Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) was one of the leading figures in American literature of the 20th century. A versatile author, poet, essayist, and primarily a novelist, she became famous for her work in the field of science fiction for both adults and young readers. Her perspective was sharply insightful and progressive, with her radical views placing critical issues (social, environmental, ethnological, gender-related, etc.) at the core of her work. During her lifetime, she was honored with almost every award in fantasy/science fiction literature: five Hugo Awards, four Nebula Awards, as well as Locus, Newbery, Jupiter, Lewis Carroll, James Tiptree Jr., Endeavour, International Fantasy Award, and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 1973 (for the third part of the "Earthsea" series, "The Farthest Shore"). In 2000, the Library of Congress declared her a "Living Legend" in the category of "Writers and Artists." In 2001, she was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. In 2002, she was honored with the Pen/Malamud Award for her enduring contribution to the short story. In 2003, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) named her a "Grand Master." In 2014, she received her highest accolade, the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation for her body of work. She passed away in Portland, Oregon, on January 22, 2018, at the age of 88.