Ursula K. Le Guin "The Telling" Signed First Edition, Leather Bound Collector's Edition w/COA [Sealed]

Personally signed by Ursula K. Le Guin. Her popularity stems from her talent as a writer, her exploration of important themes, and her significant contributions to the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

LIMITED TO ONLY 1,100 SIGNED AND NUMBERED COPIES.

Easton Press. Norwalk, CT. 2000. Ursula K. Le Guin "Telling". Personally signed by Ursula K. Le Guin. Signed First Edition. This is a numbered limited collector's edition. The Signed First Edition of Science Fiction collection. 264 pages. 8 vo. Beautifully illustrated and luxuriously bound in black full genuine leather. As new, sealed without any visible flaws. Includes the original collector's notes and COA (Certificate of Authenticity) by the publisher.

Frontispiece by Lynn Pritchard.

The Telling

The Telling is a 2000 science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin set in her fictional universe of Hainish Cycle. The Telling is Le Guin's first follow-up novel set in the Hainish Cycle since her 1974 novel The Dispossessed. It tells the story of Sutty, a Terran sent to be an Ekumen observer, on the planet Aka, and her experiences of political and religious conflicts between a corporatist government and the indigenous resistance, which is centered on the traditions of storytelling, locally referred to as "the Telling" (for which the book is named).

Ursula K. Le Guin is popular for several reasons, primarily due to her remarkable contributions to literature, particularly in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. Here are some key reasons for her popularity:

Innovative Writing: Le Guin's writing style and narrative techniques were innovative and groundbreaking within the genres of science fiction and fantasy. She often blended speculative elements with deep philosophical and sociological insights, creating rich and immersive worlds that resonated with readers.

Strong Female Characters: Le Guin was known for creating strong, complex female characters at a time when such characters were less common in speculative fiction. Her portrayal of gender roles and exploration of feminist themes were influential and ahead of their time.

Social and Political Themes: Her works often explored profound social and political themes, including anarchism, Taoism, environmentalism, and the consequences of imperialism. This depth and thoughtfulness appealed to readers looking for more than just entertainment in their speculative fiction.

Critically Acclaimed Works: Many of Le Guin's works received critical acclaim, winning numerous awards such as the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. For example, her novels "The Left Hand of Darkness" and the "Earthsea" series are considered classics of the genre.

Literary Merit: Le Guin's writing is celebrated for its literary merit. She was skilled at crafting elegant prose and exploring complex ideas, which attracted readers interested in both genre fiction and literary fiction.

Impact on the Genre: Le Guin's influence on the science fiction and fantasy genres is profound. She inspired generations of writers and expanded the possibilities of speculative fiction by challenging conventions and pushing boundaries.

Overall, Ursula K. Le Guin's popularity stems from her talent as a writer, her exploration of important themes, and her significant contributions to the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Her works continue to be widely read and admired for their intelligence, imagination, and emotional resonance.

About the author

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 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".

Features

Includes all the classic Easton Press qualities:

* Premium Leather
* Silk Moire Endleaves
* Distinctive Cover Design
* Hubbed Spine, Accented in Real 22KT Gold
* Satin Ribbon Page Marker
* Gilded Page Edges
* Long-lasting, High Quality Acid-neutral Paper
* Smyth-sewn Pages for Strength and Durability
* Beautiful Illustrations