Ursula K. Le Guin

American fantasy and science fiction novelist Ursula K. Le Guin passed away on Jan. 22, 2018. Her influential writing has earned her the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, and World Fantasy Award.  In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Her science fiction offers stringent political and feminist commentary (often with a call to action for the reader) along with interconnecting themes of dystopia, post-apocalyptic collapse, and the struggle of the stranger in a strange land. Her fantasy fiction involves characters performing magic to complete a quest or discover truth. Le Guin employs a range of narrative styles, depending on her target audience. Her juvenile stories are written in clear, easy-to-read prose, while her adult novels are more leisurely paced, exploring the protagonists' thoughts and growth. Start with "The Left Hand of Darkness" (adults) and "A Wizard of Earthsea" (teens).