Public Figure Profiles

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. She was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than twenty novels and over 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". Le Guin herself said she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist".Le Guin was born in Berkeley, California, to author Theodora Kroeber and anthropologist Alfred Louis Kroeber. Having earned a master's degree in French, Le Guin began doctoral studies but abandoned these after her marriage in 1953 to historian Charles Le Guin. She began writing full-time in the late 1950s and achieved major critical and commercial success with A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) and The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), which have been described by Harold Bloom as her masterpieces. For the latter volume, Le Guin won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, becoming the first woman to do so. Several more works set in Earthsea or the Hainish universe followed; others included books set in the fictional country of Orsinia, several works for children, and many anthologies.

Cultural anthropology, Taoism, feminism, and the writings of Carl Jung all had a strong influence on Le Guin's work. Many of her stories used anthropologists or cultural observers as protagonists, and Taoist ideas about balance and equilibrium have been identified in several writings. Le Guin often subverted typical speculative fiction tropes, such as through her use of dark-skinned protagonists in Earthsea, and also used unusual stylistic or structural devices in books such as the experimental work Always Coming Home (1985). Social and political themes, including race, gender, sexuality, and coming of age were prominent in her writing, and she explored alternative political structures in many stories, such as in the parable "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (1973) and the anarchist utopian novel The Dispossessed (1974).

Le Guin's writing was enormously influential in the field of speculative fiction, and has been the subject of intense critical attention. She received numerous accolades, including eight Hugos, six Nebulas, and twenty-two Locus Awards, and in 2003 became the second woman honored as a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The U.S. Library of Congress named her a Living Legend in 2000, and in 2014, she won the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Le Guin influenced many other authors, including Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman, and Iain Banks. After her death in 2018, critic John Clute wrote that Le Guin had "presided over American science fiction for nearly half a century", while author Michael Chabon referred to her as the "greatest American writer of her generation".

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Some of their strengths

Ursula K. Le Guin has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Practical, Diplomatic, Charming, Energetic, Optimistic, Strong, and Honest.

Intelligent and Inquisitive

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Ursula K. Le Guin is someone who is an intelligent, inquisitive, and imaginative person, who is practical, considerate, kind, and diplomatic in dealings with others. A person who is known for being diligent and strong.

Helpful and Supportive

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Ursula K. Le Guin well know them as someone who can be accepting, supportive, and productive, like a garden.

Active and Ambitious

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Ursula K. Le Guin as someone who is active, ambitious, bold, and courageous.

A person who is driven and organized, is wise with money, who knows how to tell a good story, likes physical activity, and who loves learning.

Stable and Creative

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Ursula K. Le Guin is someone who thrives in volatile situations, and who tends to be a source of stability and comfort for others who are experiencing challenging times .

They are also someone who is balanced, organized, and in-charge, and who loves traveling, working hard, and figuring out the patterns of things.

Justice-seeking and Peaceful

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Ursula K. Le Guin tends to be someone who loves peace and is ready to go to any costs to achieve it. Who has a taste for the good things in life, tends to be a good organizer, has a thirst for knowledge, and who tends to have the respect of friends and acquaintances.

Some of Ursula K. Le Guin's challenges

While Ursula K. Le Guin has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Ursula K. Le Guin can be Stubborn, Hesitant, Narcissistic, Hypocritical, Self-centered, Idle, and Impulsive.

Hesitant and Narcissistic

One of Ursula K. Le Guin's key challenges is that they are someone who can be hesitant and narcissistic.

Impulsive and Aggressive

Ursula K. Le Guin is someone who can be impulsive, aggressive, and confrontational, can have difficulty listening to others, be moody and high strung, have conflict with authority figures, be too judgmental of others, and who can be overindulgent and extravagant.

Pleasure-seeking and Indecisive

Finally, Ursula K. Le Guin also can put others first too much, and hem-and-haw too much when making a decision.

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