, self-knowledge, pointless religious sacrifice, the decline of moral order and authority, multiculturalism, the environmental cost of personal selfishness, the nature of death...  and bloody great dragons!

Post edited at 16:23
 John Ww 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Dave Garnett:

Have a fistful of likes

 toad 25 Jan 2018
In reply to John Ww:

> Have a fistful of likes

Me too! Nailed it!

 HansStuttgart 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:

Amazing writer. My current favourite is Voices:

 

As in the dark of winter night

Our eyes seek dawn,

As in the bonds of bitter cold

The heart craves sun,

So blinded and so bound, the soul

Cries out to thee:

Be our light, our fire, our life,

          Liberty!

 

 Hooo 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:

Not only a great writer, but a powerful woman's voice in a genre that could be very misogynistic. A sad loss.

 BusyLizzie 25 Jan 2018
In reply to John Ww:

> it may just be me, but I still to this day use “avert”.

I do that too.

 Jenny C 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Dave Garnett

> Yes, there's magic, but it has strict rules and consequences.  Its power is not limitless and the magician pays the price for overreaching.  There's so much about pride, guilt, self-knowledge, pointless religious sacrifice, the decline of moral order and authority, multiculturalism, the environmental cost of personal selfishness, the nature of death...  and bloody great dragons!

In many ways very much Pratchet.

Harry Potter I would compare to the Mildred Hubble books. Although like Tolkien the later books become more complicated and darker. 

 

In reply to Bulls Crack:

The Dispossessed could well be my favourite book.

 Dave Garnett 26 Jan 2018
In reply to Jenny C:

> In many ways very much Pratchet.

Pratchett is certainly funnier, but not quite in the same league.  It's the difference between wit and wisdom.

 

 

 Rampikino 26 Jan 2018
In reply to Bulls Crack:

The Earthsea trilogy is something that has stayed with me from childhood.  I have a very battered copy of the trilogy and always found it a wonderful read.  I have been back to it since and it stands the test of time - and ageing!

In reply to Dave Garnett:

Yes, absolutely. Recently re read ‘a wizard of earthsea’ and was struck by it being even better than I remembered it. Haunting, vivid, powerful, it changed the way I looked at the world when I first read it and it’s capacity to provoke reflection is no less 30 years later. 


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