Ursula Le Guin year-long reading challenge

[Kaa]

I set myself a personal goal to read one Ursula Le Guin book a week in 2019, and I'd love to have others join me for BRs throughout!

Here's my very tentative schedule and links to discussion threads for previous and new group/buddy reads. Please feel free to suggest any UKL books that you love and don't see on the list!

Currently Reading :
The Kesh
Always Coming Home

Earthsea:
The Farthest Shore - discussion *spoilers*
Tehanu - discussion
Tales from Earthsea
The Other Wind
Other Earthsea stories (The Daughter of Odren, Firelight, Earthsea Revisioned)

Finished :
Jan 1: Out Here: Poems and Images from Steens Mountain Country
Jan 7: No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters
Jan 14: Hive of Dreams: Contemporary Science Fiction from the Pacific Northwest
Jan 21: The Lathe of Heaven - discussion *spoilers*
Jan 28: Way of the Water's Going: Images of the Northern California Coastal Range
Feb 11: Interviews: Conversations with Ursula K. Le Guin and Ursula K. Le Guin: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations
Mar 4: Poetry: Blue Moon Over Thurman Street,Wild Angels, Going Out with Peacocks and Other Poems, Incredible Good Fortune: New Poems
Mar 11: Rocannon's World
Mar 18: Planet of Exile
Mar 25: City of Illusions
Apr 1: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Apr 8: The Left Hand of Darkness - discussion *spoilers* + Gethen short stories: Winter's King and Coming of Age in Karhide
Apr 15: The Day Before the Revolution and The Dispossessed - discussion *spoilers*
Apr 22: Mythmakers and Lawbreakers: Anarchist Writers on Fiction
Apr 29: A Fisherman of the Inland Sea
May 6: Four Ways to Forgiveness (+ Old Music and the Slave Women = Five Ways)
May 13: The Telling
May 20: The Birthday of the World and Other Stories
May 24: The Wind's Twelve Quarters
Jun 3: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas + Lullaby for a Lost World + literary analysis
Jun 10: The Wild Girls + Pity and Shame + Calx
BONUS: The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction
Jun 17: Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences
Jun 24: Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places
July 1: A Wizard of Earthsea - discussion *spoilers*
July 8: The Tombs of Atuan - discussion *spoilers*

Future Books : (schedule TBD, please let me know if you'd like to do a BR!)
Very Far Away from Anywhere Else
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew
The Eye of the Heron

Orsinia:
Malafrena
Orsinian Tales
Unlocking the Air and Other Stories
The Compass Rose

Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000–2016, with A Journal of a Writer's Week
King Dog
Lavinia
Searoad
Changing Planes
The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader and the Imagination
Dreams Must Explain Themselves
Catwings series

Annals of the Western Shore
Gifts
Voices
Powers

The Beginning Place
poetry (Finding My Elegy: New and Selected Poems, So Far So Good Final Poems: 2014-2018, Late in the Day: Poems 2010–2014)


Recommendations for other works :
A Dreamer's Tales
Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
The Unicorn in the Garden
Martian Time-Slip
The Book of the New Sun
Sarah Canary
Cosmicomics
The Elephant's Journey
New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's the Dispossessed
Aurora: Beyond Equality
Star Songs of An Old Primate
We
Islandia
The Invincible
Solaris
The Aleph and Other Stories
Aniara: An Epic Science Fiction Poem
The Dazzle of Day
He Who Shapes

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Yay!! It's happening! I'm going to join in for at least a few of the Hainish and the last two Earthsea, gods willing :D

[Anna]

Amazing timing, I just listened to the intro of No Time to Spare, so I'll stop now and start again in January. (Not that I expect this to be prime BR material, if it's mostly about cats, but still.)

[Gabi]

I will also join at least for the Hainish-Cycle ones that I haven't read and for the last two Earthsea.

[Kaa]

It's definitely happening! I'll probably set up series threads for the Hainish and Earthsea books that don't already have discussions so folks can pop in and out.

I wasn't really thinking of doing separate threads for the non-sff, and just keeping any discussion of those here in the main thread. Does that sound okay?

[Anna]

Kaa wrote: "I wasn't really thinking of doing separate threads for the non-sff, and just keeping any discussion of those here in the main thread. Does that sound okay?"

Sounds excellent.

[Beth]

I am thinking of joining in for The Left Hand of Darkness and some of the nonfiction. I will check to see which of the nonfiction books are at the library.

This isn't part of the challenge, but: I also have Le Guin's Lavinia on my list for 2019.

[Anna]

I know they're not serious SFF, but don't overlook the wonderful Catwings series! I got the audiobooks (read by Ursula herself ^_^) last year in an Audible sale, and they're the best thing I've paid money for in years!

[Jemppu]

Must find time to join in for... something!

[Mareike]

I'll also try and join for a few of them.

[Kaa]

@Beth: Lavinia is on my list, just not scheduled yet. Probably toward the end of the year.

@Anna: I'll put Catwings on the "to be scheduled" list as well!

[Ariana]

I would love to join you for some of the Hainish ones in Feb/March!

[Dawn F]

Damn, Catwings is not available on Audible for me :(

[Anna]

Dawn wrote: "Damn, Catwings is not available on Audible for me :("

I can't see it in search anymore either. Most of the books I bought in the Kids' sale a year ago are now unavailable to buy in Europe/Finland. I can obviously listen to the ones I already paid for, but such a huge amount has been removed since then, from all genres. That's the main reason I stopped paying for Audible.

[Dawn F]

Hm that sucks. Well I found it in the iTunes book store for a couple of bucks with beautiful illustrations, so that’s okay :)

[Beth]

Kaa wrote: "@Beth: Lavinia is on my list, just not scheduled yet. Probably toward the end of the year.

@Anna: I'll put Catwings on the "to be scheduled" list as well!"

Sounds good. I read The Aeneid this year and I keep meaning to pick up Lavinia...

[DivaDiane]

I will definitely join in on a few of these, notably some of the non-fiction, Lavinia and the Annals.

[DivaDiane]

Oh and while I probably won’t reread them at the time, I’m hoping I’ll be able to discuss many of the others with you!

[Anisha Inkspill]

Perfect timing - I'm completely new to Le Guin's work, something I've been meaning to correct for ages.

I read the first Earthsea saga this year and hope to read the rest through the next year, along with a couple of others by Le Guin, not sure which but will keep an eye on this discussion now.

[Anna]

I noticed there is a new edition coming out in February of Always Coming Home: Author's Expanded Edition. I don't know if it's worth waiting for it, but FYI.

Amazon: "Prepared in close consultation with the author, this expanded edition features new material added just before her death, including for the first time two “missing” chapters of the Kesh novel Dangerous People. The volume concludes with a selection of Le Guin’s essays about the novel’s genesis and larger aims, a note on its editorial and publication history, and an updated chronology of Le Guin’s life and career."

[Kaa]

Ooooh, thanks for the heads up, Anna! It looks like the full text of Dangerous People will also be available as a separate e-book, also in February (https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Peop...). I think I will wait and dedicate a month to the Kesh. I own a version of Always Coming Home that includes a tape of the music, but I'm curious about the essays and background material in the new edition.

[Anna]

That's good to know that it's available on its own, the expanded edition is pretty expensive. I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but I doubt my library will get the new edition.

And I'm jealous for the music!

[DivaDiane]

Thanks, Anna! I too have an older boxed edition with a cassette tape, but I’d be interested in all the additional material as well.

[Kaa]

I am really impatient to read Always Coming Home, and since my library just pre-ordered 21 copies of the expanded edition and I have the first hold, I am switching up the reading order to push the Hainish Cycle back by 4 weeks and reading the Kesh books in February instead.

[Anna]

Kaa wrote: "my library just pre-ordered 21 copies of the expanded edition"

Wow! I'm jealous.

[Kaa]

It comes from living in the same city where she lived for more than half her life!

[Gabi]

Then I have to convinced sb to make me a pre-birthday present 😉. This edition sounds so terrific that I have to get it as DTB.

[Kaa]

I started my year out with Out Here: Poems and Images from Steens Mountain Country, which was really lovely. She says in her forward that this region was part of the inspiration for the Tombs of Atuan, so I plan on returning to this book when I get to Earthsea so that I can have that context in mind.

Next up is No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters. The first real SFF books will be the anthology Hive of Dreams: Contemporary Science Fiction from the Pacific Northwest and the book The Lathe of Heaven at the end of the month.

[Kaa]

Anna, if you're still interested in No Time to Spare, I just picked it up today in order to give myself time to read it more leisurely. So far, I really enjoy UKL's blogging voice - there's so much personality that comes through.

[Anna]

I am, and I have the audio, but I just realized today that I have to read the entire illustrated Earthsea tome before Jan 14th! That's when it's due, and there are holds so I can't renew it. It's a hair under 1000 pages of tiny text :S

I lied, it's over a thousand pages >_<

[Maggie]

This scares me! UKL is so hit or miss for me. I have a couple books on my tbr though, so if you get to those I will join in.... (Planet of Exile, Rocannon's World, Lavinia)

[Anna]

Since I mentioned the illustrated Earthsea, how cruel are the Tor people who designed this German edition! What's wrong with them?!



(It's probably a sticker, but still.)

[Jemppu]

Oh, wow. Illustrated Le Guin. This might be what I need. So pretty <3

(and that does look like a sticker - thank goodness - though, hopefully on a protective plastic, not directly on the jacket)

[Wen]

I placed a hold for this one too^^ But I haven't read any Earthsea stories...

[Kaa]

@Anna: Oh, that is quite a task! I'll be interested to hear what you think about the illustrated Earthsea, as I've been pining for it but haven't yet made up my mind to buy it.

@Maggie: Yeah, I don't think I'd be brave enough to try this if I hadn't liked pretty much all of her work that I've tried. I'll be reading Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions in March. Lavinia will be toward the end of the year.

[Ariana]

I am hoping to join in on a bunch of the Hainish ones... Mostly rereads for me but all many many years ago, I'm looking forward to revisiting them. But first, Lathe of Heaven! It just came up in conversation, someone was discussing a therapy session and staring out the window at a mountain... I couldn't help but remember that book.

[Beth]

I have started No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters. I will check in with the thread later.

[Kaa]

Beth wrote: "I have started No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters. I will check in with the thread later."

Awesome. I've been finding it pretty interesting so far. I don't agree with her on all of her opinion posts, but the short blog format has been great, as it lets me read one or two in between the other things I'm reading. I have to say, I really like the cat-related posts - she has a great talent for observing and writing about animal behavior.

[Anna]

I can't wait to listen to UKLG cat posts! I'm almost done with Earthsea, just the final book left.

[Anna]

I was finally able to face reading the last ever new-to-me Earthsea story, "Firelight". I'm emotionally drained, and mourning Le Guin all over again. I also have a question for anyone who's read Firelight, Tehanu and Tales from Earthsea:

(view spoiler)[ In Tehanu we learn that Ogion's true name is Aihal. In Tales, the first story is about the founding of the school on Roke, and Medra's partner is named Elehal. But in Firelight Ogion is called Elehal. This has to be a mistake, right? (hide spoiler)]

[Dawn F]

Listened to the first two Earthsea novels. They're well written, I really enjoy her flow of words, but they weren't nearly as groundbreaking as anything I've read in the Hainish cycle. However the two-three first Hainish books are also a little weak compared to later work so I hope they'll grow in complexity.

I did enjoy how simple the stories were and centered around just one or two characters. For once I was able to follow the plot of high fantasy XD

[Kaa]

I'm moving Hive of Dreams: Contemporary Science Fiction from the Pacific Northwest and moving up Lathe of Heaven because I just realized The Visionary: The Life Story of Flicker of the Serpentine/Wonders Hidden : Audubon's Early Years might kind of go with the Kesh books.

Only the first story in Hive of Dreams is by Le Guin [edit: I lied, there's a second UKL story in here as well], but I'm intrigued to read it in the context of other PNW SF stories. (Yes, it was an intentional choice to read this anthology right before Lathe of Heaven, which for me will always be the quintessential PNW sci-fi.)

[Kaa]

Right, I'm dnf'ing Hive of Dreams at about 60%. I didn't realize when I picked it that it was going to rely so heavily on novel excerpts, rather than short stories. Everything left was an excerpt from a novel, and I wasn't finding that to be very satisfying reading. And I was having trouble feeling as much connection with the PNW theme in the second half, which was focused on cyberpunk stories.

I did read the two Le Guin stories, as well as the other stories in the ecolit section of the book. The first, "The Good Trip", was interesting, because it's not the type of story I usually expect from Le Guin. I liked it, and it was certainly a very Portland/Oregon story, but it was not what I was expecting. The second story, "The Rock That Changed Things" was much more of the Le Guin-type sociological sci-fi that I usually think of. I could have done without (CW, not very spoilery) (view spoiler)[so many casual references to rape (hide spoiler)], but overall I thought it explored an interesting idea.

[Kaa]

I wasn't intending to replace Hive of Dreams, but the author's note for a story in another anthology I'm reading happened to mention an essay by Le Guin that's included in The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction. It turns out I already own the book, so I thought I'd read the essay ("The Child and The Shadow").

I'll probably read the book in bits and pieces, as it feels applicable to other things I'm reading (there is an entire section that is just the intros to books from the Hainish cycle, for instance).

[Kaa]

One last Hive of Dreams comment: it includes writing by both Le Guin and by Octavia Butler, as well as a very thoughtful introduction by Grace L. Dillon explaining the context for their work and the other pieces included in the book. Since I'm reading Parable of the Talents and The Lathe of Heaven this week, I appreciated the opportunity to think about how their work is related.

[Kaa]

In the first essay in The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction, Le Guin describes her road to becoming a science fiction writer, which I think is a nice background to have as I start to dig deeper into her work. She also mentions several works that were influential to her, so I think I'm going to start a list of those in the first post, and try to read some of them as well this year. (They may come in useful for the Time Traveler challenge!)

[Beth]

Kaa wrote: "Beth wrote: "I have started No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters. I will check in with the thread later."

Awesome. I've been finding it pretty interesting so far. I don't ..."

I liked the cat posts too. The most interesting essays were probably "Papa H." (on Homer) and "It Doesn't Have to Be the Way It Is."

Any thoughts on those? The latter is interesting mostly because of the contrast between the playful or subversive element in fantasy, which is what the title is about, and this:

"Yet as Chesterton pointed out, fantasy stops short of nihilist violence, of destroying all laws & burning all the boats... Fate, Luck, Necessity are as inexorable in Middle-earth as in Colonus or South Dakota. The fantasy tale begins here and ends there (or back here) where the subtle and ineluctable obligations of narrative art have taken it. Down on the bedrock, things are as they have to be. It's only everywhere above the bedrock that nothing has to be the way it is."

I read The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction last year. I don't know if I will have a chance to reread it, but there are some really interesting essays. I think I remember it well enough to follow along if people join in and read it.

[Kaa]

@Beth: I don't remember the essay on Homer very well, but I thought "It Doesn't Have to Be the Way It Is" was interesting. I love the topic, and I think she lays out pretty accurately a lot of the reasons that I really enjoy sff. I would even agree with her assertion that even fantasy must keep certain rules in place - I don't think they always have to be the same rules, but I do want my books to be comprehensible and have something to say about my reality, which seems to require at least some level of alignment. There's a lot of overlap between this essay and "Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?", which I just read out of Language of the Night yesterday.

[Kaa]

I picked up both Way of the Water's Going: Images of the Northern California Coastal Range and Always Coming Home today, with the intention of reading together over the month of February, adding Dangerous People: The Complete Text of Ursula K Le Guin's Kesh Novella: A Library of America eBook Classic and the other extra material from the new edition of Always Coming Home when those are available towards the end of the month.

If anyone else wants to read about the Kesh with me, I'm happy to start a separate discussion thread. Otherwise, I'll keep posting updates here.

[DivaDiane]

I just pre-ordered the book, Kaa! Looking forward to it! I also have an old edition of Always Coming Home, complete with a cassette tape of the music. 😊