Kai BernauMay 27, 2023

Folks I have discovered a gaping, Ursula K Le Guin-shaped hole in my education.

Oh won’t you compile me, please, a very short (ich habe keine Zeit) reading list that a) is a good in-road, b) covers the breadth of her different genres and c) her politics, major thought-structures, topics, preoccupations.

Show threadPiper HaywoodMay 28, 2023
@kai I am not qualified to provide this reading list. BUT! @gem introduced me to her essay The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, which is incredible and has basically become my go-to gift. And that in turn brought me to “Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places”, which was a joy and my 60-something kickass downstairs neighbor is currently borrowing it. And I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every Le Guin novel I’ve read, which is saying something.
Show threadGemma CopelandMay 28, 2023

@piper @kai Yes! Totally second that, I think Dancing at the Edge of the World is her best collection of essays and gives a lot of insight into her politics / philosophy and how they evolved over the years.

If you only read two of her essays, make it The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction and A Non-Euclidean View of California as a Cold Place to Be (http://teias.org/tal/en/u/uk/ursula-k-le-guin-a-non-euclidean-view-of-california-as-a-cold-place-to-be.html).

A Non-Euclidean View of California as a Cold Place to Be

Show threadGemma CopelandMay 28, 2023

@piper @kai I think The Dispossessed is her best novel and one of my favourite books of all time. Probably the most explicitly political one (although they all are to some extent), contrasting two neighbouring 'utopias', one anarchist and one capitalist.

The Left Hand of Darkness is also great, exploring gender and friendship.

Show threadGemma Copeland
@piper @kai I also recommend reading her translation of the Dao De Jing. It's obviously an incredible book in its own right, and then reading her translation and notes gives so much insight into the themes that underpin all her books.
May 28, 2023 at 9:41amWeb
Show threadGemma CopelandMay 28, 2023
@piper @kai I just read the Earthsea series too, I think it could be really nice to give to / read with A when she's a bit older. It has a lot of the same Daoist / anarchist themes that all her books have, but through reading the series you can get a sense of how her understanding of feminism evolved throughout her lifetime. The fourth book (Tehanu) looks at the same Earthsea universe but from a completely different perspective.
Show threadGemma CopelandMay 28, 2023
@piper @kai Finally, the Crafting with Ursula series is a really wonderful way to explore her entire oeuvre. It's a series of conversations between David Naimon and different authors who were colleagues / students / friends / admirers of Le Guin. Top picks are the Kim Stanley Robinson episode, Molly Gloss and Neil Gaiman https://tinhouse.com/podcast/crafting-with-ursula-molly-gloss-on-writing-the-clear-clean-line/
Crafting with Ursula : Molly Gloss on Writing the Clear, Clean Line - Tin House

Today’s guest on the second episode of Crafting with Ursula, Molly Gloss, the acclaimed writer of both award-winning science fiction and fantasy as well as feminist Westerns, has a particular insight into the work and writing life of Le Guin. Gloss’ writing career began as a student of Le Guin’s in a workshop in the […]

Tin House
Show threadKai BernauMay 28, 2023
@gem @piper ok alright alright, you both have very generous definitions of a short reading list 🤣 but thank you so much for the reasoned (!) recommendations. I’ve just sent a pretty big subset (everything except the Earthsee series, for now) to my local (indie, lefty, queer) bookshop here in Porto. Will report back, and thank you again!
😘
Show threadKai BernauMay 28, 2023
@gem @piper ok they have Dispossessed and Space Crone in stock, I’m going there tomorrow
Show threadFrontier MagazineMay 29, 2023
@kai @gem @piper This is wholesome interaction involving good peeps I’m glad to be online and seeing. 💪🏻
Show threadWeiMay 28, 2023
@gem @piper @kai I looooove the earthsea series .. I also like how u can tell her politics really shifted for her after a big gap