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The Complete Earthsea Series & The Left Hand of Darkness: A BBC Radio 3 full-cast dramatisation
Ursula K. Le Guin was one of the most revered and influential writers of the 20th century. Her Earthsea books have sold millions of copies and been translated into numerous languages, while her trailblazing novel The Left Hand of Darkness was a landmark in feminist science fiction and ranks among the greatest SF novels of all time. This BBC collection brings together the magical radio retellings of both these seminal classics.
Read By: full cast, Toby Jones, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lesley Sharp, Adjoa Andoh, Noma Dumezweni, Robert Glenister, James McArdle, Sam Dale
Read By: full cast, Toby Jones, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lesley Sharp, Adjoa Andoh, Noma Dumezweni, Robert Glenister, James McArdle, Sam Dale
Audiobook
Published January 1, 2021
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About the author
Ursula K. Le Guin
1,046 books30.9k followersUrsula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. She lived in Portland, Oregon.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 30, 2025
امشب فهمیدم مجموعه ای که در نوجوانی عاشقش بودم یه آداپتیشن فول کست داره و بلافاصله رفتم دانلودش کردم تا صدای شخصیت هایی که اینقدر دوست داشتم رو بشنوم و سر صدای لبانن واقعا اشکم در اومد. همش رو گوش نکردم فقط تکه هایی رو برای شنیدن صدای کاراکترها انتخاب و گوش کردم ولی مطمئنم در آینده بازم سراغش میام. اون قسمت مربوط به left hand of darkness رو حتما بعد از اینکه کتاب رو خوندم گوش میدم.
February 13, 2025
The Earthsea story is a bit hard to follow if you haven't read the books because different sections of the books are retold out of order and a lot is left out. The voice actors are pretty good. Left Hand of Darkness works better and is more complete. I'd really only recommend this for people who have read Earthsea and want to revisit the story in a different way.
March 12, 2026
“The Complete Earthsea Series/ The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula Le Guin (2021)
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
PRINT © (As “The Complete Earthsea Series) September 8, 2026; ISBN 978-1598538526; 1344 pages.
DIGITAL © (I’m not finding the entire set in one package in digital form, but you might).
AUDIO © (originally, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 2001, 2012) December 09, 2021; ISBN: 9781529187007; ASIN: B09G7WVS64; OCLC: 1322488972; BBC Audio; 7 hours, 50 minutes; WorldCat record: https://search.worldcat.org/title/144... (Borrowed through Libby)
FILM: (From AI) “There is no direct, comprehensive film adaptation of the entire Earthsea series, but there is a 2006 Studio Ghibli animated film, *Tales from Earthsea*, directed by Gorō Miyazaki. Le Guin famously told the director, "It is not my book. It is your movie," as the plot blends elements from the first four books”
CHARACTERS: (Not Comprehensive)
Ged – Archmage
Tenar – Former priestess of Atuan
Tehanu – Young girl
Ogion the Silent – Ged’s mentor.
Arren / Lebannen – Future King
SERIES:
Earthsea series books 1-6 or 6.
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED:
Two reasons for my selection. 1. Ages ago a barista at Starbucks who was excellent at his job, became a manager there, and was going to school as well, recommended this author. So I’ve always intended to read something by her. 2. I had done a search on the narrator “Robert Glenister” in Audible and this was one of the results.
ABOUT: (Apologies that I didn’t take time to create my own take on what it’s about.)
(From Amazon) “The dazzling BBC Radio adaptations of Ursula K. Le Guin's famous fantasy saga and her groundbreaking science fiction masterpiece - plus bonus material.
Ursula K. Le Guin was one of the most revered and influential writers of the 20th century. Her Earthsea books have sold millions of copies and been translated into numerous languages, while her trailblazing novel The Left Hand of Darkness was a landmark in feminist science fiction and ranks among the greatest SF novels of all time. This BBC collection brings together the magical radio retellings of both these seminal classics.
Set on an immense archipelago where magic is a part of life, Earthsea tells the stories of Ged, a young, reckless wizard, and Tenar, taken from her home as a child to become Arha, guardian priestess of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. Meeting for the first time deep within the tombs, their destinies become intertwined, and they unite to bring peace to their troubled world. Years later, their paths have diverged - but when Ged returns to Tenar's island on a dragon's back, they are caught up in an epic battle for the future of Earthsea itself. Starring James McArdle, Shaun Dooley and Robert Glenister as Ged, and Aysha Kala, Vineeta Rishi and Nina Wadia as Tenar with Toby Jones and Noma Dumezweni.
The Left Hand of Darkness takes place on an alien world in the grip of an Ice Age. Genly Ai has been sent from Earth on a mission to persuade Gethen to join a planetary union, the Ekumen. But his task is fraught with difficulty. For this is a world whose people have no fixed gender, and Genly's encounters with the natives are marked by mutual incomprehension and mistrust. In coming to terms with their otherness and their sameness Genly must let go of his fixed ideas about identity and embark on a dangerous journey across the snow plains with his only ally, First Minister Estraven. The stakes are high to save a world from war. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stars as Genly, with Lesley Sharp as Estraven.
Also included Ursula Le Guin at 85, in which novelist Naomi Alderman interviews Le Guin, with contributions from Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell and Karen Joy Fowler.
Production credits:
Written by Ursula K.Le Guin. Adapted by Judith Adams.
Earthsea
Ged - James McArdle/Shaun Dooley/Robert Glenister, Tenar - Aysha Kala/Vineeta Rishi/Nina Wadia, Young Ged - Kasper Hilton-Hille, Young Tenar - Nishi Malde, Ogion - Paul Hilton/Michael Bertenshaw, Manan - Zubin Varla, Cob - Toby Jones, Nilgu - Noma Dumezweni
Other cast: Souad Faress, David Hounslow, Adam Thomas-Wright, Mark Edel-Hunt, Jessica Turner, Lucy Hutchinson, Stephen Critchlow, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine, Richard Linnell, Jack Kane, David Acton, Chris Pavlo, Will Featherstone, Jude Akudwudike, Laura Elphinstone, Rosie Boore, Elizabeth Counsell, John Lightbody, Ryan Early, Stephen Hogan, Sean Murray, Emma Handy, Lauren Cornelius, Kerry Gooderson, Ryan Whittle, Steven Robertson, Joseph Ayre, Narinder Samra, Tom Vanson, Sabrina Sandhu.
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko. Original music by Jon Nicholls. Sound design by Caleb Knightley.
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 27th April-5th May 2015 (Series 1), 15th-22nd October 2018 (Series 2).
The Left Hand of Darkness
Genly Ai - Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Estraven - Lesley Sharp, Argaven - Toby Jones
Other cast: Louise Brealey, Noma Dumezweni, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Stephen Critchlow, David Acton, David Hounslow, Rhiannon Neads, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine.
Directed by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 April 2015
Ursula Le Guin at 85
Presented by Naomi Alderman. With Ursula K. Le Guin, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman and Karen Joy Fowler. Reader: Ayesha Antoine.
Produced by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9th April 2015.
OVERALL OPINION:
Science Fiction writers have such great imaginations! And the production was great--it feels a bit like a movie soundtrack. Nice too to finally see a list of characters that the actors play. It must be a perk of getting a BBC production.
AUTHOR:
Ursula K. Le Guin:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (/ˈkroʊbər lə ˈɡwɪn/ KROH-bər lə GWIN;[1] née Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. Her work was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than twenty novels and more than a hundred short stories, in addition to poetry, literary criticism, translations, and children's books. Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters".[2] Le Guin said that she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist".[3]”
NARRATOR(S):
Toby Jones:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Toby Edward Heslewood Jones[1] (born 7 September 1966)[1] is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 to 1991, Jones trained at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He made his stage debut in 2001 in the comedy play The Play What I Wrote, which played in the West End and on Broadway, earning him a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2020, he was nominated for his second Olivier Award, for Best Actor for his performance in a revival of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya.”
---ME: I recognize this actor from film roles—he’s great!
Kobna Kuttah Holdbrook-Smith:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Kobna Kuttah Holdbrook-Smith is a Ghanaian born British actor.[1] He has played roles in films, including Father Richard Emery in Ghost Stories (2017), Oliver in The Commuter, Templeton Frye in Mary Poppins Returns and Doctor Wren in Gwen (all 2018). He has portrayed Crispus Allen in the superhero film Justice League (2017), part of the DC Extended Universe.
For his performance in Tina in the West End, he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.”
Lesley Sharp:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Lesley Sharp is an English actress. She became widely known for her role as Detective Constable Janet Scott in the ITV crime series Scott & Bailey (2011–2016). Her other credits include Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987), The Rachel Papers (1989), Naked (1993), Priest (1994), The Moonstone (1996), Great Expectations (1999), Daylight Robbery (1999), Clocking Off (2000–2001), From Hell (2001), Vera Drake (2004), Afterlife (2005–2006),, This Cop Life (2022), and The Full Monty (TV series) (2023).”
Adjoa Andoh:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Adjoa Aiboom Helen Andoh (/ˈædʒoʊə ˈændoʊ/;[1] born 14 January 1963) is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Lady Danbury in the Netflix Regency romance series Bridgerton, since 2020. Other roles on television include appearances in two series of Doctor Who as Francine Jones, 90 episodes of the BBC's long-running medical drama Casualty and EastEnders. On stage, she has played lead roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre, and the Almeida Theatre. Andoh made her Hollywood debut in autumn 2009, starring as Nelson Mandela's chief of staff Brenda Mazibuko alongside Morgan Freeman as Mandela in Invictus, and has appeared in other feature films.”
Noma Dumezweni:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Noma Dumezweni (/ˈduːməˈzwɛniː/; born 28 July 1969)[1] is a South African-British actress. In 2006, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her performance as Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.[2] In 2017, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Hermione Granger in the original West End run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; she reprised the role for the show's original Broadway run and, in 2018, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.”
Robert Glenister:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Robert Lewis Glenister (born 11 March 1960) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in the crime drama series Hustle (2004–2012) and Nicholas Blake in the spy drama series Spooks (2006–2010).”
---ME: And for those of us who are audiobook and Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike series) enthusiasts he is fabulous narrator for this series.
James McArdle:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “James John McArdle[1] (born 3 April 1989) is a Scottish actor. He won the Ian Charleson Award for his role as Mikhail Platonov in Platonov and was nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Louis Ironson in Angels in America.”
---ME: You should look him up if you don’t already recognize him, he’s got a very angelic, kind face.
Sam Dale:
(I couldn’t find him on Wikipedia - Excerpt from IMDb) “Sam Dale is known for Rock Follies of '77 (1977), Beast (2017) and Harry's Game (1982).”
GENRE:
Epic Fantasy; Literature and Fiction
SUBJECTS (Not comprehensive):
Quests; Dragons; Adventure; Gender distinctions; Alliances; Courage
PRIMARY LOCATION(s):
Wizard School of Rode; Gont Island; Havnor; Kargad Lands (Atuan); Selidor
RATING:
4 stars
STARTED-FINISHED
12/11/2025 – 12/30/2025
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
PRINT © (As “The Complete Earthsea Series) September 8, 2026; ISBN 978-1598538526; 1344 pages.
DIGITAL © (I’m not finding the entire set in one package in digital form, but you might).
AUDIO © (originally, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 2001, 2012) December 09, 2021; ISBN: 9781529187007; ASIN: B09G7WVS64; OCLC: 1322488972; BBC Audio; 7 hours, 50 minutes; WorldCat record: https://search.worldcat.org/title/144... (Borrowed through Libby)
FILM: (From AI) “There is no direct, comprehensive film adaptation of the entire Earthsea series, but there is a 2006 Studio Ghibli animated film, *Tales from Earthsea*, directed by Gorō Miyazaki. Le Guin famously told the director, "It is not my book. It is your movie," as the plot blends elements from the first four books”
CHARACTERS: (Not Comprehensive)
Ged – Archmage
Tenar – Former priestess of Atuan
Tehanu – Young girl
Ogion the Silent – Ged’s mentor.
Arren / Lebannen – Future King
SERIES:
Earthsea series books 1-6 or 6.
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED:
Two reasons for my selection. 1. Ages ago a barista at Starbucks who was excellent at his job, became a manager there, and was going to school as well, recommended this author. So I’ve always intended to read something by her. 2. I had done a search on the narrator “Robert Glenister” in Audible and this was one of the results.
ABOUT: (Apologies that I didn’t take time to create my own take on what it’s about.)
(From Amazon) “The dazzling BBC Radio adaptations of Ursula K. Le Guin's famous fantasy saga and her groundbreaking science fiction masterpiece - plus bonus material.
Ursula K. Le Guin was one of the most revered and influential writers of the 20th century. Her Earthsea books have sold millions of copies and been translated into numerous languages, while her trailblazing novel The Left Hand of Darkness was a landmark in feminist science fiction and ranks among the greatest SF novels of all time. This BBC collection brings together the magical radio retellings of both these seminal classics.
Set on an immense archipelago where magic is a part of life, Earthsea tells the stories of Ged, a young, reckless wizard, and Tenar, taken from her home as a child to become Arha, guardian priestess of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. Meeting for the first time deep within the tombs, their destinies become intertwined, and they unite to bring peace to their troubled world. Years later, their paths have diverged - but when Ged returns to Tenar's island on a dragon's back, they are caught up in an epic battle for the future of Earthsea itself. Starring James McArdle, Shaun Dooley and Robert Glenister as Ged, and Aysha Kala, Vineeta Rishi and Nina Wadia as Tenar with Toby Jones and Noma Dumezweni.
The Left Hand of Darkness takes place on an alien world in the grip of an Ice Age. Genly Ai has been sent from Earth on a mission to persuade Gethen to join a planetary union, the Ekumen. But his task is fraught with difficulty. For this is a world whose people have no fixed gender, and Genly's encounters with the natives are marked by mutual incomprehension and mistrust. In coming to terms with their otherness and their sameness Genly must let go of his fixed ideas about identity and embark on a dangerous journey across the snow plains with his only ally, First Minister Estraven. The stakes are high to save a world from war. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stars as Genly, with Lesley Sharp as Estraven.
Also included Ursula Le Guin at 85, in which novelist Naomi Alderman interviews Le Guin, with contributions from Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell and Karen Joy Fowler.
Production credits:
Written by Ursula K.Le Guin. Adapted by Judith Adams.
Earthsea
Ged - James McArdle/Shaun Dooley/Robert Glenister, Tenar - Aysha Kala/Vineeta Rishi/Nina Wadia, Young Ged - Kasper Hilton-Hille, Young Tenar - Nishi Malde, Ogion - Paul Hilton/Michael Bertenshaw, Manan - Zubin Varla, Cob - Toby Jones, Nilgu - Noma Dumezweni
Other cast: Souad Faress, David Hounslow, Adam Thomas-Wright, Mark Edel-Hunt, Jessica Turner, Lucy Hutchinson, Stephen Critchlow, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine, Richard Linnell, Jack Kane, David Acton, Chris Pavlo, Will Featherstone, Jude Akudwudike, Laura Elphinstone, Rosie Boore, Elizabeth Counsell, John Lightbody, Ryan Early, Stephen Hogan, Sean Murray, Emma Handy, Lauren Cornelius, Kerry Gooderson, Ryan Whittle, Steven Robertson, Joseph Ayre, Narinder Samra, Tom Vanson, Sabrina Sandhu.
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko. Original music by Jon Nicholls. Sound design by Caleb Knightley.
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 27th April-5th May 2015 (Series 1), 15th-22nd October 2018 (Series 2).
The Left Hand of Darkness
Genly Ai - Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Estraven - Lesley Sharp, Argaven - Toby Jones
Other cast: Louise Brealey, Noma Dumezweni, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Stephen Critchlow, David Acton, David Hounslow, Rhiannon Neads, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine.
Directed by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 April 2015
Ursula Le Guin at 85
Presented by Naomi Alderman. With Ursula K. Le Guin, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman and Karen Joy Fowler. Reader: Ayesha Antoine.
Produced by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9th April 2015.
OVERALL OPINION:
Science Fiction writers have such great imaginations! And the production was great--it feels a bit like a movie soundtrack. Nice too to finally see a list of characters that the actors play. It must be a perk of getting a BBC production.
AUTHOR:
Ursula K. Le Guin:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (/ˈkroʊbər lə ˈɡwɪn/ KROH-bər lə GWIN;[1] née Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. Her work was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than twenty novels and more than a hundred short stories, in addition to poetry, literary criticism, translations, and children's books. Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters".[2] Le Guin said that she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist".[3]”
NARRATOR(S):
Toby Jones:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Toby Edward Heslewood Jones[1] (born 7 September 1966)[1] is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 to 1991, Jones trained at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He made his stage debut in 2001 in the comedy play The Play What I Wrote, which played in the West End and on Broadway, earning him a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2020, he was nominated for his second Olivier Award, for Best Actor for his performance in a revival of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya.”
---ME: I recognize this actor from film roles—he’s great!
Kobna Kuttah Holdbrook-Smith:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Kobna Kuttah Holdbrook-Smith is a Ghanaian born British actor.[1] He has played roles in films, including Father Richard Emery in Ghost Stories (2017), Oliver in The Commuter, Templeton Frye in Mary Poppins Returns and Doctor Wren in Gwen (all 2018). He has portrayed Crispus Allen in the superhero film Justice League (2017), part of the DC Extended Universe.
For his performance in Tina in the West End, he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.”
Lesley Sharp:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Lesley Sharp is an English actress. She became widely known for her role as Detective Constable Janet Scott in the ITV crime series Scott & Bailey (2011–2016). Her other credits include Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987), The Rachel Papers (1989), Naked (1993), Priest (1994), The Moonstone (1996), Great Expectations (1999), Daylight Robbery (1999), Clocking Off (2000–2001), From Hell (2001), Vera Drake (2004), Afterlife (2005–2006),, This Cop Life (2022), and The Full Monty (TV series) (2023).”
Adjoa Andoh:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Adjoa Aiboom Helen Andoh (/ˈædʒoʊə ˈændoʊ/;[1] born 14 January 1963) is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Lady Danbury in the Netflix Regency romance series Bridgerton, since 2020. Other roles on television include appearances in two series of Doctor Who as Francine Jones, 90 episodes of the BBC's long-running medical drama Casualty and EastEnders. On stage, she has played lead roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre, and the Almeida Theatre. Andoh made her Hollywood debut in autumn 2009, starring as Nelson Mandela's chief of staff Brenda Mazibuko alongside Morgan Freeman as Mandela in Invictus, and has appeared in other feature films.”
Noma Dumezweni:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Noma Dumezweni (/ˈduːməˈzwɛniː/; born 28 July 1969)[1] is a South African-British actress. In 2006, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her performance as Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.[2] In 2017, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Hermione Granger in the original West End run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; she reprised the role for the show's original Broadway run and, in 2018, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.”
Robert Glenister:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “Robert Lewis Glenister (born 11 March 1960) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in the crime drama series Hustle (2004–2012) and Nicholas Blake in the spy drama series Spooks (2006–2010).”
---ME: And for those of us who are audiobook and Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike series) enthusiasts he is fabulous narrator for this series.
James McArdle:
(Excerpt from Wikipedia) “James John McArdle[1] (born 3 April 1989) is a Scottish actor. He won the Ian Charleson Award for his role as Mikhail Platonov in Platonov and was nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Louis Ironson in Angels in America.”
---ME: You should look him up if you don’t already recognize him, he’s got a very angelic, kind face.
Sam Dale:
(I couldn’t find him on Wikipedia - Excerpt from IMDb) “Sam Dale is known for Rock Follies of '77 (1977), Beast (2017) and Harry's Game (1982).”
GENRE:
Epic Fantasy; Literature and Fiction
SUBJECTS (Not comprehensive):
Quests; Dragons; Adventure; Gender distinctions; Alliances; Courage
PRIMARY LOCATION(s):
Wizard School of Rode; Gont Island; Havnor; Kargad Lands (Atuan); Selidor
RATING:
4 stars
STARTED-FINISHED
12/11/2025 – 12/30/2025
February 7, 2026
Le Guin and Earthsea itself will always be special to me. Her prescience, her hawk-like ability to observe and understand humanity, and her realistic optimism about our very nature are unmatched in any writer I've ever read. The way Ursula Le Guin makes me feel is completely unique to any artist's work. I feel seen, I feel cared for, I feel scolded and understood, I feel educated, I feel forgiven, and I feel devastatingly hopeful. This production was a beautiful way to revisit Earthsea a few years after my first reading of the series. I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to her work, since it is abridged and primarily acted as opposed to narrated you will miss out on some of Le Guin's best signature prose, and the pacing ends up a bit off. Still, though, the setting unlocks my willingness to consider difficult ideas with real open mindedness. Read these books, you guys!
Read
September 28, 2024I wanted to re-read The Left Hand of Darkness, but the library didn't have it. It offered me this, though. I've never read any of the Earthsea series, so my interest was piqued.
The full-cast narration was outstanding, including some stellar actors. However, I don't know if the problem was that I don't know the series or if it was just that the story was too condensed for its own good, but I had absolutely no idea what was happening during the Earthsea portion of the book.
The Left Hand of Darkness was great – but I still think I'd rather read the full version.
The full-cast narration was outstanding, including some stellar actors. However, I don't know if the problem was that I don't know the series or if it was just that the story was too condensed for its own good, but I had absolutely no idea what was happening during the Earthsea portion of the book.
The Left Hand of Darkness was great – but I still think I'd rather read the full version.
October 28, 2025
Okay this was going to be a 5 star. Earthsea was so amazing. The acting and soundscape were really compelling. I quite liked how brief and snappy it was, it really lended to the feeling of sitting down to hear tales. But for that reason, I don't think it's fair to say I've read either series as the audio is only 8 hours total..
And I don't think the format worked as well for the left hand of darkness which clearly had more political play that was not mentioned
And I don't think the format worked as well for the left hand of darkness which clearly had more political play that was not mentioned
July 10, 2025
Absolutely wonderful to listen to, and the cherry on the top is the last track with interviews with other authors and Ursula, her vision on gender and the future. Gives you food for thought and you just want to plunge into any and all of her books again!
November 1, 2024
Great cast, but things got so condensed that it lost coherence.
August 18, 2025
This was an excellent dramatisation!
Did not finish
July 4, 2024I love radio plays and full cast audio productions. What I don't like about radio plays is that they're super abridged. This one was an extreme - 3 books to 3 hours. There was so much content cut, that I couldn't follow what was going on. This might be a book for people who have read the original books, not for someone new.
May 17, 2023
On the positive side, these books were written for ages 9-14 which puts them well within my intellectual horsepower.
Laziness compels me to only do one review for what is, in reality, 7 books:
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞:
-A Wizard of Earthsea
- The Tombs of Atuan
- The Farthest Shore
- Tehanu
- Tales from Earthsea
-The Other Wind
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞:
- The Left Hand of Darkness
__________
When I do my competitive calculation at the end of the year comparing myself to the reading totals of my significant other, I'll have to keep this 7-book total in mind so I can win!
I enjoyed the stories, but I'm a little unsure of the BBC full-cast concept. There are two issues:
- First, the sound quality was very far from the best. The actors were often speaking in what appeared to be low hushed tones, with fast-clip English accents, to the backdrop of old-timey village noises which often threatened to drown them out.
- Second, compared to a reading of the series I did in my youth, the whole audio version seemed crushed together and chaotic. Coupled with the background noise issues and voice volume issues, it often seemed the adapted storyline was rushing by at high speed, and jumping around all over the place. Having a full cast instead of one or two readers also added in a bunch of different vocal styles which just added another layer to the confusion.
So, why then did I give it 4 stars instead of, say, 2? Alright, in fairness that rating is entirely because I've actually read the books in the past. I enjoyed the stories and, especially where The Left Hand of Darkness is concerned, enjoyed the thought-provoking nature of the narrative. If my first and only exposure to the books had been this series of audiobooks, I might have given it 2 stars.
If you've never read the books before I strongly recommend reading them instead of listening to them. Just know they count as young adult fiction. Also be aware that The Left Hand of Darkness introduced, for the first time, concepts such as androgyny - a subject that seems to cause some persons of a political persuasion in this country to break out in hives.
You are forewarned.
Laziness compels me to only do one review for what is, in reality, 7 books:
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞:
-A Wizard of Earthsea
- The Tombs of Atuan
- The Farthest Shore
- Tehanu
- Tales from Earthsea
-The Other Wind
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞:
- The Left Hand of Darkness
__________
When I do my competitive calculation at the end of the year comparing myself to the reading totals of my significant other, I'll have to keep this 7-book total in mind so I can win!
I enjoyed the stories, but I'm a little unsure of the BBC full-cast concept. There are two issues:
- First, the sound quality was very far from the best. The actors were often speaking in what appeared to be low hushed tones, with fast-clip English accents, to the backdrop of old-timey village noises which often threatened to drown them out.
- Second, compared to a reading of the series I did in my youth, the whole audio version seemed crushed together and chaotic. Coupled with the background noise issues and voice volume issues, it often seemed the adapted storyline was rushing by at high speed, and jumping around all over the place. Having a full cast instead of one or two readers also added in a bunch of different vocal styles which just added another layer to the confusion.
So, why then did I give it 4 stars instead of, say, 2? Alright, in fairness that rating is entirely because I've actually read the books in the past. I enjoyed the stories and, especially where The Left Hand of Darkness is concerned, enjoyed the thought-provoking nature of the narrative. If my first and only exposure to the books had been this series of audiobooks, I might have given it 2 stars.
If you've never read the books before I strongly recommend reading them instead of listening to them. Just know they count as young adult fiction. Also be aware that The Left Hand of Darkness introduced, for the first time, concepts such as androgyny - a subject that seems to cause some persons of a political persuasion in this country to break out in hives.
You are forewarned.
March 17, 2024
As someone who has read all of the books adapted here fairly recently, I found these adaptations deeply enjoyable, a reminder of how the story goes and how powerful and effective they are to me. If I try to imagine them from the point of view of someone who has not previously read these books, they are probably too vague about the story, probably adapting things in too short a span of time to work. But as a week-long reminder of all of Earthsea, and The Left Hand of Darkness, it was wonderful. And the Ursula Le Guin at 85 Radio 4 program, which I did listen to in 2015 when it was originally broadcast, I loved, just as I did then.
November 10, 2023
I greatly enjoyed these radio dramatizations of some of my absolute favourite books. They’re well adapted and beautifully performed and even had me emotional and teary-eyed a few times. But there are huge chunks of the stories missing (made me think it’d be rather hard to follow them if you hadn’t already read the books) and I really missed hearing every word of Le Guin’s exquisitely spare, luminous prose. But as an unexpected bonus, there’s a really nice interview with the author included after the stories.
April 21, 2024
This was quite fun!
I loved the full cast and you could tell that they had a lot of fun creating and performing this.
I would love to see it on stage.
These planets and their inhabitants are quite queer in every definition of the words.
I like that it still hold the politics of the sci fi at the time, but that it's a bit more exciting than other novels at the time. Perhaps it was a woman's touch...
4 Stars
I loved the full cast and you could tell that they had a lot of fun creating and performing this.
I would love to see it on stage.
These planets and their inhabitants are quite queer in every definition of the words.
I like that it still hold the politics of the sci fi at the time, but that it's a bit more exciting than other novels at the time. Perhaps it was a woman's touch...
4 Stars
September 8, 2022
Bad mistake not having read the books. I didn't really grab half of the plot and most of the characters in Earthsea. I also felt the speakers were unfitting - as I later found out totally justified. I did love The Left Hand of Darkness with its ideas of fluid gender and tolerance. The afterwords by two of my favourite authors (Gaiman and Mitchell) then really got me.
February 19, 2023
it was like a recap of the world of earth the story of ged a little boy from guant to the archmage and then a husband. it is a beautiful world Ursula built and it has stayed that way it's one of the last refuge untarnished by the current capitalist reaches that makes fantasy world's a souless money making machines
May 22, 2023
An edition that shortens several of Le Guin's greatest stories but without damaging their message.
Narration of this audiobook done by Toby Jones, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lesley Sharp, Adjoa Andoh, Noma Dumezweni, Robert Glenister, James McArdle, Sam Dale is masterfully done and well worth the listen.
Narration of this audiobook done by Toby Jones, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lesley Sharp, Adjoa Andoh, Noma Dumezweni, Robert Glenister, James McArdle, Sam Dale is masterfully done and well worth the listen.
May 25, 2023
I liked this for the most part. I think the biggest problem is that you can tell it wasn't made for a full cast of people in play form. Much of the setup and description of the world is lost. I would say this is for people that have read the books. People that are new should stay away and maybe comeback to this later.
February 29, 2024
I have not read the books but from the summaries on Wikipedia, it seems these dramatisations required you to know the books or at least the plots. It is a good story but I have listened to other dramatisations where one would not have had to have read the books
August 15, 2022
The adaptation is not so good and can often be confusing
November 3, 2022
This is the worst adaptation ever. I had no idea what was going on most of the time.
October 8, 2023
I wanted to like this recording but the story seemed very disjointed
May 17, 2024
Pretty bad adaptation. The only thing good is Le Guin's writing.
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