Author guide

Ursula K. Le Guin Books in Order

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (1929–2018) was an American novelist, short-story writer, poet, essayist, critic, translator, and children's author. Her major works include the Earthsea fantasy sequence, the Hainish Cycle novels and stories, The Lathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, Always Coming Home, and Lavinia. Her fiction explores gender, power, freedom, language, ecology, technology, and alternative social arrangements.

science fictionfantasyliterary fictionpoetryessayscriticismchildren's literatureyoung adult fictionnonfiction

Catalog record updated August 25, 2026.

Ursula K. Le Guin's Newest Book

Ursula K. Le Guin's Book of Cats

essay_collection · First published 2025

THE PURR-FECT GIFT FOR CAT LOVERS: Discover the literary legend's quirky and winsome cat poems, meditations, and drawings Includes the hard-to-find The Art of Bunditsu, plus 30+ other delights from a lifetime of reflection on the mystery and magic of cats "The presence of a cat keeps me in touch with the mystery, the unreasonableness, the beauty, the stubborn wildness of the nonhuman world." In her life as in her art, Ursula K. Le Guin was fascinated by the feline. This irresistable book about cats gathers poems, mediations, and drawings dedicated to the complicated creature that her captured her imagination. Here are: The Art of Bunditsu, Le Guin's hard-to-find “tabbist” meditation on the arranging of cats 26 cat poems, many illustrated by Le Guin herself The Historic First Issue! of Le Guin's one-of-a-kind cat comic book, Supermouse Comix! Cat Correspondence: letters between Le Guin’s cat and those of her daughter detailing the Five Deliberations that cats spend their lives studying Cat Tai Chi, as depicted in a charming series of drawings A first-of-its-kind collection from a science fiction legend, this delightful purr-purri is a gift for cat lovers and Le Guin fans!

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

A Wizard of Earthsea

The foundational entry to Le Guin's best-known fantasy sequence.

The Left Hand of Darkness

A landmark standalone Hainish novel and one of her most influential works.

The Lathe of Heaven

A concise, accessible standalone novel that introduces her speculative and philosophical concerns.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

A brief, widely anthologized story that demonstrates her moral and political imagination.

Read in order

Books by series

series · complete

The Books of Earthsea

A fantasy sequence set in the archipelago of Earthsea, comprising six books and the later standalone story The Daughter of Odren.

Series guide →

1
A Wizard of Earthsea
Book 1 · novel · 1968

A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard.
2
The Tombs of Atuan
Book 2 · novel · 1971

A wizard enters the underground domain of Ahra, high priestess of the Powers of the Earth, in an attempt to steal her palace's greatest treasure.
3
The Farthest Shore
Book 3 · novel · 1972

In this third book in the Earthsea series, darkness threatens to overtake Earthsea: The world and its wizards are losing their magic. But Ged Sparrohawk—Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord—is determined to discover the source of this…
4
Tehanu
Book 4 · novel · 1990

When Sparrowhawk, the Archmage of Earthsea, returns from the dark land stripped of his magic powers, he finds refuge with the aging widow Tenar and a crippled girl child who carries an unknown destiny.
5
Tales from Earthsea
Book 5 · fiction_collection · 2001

The tales of this book explore and extend the world established by the Earthsea novels--yet each stands on its own. It contains the novella "The Finder," and the short stories "The Bones of the Earth," "Darkrose and Diamond," "On the High…
6
The Other Wind
Book 6 · novel · 2001

The sorcerer Alder fears sleep. He dreams of the land of death, of his wife who died young and longs to return to him so much that she kissed him across the low stone wall that separates our world from the Dry Land-where the grass is…
7
The Daughter of Odren
Book 7 · short_story · 2014 Optional

The Daughter of Odren is a short story of betrayal and revenge set in the world of Earthsea, in which Weed, the daughter of Lord Garnet, waits for the day she will have her father back. For fourteen years, Weed, as she is called, the…

shared-universe · complete

The Hainish Cycle

A shared-universe sequence of novels about the Ekumen and the worlds descended from ancient Hainish colonization.

Series guide →

1
Rocannon's World
Book 1 · novel · 1966

Earth-scientist Rocannon has been leading an ethnological survey on a remote world populated by three native races: the cavern-dwelling Gdemiar, the elvish Fiia, and the warrior clan, Liuar. But when the technologically primitive planet…
2
Planet of Exile
Book 2 · novel · 1966

Threatened by an army of nomadic tribesmen, the Tevar colony and their enemies the farborns must form an alliance to survive the war and the fifteen-year-long winter of their isolated planet.
3
City of Illusions
Book 3 · novel · 1967

'She is unique. She is legend' THE TIMES 'A tour de force' EVENING STANDARD 'A wonderfully mordant analyst of human weakness' Martin Amis Earth, like the rest of the Known Worlds, has fallen to the Shing. Scattered here and there, small…
4
The Left Hand of Darkness
Book 4 · novel · 1969

A lone human ambassador is sent to the icebound planet of Winter, a world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants’ gender is fluid. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so…
5
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia
Book 5 · novel · 1974
6
The Word for World Is Forest
Book 6 · novel · 1976

When the inhabitants of a peaceful world are conquered by the bloodthirsty yumens, their existence is irrevocably altered. Forced into servitude, the Athsheans find themselves at the mercy of their brutal masters. Desperation causes the…
7
Four Ways to Forgiveness
Book 7 · fiction_collection · 1995

At the far end of our universe, on the twin planets of Werel and Yeowe, all humankind is divided into "assets" and "owners," tradition and liberation are at war, and freedom takes many forms. Here is a society as complex and troubled as…
8
The Telling
Book 8 · novel · 2000

Once a culturally rich world, the planet Aka has been utterly transformed by technology. Records of the past have been destroyed, and citizens are strictly monitored. But an official observer from Earth will discover a group of outcasts…

series · complete

Annals of the Western Shore

A three-volume young-adult fantasy sequence about societies shaped by inherited magical gifts, storytelling, and political power.

Series guide →

1
Gifts
Book 1 · novel · 2004

Young adult story about finding one's place in the world.
2
Voices
Book 2 · novel · 2006

Young Memer takes on a pivotal role in freeing her war-torn homeland from its oppressive captors.
3
Powers
Book 3 · novel · 2007

'Le Guin's storytelling is sharp, magisterial, funny, thought-provoking and exciting, exhibiting all that science fiction can be' EMPIRE 'Told with shimmering lyricism, this coming-of-age saga will leave readers transformed' BOOKLIST 'Le…

shared-world · complete

Orsinia

Two related works set in the fictional central European country of Orsinia.

Series guide →

1
Orsinian Tales
Book 1 · fiction_collection · 1976

Orsinia ... a land of medieval forests, stonewalled cities, and railways reaching into the mountains where the old gods dwell. A country where life is harsh, dreams are gentle, and people feel torn by powerful forces and fight to remain…
2
Malafrena
Book 2 · novel · 1979

'Her worlds have a magic sheen ... She is unique. She is legend' THE TIMES 'Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power' OBSERVER Among the less-travelled mountains and plains of Central Europe, a little east of Austria perhaps and north of…

series · complete

Catwings

A four-book children's series about a family of winged cats.

Series guide →

1
Catwings
Book 1 · children_book · 1988

Four young cats with wings leave the city slums in search of a safe place to live, finally meeting two children with kind hands.
2
Catwings Return
Book 2 · children_book · 1989

Wishing to visit their mother, two winged cats leave their new country home to return to the city, where they discover a winged kitten in a building imminently to be demolished.
3
Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings
Book 3 · children_book · 1994

After being rescued by a flying cat, Alexander the cat decides to make good on a promise to do wonderful things.
4
Jane on Her Own
Book 4 · children_book · 1999

When Jane, a cat with wings, leaves the safety of her farm to explore the world, she falls into the hands of a man who keeps her prisoner and exploits her for money.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Sort works

Novels (18)

The Lathe of Heaven
novel · 1971

During a time racked by war and environmental catastrophe, George Orr discovers his dreams alter reality. George is compelled to receive treatment from Dr. William Haber, an ambitious sleep psychiatrist who quickly grasps the immense…
Very Far Away from Anywhere Else
novel · 1976

Owen Griffiths, a seventeen-year-old outsider, learns to find his own way to a future in science through a friendship with a girl whose life is dedicated to music.
The Beginning Place
novel · 1980

A magical place across a creek provides sanctuary for two young people in flight from the banality of their daily lives, until their paradise turns into a hell on Earth that threatens to destroy them
The Eye of the Heron
novel · 1983

From multi-award-winning, literary legend Ursula K. Le Guin comes a speculative fiction classic, The Eye of the Heron. In Victoria on a former prison colony, two exiled groups - the farmers of Shantih and the city dwellers - live in…
Always Coming Home
novel · 1985

Midway through her career, Le Guin embarked on one of her most detailed, impressive literary projects, a novel that took more than five years to complete. Blending story and fable, poetry, artwork, and song, Always Coming Home is this…
Lavinia
novel · 2008

In The Aeneid, Vergil’s hero fights to claim the king’s daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Lavinia herself never speaks a word. Now, in this moving mythological retelling, Ursula K. Le Guin gives Lavinia a…
The Wind's Twelve Quarters
fiction_collection · 1975

The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her lyrical writing, rich characters, and diverse worlds. The Wind's Twelve Quarters…
The Compass Rose
fiction_collection · 1982
Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences
fiction_collection · 1987

Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences is a collection of short stories and poems by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in 1987 by Capra Press. It includes the author's introductions to the pieces in each section of the…
Searoad: Chronicles of Klatsand
fiction_collection · 1991

One of Ursula K. Le Guin's most realistic works, Searoad: Chronicles of Klatsand, which was first published in 1991, is also among her most inventive. Cast as a series of interconnected stories set in a small vacation town on the Oregon…
A Fisherman of the Inland Sea
fiction_collection · 1994

The award-winning stories in this book range from the everyday to the outer limits of experience, where the quantum uncertainties of space and time are resolved only in the depths of the human heart. Astonishing in their diversity and…
Unlocking the Air and Other Stories
fiction_collection · 1996
The Birthday of the World and Other Stories
fiction_collection · 2002

"For more than four decades, Ursula K. Le Guin has enthralled readers with her imagination, clarity, and moral vision. The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and five Hugo and five…
Changing Planes
fiction_collection · 2003

"Missing a flight, waiting in an airport, listening to garbled announcements - who doesn't hate that misery?" "But Sita Dulip from Cincinnati finds a method of bypassing the crowds at the desks, the long lines at the toilets, the nasty…
The Wild Girls
fiction_collection · 2011
The Found and the Lost: Collected Novellas
fiction_collection · 2016

[This book] represents the first time that all of Le Guin novellas have been collected in a single volume. Featuring thirteen unforgettable stories, this literary treasure is easily one of the most anticipated collections of the year. In…
Steering the Craft
nonfiction · 1998
Conversations on Writing
nonfiction · 2018

Short fiction (1)

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
short_story · 1973

Some inhabitants of a peaceful kingdom cannot tolerate the act of cruelty that underlies its happiness.

Essays and speeches (7)

The Language of the Night
essay_collection · 1979

A collection of twenty-four essays concerned with writing in general, the field of fantasy and science fiction, and with the author's own writing.
Dancing at the Edge of the World
essay_collection · 1989

The celebrated author offers her thoughts on a broad range of subjects, including literary criticism, the state of science fiction writing today, and government and governmental policies.
The Wave in the Mind
essay_collection · 2004

Join Ursula K. Le Guin as she explores a broad array of subjects, ranging from Tolstoy, Twain, and Tolkien to women's shoes, beauty, and family life. With her customary wit, intelligence, and literary craftsmanship, she offers a diverse…
Cheek by Jowl
essay_collection · 2009
Words Are My Matter
essay_collection · 2017

A bright and wide-ranging collection of essays, reviews, talks, and more from one of our best and most thoughtful writers.
No Time to Spare
essay_collection · 2017

From acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin, a collection of thoughts--always adroit, often acerbic--on aging, belief, the state of literature, and the state of the nation
Ursula K. Le Guin's Book of Cats
essay_collection · 2025

THE PURR-FECT GIFT FOR CAT LOVERS: Discover the literary legend's quirky and winsome cat poems, meditations, and drawings Includes the hard-to-find The Art of Bunditsu, plus 30+ other delights from a lifetime of reflection on the mystery…

Children's books (9)

Leese Webster
children_book · 1979

A palace spider's extraordinary webs, which imitate paintings and carvings, take a new turn when she is thrown out into the garden.
Cobbler's Rune
children_book · 1983
Solomon Leviathan's Nine Hundred and Thirty-First Trip Around the World
children_book · 1988
A Visit from Dr. Katz
children_book · 1988

Although Marianne is sick and has to stay in bed, she is cheered up by medicinal treatment from her two cats.
Fire and Stone
children_book · 1989

When the dragon comes swooping down with its tongue of flickering fire, only Min and Podo have the foresight to feed it what it seems to want from them.
Fish Soup
children_book · 1992
A Ride on the Red Mare's Back
children_book · 1992

With the aid of her magic wooden horse, a brave girl travels to the High House in the mountains to rescue her kidnapped brother from the trolls.
Tom Mouse
children_book · 2002

Tom Mouse hides on the train he has boarded for travel and adventure, but an old woman finds and befriends him.
Cat Dreams
children_book · 2010

Presents a feline dreamland where it rains mice, all the dogs have run away, and a big bowl of kibbles and cream is waiting.

Poetry (11)

Wild Angels
poetry_collection · 1974
Hard Words and Other Poems
poetry_collection · 1981
Wild Oats and Fireweed
poetry_collection · 1988
Blue Moon over Thurman Street
poetry_collection · 1993

A collection of poems and writings about the forty-five blocks of Thurman Street in Portland, Oregon, attempting to capture what is both unique and commonplace about it
Going Out with Peacocks
poetry_collection · 1994
Sixty Odd
poetry_collection · 1999

Sixty Odd is Ursula K. Le Guin's fifth collection of poems. At turns wry, playful, and sharply critical, Le Guin eloquently explores themes ranging from finely observed details of her day-to-day life, to moving philosophical reflections…
Incredible Good Fortune
poetry_collection · 2006

These warm, funny, and eloquent poems, spanning the years 2000 to 2005, by the celebrated author of Always Coming Home and The Language of the Night, showcase Le Guin’s many facets as a writer.
Out Here
poetry_collection · 2010
Finding My Elegy
poetry_collection · 2012

This poetry collection by the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author presents selections from across fifty years of verse—plus more than seventy new poems. Though internationally celebrated for her imaginative fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin…
Late in the Day
poetry_collection · 2015
So Far, So Good: Final Poems 2014–2018
poetry_collection · 2019

"Ursula K. Le Guin, loved by millions for her fantasy and science-fiction novels, ponders life, death and the vast beyond in So Far So Good, an astute, charming collection finished weeks before her death in January, 2018. Fans will…

Plays (1)

King Dog
screenplay · 1985

Other (10)

From Elfland to Poughkeepsie
chapbook · 1973
The Water Is Wide
chapbook · 1976
Walking in Cornwall
chapbook · 1976
Tillai and Tylissos
chapbook · 1979
In the Red Zone
chapbook · 1983
A Winter Solstice Ritual for the Pacific Northwest
chapbook · 1991
Findings
chapbook · 1992
No Boats
chapbook · 1992
The Art of Bunditsu
chapbook · 1993
My Life So Far
chapbook · 2016

Frequently asked questions about Ursula K. Le Guin

Who was Ursula K. Le Guin, and what kind of writer was she?

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) was an American author known for science fiction and fantasy, as well as poetry, essays, criticism, children’s literature, and translation. Her work helped establish speculative fiction as a serious literary form.

Sources: ursulakleguin.com (opens in a new tab)arts.gov (opens in a new tab)

When and where was Ursula K. Le Guin born, and where did she spend most of her life?

She was born Ursula Kroeber in 1929 in Berkeley, California. After growing up in Berkeley and Napa Valley, she settled in Portland, Oregon, in 1958 and lived there until her death in 2018.

Sources: ursulakleguin.com (opens in a new tab)oregonencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Ursula K. Le Guin’s writing?

Her upbringing in an intellectual Berkeley household shaped by her father’s anthropology and her mother’s writing, along with mythology, folklore, and storytelling, strongly influenced her. Le Guin also said that Taoist thought runs deeply through much of her fiction.

Sources: oregonencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)ursulakleguin.com (opens in a new tab)arts.gov (opens in a new tab)

What awards did Ursula K. Le Guin receive?

Among her major honors were multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Grand Master title, the 2014 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and a 1973 National Book Award for children’s literature.

Sources: ursulakleguin.com (opens in a new tab)nationalbook.org (opens in a new tab)

Why is Ursula K. Le Guin considered important, and what is her legacy?

Le Guin used imagined societies to explore gender, power, ethics, language, ecology, and freedom, combining ambitious ideas with literary craft. Her work broadened the cultural and artistic possibilities of science fiction and fantasy and remains widely translated and in print.

Sources: arts.gov (opens in a new tab)ursulakleguin.com (opens in a new tab)oregonencyclopedia.org (opens in a new tab)