Where to start with Ursula K. Le Guin
Begin with A Wizard of Earthsea, the first book in the Earthsea series, published in 1968. This novel introduces the world of Earthsea, a fictional archipelago where magic is balanced by wisdom and consequence. It establishes the foundational themes of identity, responsibility, and the harmony between nature and power that recur throughout the series. Proceed through the Earthsea series in publication order: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, The Other Wind, and Tales from Earthsea. Each book expands on the world and deepens the exploration of magic, maturity, and the ethical dimensions of power. The series is self-contained in its narrative arc but builds a cohesive understanding of the world and its principles.
Series by Ursula K. Le Guin
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Buy on Amazon1966 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Earth-scientist Rocannon leads an ethnological survey on a remote planet home to three native races: the cavern-dwelling Gdemiar, the elvish Fiia,…
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Buy on Amazon1966 · Ursula K. Le Guin
The Earth colony of Landin has been stranded on the planet Werel for ten years, but ten years on Werel equal over 600 terrestrial years. The small…
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Buy on Amazon1967 · Ursula K. Le Guin
A 1967 novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. A fully grown man is found alone in a dense forest with no memory of who or what he is, and eyes unlike a human's.…
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Buy on Amazon1969 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness is a science fiction work that explores themes of gender and identity. The story follows an…
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Buy on Amazon1972 · Ursula K. Le Guin
This 1972 science fiction novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in English as a book in 1976, is set centuries in the future on a…
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Buy on Amazon1974 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action by seeking answers and challenging the beliefs that have kept his planet of anarchists isolated…
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Buy on Amazon1974 · Ursula K. Le Guin
A 1974 science fiction short story by Ursula K. Le Guin focusing on the bittersweet ruminations of an old woman who began a social movement in her…
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1990 · Ursula K. Le Guin
"The Shobies' Story" is a 1990 science fiction novella by Ursula K. Le Guin. It follows the first human crew to use a new faster-than-light space…
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Buy on Amazon1994 · Ursula K. Le Guin
An award-winning story collection ranging from the everyday to the outer limits of experience, where the quantum uncertainties of space and time are…
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Buy on Amazon1968 · Ursula K. Le Guin
The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle. Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk,…
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Buy on Amazon1971 · Ursula K. Le Guin
A 1971 novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special…
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Buy on Amazon1972 · Ursula K. Le Guin
A 1972 novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. A young prince joins forces with a master wizard on a journey to discover a cause and remedy for the loss of magic…
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1990 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Tehanu, subtitled The Last Book of Earthsea, is a fantasy novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, published in February 1990 by Atheneum. It is the fourth book…
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Buy on Amazon2001 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Tales from Earthsea is a fantasy fiction collection by Ursula K. Le Guin, containing five stories published between 1998 and 2001 along with the…
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Buy on Amazon2001 · Ursula K. Le Guin
The Other Wind (2001) is a novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. The sorcerer Alder fears sleep, dreaming of the land of death and his wife who died young and…
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Buy on Amazon2004 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Gifts (2004) is a young adult fantasy novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, the first book in the Annals of the Western Shore trilogy, followed by Voices. Set…
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Buy on Amazon2006 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Voices (2006) is the second book in Ursula K. Le Guin's Annals of the Western Shore trilogy, preceded by Gifts and followed by Powers. Set in the…
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Buy on Amazon2007 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Young Gavir escapes from slavery after his sister is killed, and he begins a journey to explore the world and develop his psychic abilities. The…
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Buy on Amazon1966 · Damon Knight
Nebula Award Stories 1965 is an anthology of science fiction short works edited by Damon Knight, running to viii, 310 pages, 25 cm, and published in…
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1968
Nebula Award Stories 3 is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Roger Zelazny. It was first published in the United Kingdom in…
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Buy on Amazon1973 · Isaac Asimov
This is an anthology of science fiction short works edited by Isaac Asimov, containing stories by Robert Silverberg, Joanna Russ, Frederik Pohl,…
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Year unknown
Nebula Award Stories 9 is an anthology of science fiction short stories that won the Nebula Award. It was edited by Kate Wilhelm and first published…
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1975
Nebula Award Stories 10 is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by James Gunn. It was first published in the United Kingdom in…
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Buy on Amazon1988 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Mrs. Jane Tabby cannot explain why all four of her kittens, Thelma, Harriet, Roger, and James, have wings, but the wings allow her dreams for them to…
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Buy on Amazon1989 · Ursula K. Le Guin
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…
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Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings
1994 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings is a 1994 book by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is book 3 of the series Catwings.
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1999 · Ursula K. Le Guin
Jane on Her Own is a 1999 book by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is book 4 of the series Catwings.
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Standalone books
Frequently asked questions
How many books has Ursula K. Le Guin written?
We list 43 books by Ursula K. Le Guin across 5 series, published between 1966–2024 — each shown in full reading order.
What order should I read Ursula K. Le Guin's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Rocannon's World.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy Ursula K. Le Guin's books?
Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.