A Wizard of Earthsea

Ursula K. LeGuin is usually labeled as a science fiction writer. It is a categorization she doesn't exactly appreciate because she writes in many genres other than science fiction. Besides science fiction, LeGuin says of her literature, "some of it is fantasy, some of it is realistic, some of it is magical realism."Along with novels, LeGuin writes poetry and essays  She disapproves of narrow genre-labeling because many authors write in various genres, and more importantly, she implies that science fiction books are seen as some sort of sub-genre, but "some of this stuff is some of the best writing that's being done in the United States." LeGuin should know. She is an author who has received critical acclaim for much of her writing. The awards have been for literary merit, not just science fiction awards given to books in that category. The Earthsea Trilogy , her second trilogy and her first attempt at fantasy, has been popular for over two decades. Considered by LeGuin and some critics  as her best work to date, the books comprising The Earthsea Trilogy have garnered many awards including a Newbery Silver Medal Award, and four awards for Children's Book of the Year from various committees.

LeGuin began the trilogy when a publisher invited her to write a fantasy for children. She developed the novels from stories she had written earlier about the world of Earthsea, a place similar to the United States in climate, and much like the fifteenth century in its lack of industrialization.

The first book in the series,  A Wizard of Earthsea  , is a true "Bildungsroman," a novel which follows the hero to adulthood via a "quest for identity." Ged's quest for identity encompasses [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/spring96/griffin.html#LeGuin '' A Wizard of Earthsea. '']

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A Wizard of Earthsea: One of the most collectable fantasy