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Fantasy Fiction Novelist Ursula K. Le Guin Dies At 88 (nytimes.com)
sandbagger shares a report from The New York Times (Warning: may be paywalled; alternative source): Ursula K. Le Guin, the immensely popular author who brought literary depth and a tough-minded feminist sensibility to science fiction and fantasy with books like "The Left Hand of Darkness" and the Earthsea series, died on Monday at her home in Portland, Oregon. She was 88. Her son, Theo Downes-Le Guin, confirmed her death. He did not specify a cause but said she had been in poor health for several months.
Ms. Le Guin embraced the standard themes of her chosen genres: sorcery and dragons, spaceships and planetary conflict. But even when her protagonists are male, they avoid the macho posturing of so many science fiction and fantasy heroes. The conflicts they face are typically rooted in a clash of cultures and resolved more by conciliation and self-sacrifice than by swordplay or space battles. Her books have been translated into more than 40 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Ms. Le Guin embraced the standard themes of her chosen genres: sorcery and dragons, spaceships and planetary conflict. But even when her protagonists are male, they avoid the macho posturing of so many science fiction and fantasy heroes. The conflicts they face are typically rooted in a clash of cultures and resolved more by conciliation and self-sacrifice than by swordplay or space battles. Her books have been translated into more than 40 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Do not libel the late, great Ursula Le Guin by calling her a Trump supporter. In fact, in her few public pronouncements on the matter, she made her distaste for Benedict Donald very clear. Here's a quote:
You are welcome on my lawn.
Unfortunately it is not. The #4 Earthsea book, Tehanu, was written during Le Guin's feminist phase and is, unfortunately, downright misandric.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap