New Releases by Ursula K. Le Guin

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION—WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY DAVID MITCHELL AND A NEW AFTERWORD BY CHARLIE JANE ANDERS Ursula K. Le Guin’s groundbreaking work of science fiction—winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. 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 he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters... Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.

A new English translation of the ancient Chinese text, "Tao Te Ching," begun in the 1950s by novelist and poet Ursula Le Guin, capturing the poetry of the language and written to be accessible to modern-day readers.

The title story portrays the birth of democracy in Eastern Europe, Standing Ground is set in an abortion clinic and features a teenage girl, and the story, Poacher, offers a new twist on Sleeping Beauty.

Four interconnected novellas are set on the twin planets Werel and Yeowe and follow the stories of such characters as the disgraced revolutionary Abberkam, the callow "space brat" Solly, and the androgynous artist Batikam.

The story of two communities of outcasts from earth living on another planet.

In this intriguing tale (not for children), storyteller extraordinaire Ursula K. Le Guin explores the magic of animals. Her animal characters -- from the irreverent trickster Coyote to the wise matriarch Grandmother Spider -- seem like people to us, just as they do to the little girl who finds herself living among them. We learn, with the girl, that these "Old People" once lived freely on the earth but now must maintain their lifeways carefully alongside the "New People" -- humans. Susan Seddon Boulet chose this tale to illustrate, completing twenty works for its publication. They are extremely effective in bringing Le Guin''s characters to life, imbuing them, of course, with Boulet''s singular vision of the otherworldly realms occupied by animal spirits. This book is a must for any serious collector of Boulet art.

Our world ends here . . . and another begins. In one of her most deeply felt works, America''s acclaimed author of speculative fiction turns inward, to the dreams and sorrows of a small town set, quite literally, on the farthest edge of modern America.

For use in schools and libraries only. Ursula Le Guin''s beloved series chronicles the many adventures of the winged cats who escape the dangerous and dirty city to live in the countryside. From the original four cats, James, Roger, Thelma and Harriet, to their new friends, Jane and Alexander,

North to Orsinia and the boundaries between reality and madness ... South to discover Antarctica with nine South American women ... West to find an enchanted harp and the borderland between life and death ... and onward to all points on and off the compass. Twenty astonishing stories from acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin carry us to worlds of wonder and horror, desire and destiny, enchantment and doom.

Two people meet in a magical and idyllic world, across the stream and over the threshold from everyday life. Then their refuge turns horrific and their dreams become nightmares. They must choose not between one life and another, but between life and death.

After living for five years with the family of the House of Zove, the stranger known as Falk leaves them to discover his true identity.

The place is Orsinia, a land of medieval keeps standing guard above walled cities, and of railways stretching across karsts to vanish in mountains where the old gods still live.

Includes previously uncollected pieces by Ursula K. Le Guin. There is an opinion article, a short story, a 1972 speech accepting the National Book Award for Children''s Literature, awarded to "The Farthest Shore," the third volume in the EarthSea series, and an interview that appeared in Algol #24 (The Magazine About Science Fiction) in May 1975.

Frequently reissued with the same ISBN, but with slightly differing bibliographical details.

THE TOMBS OF ATUAN Book Two of Ursula K. Le Guin''s Earthsea Cycle Now a SCI FI Original Miniseries! When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away from her-home, family, possessions, even her name. She is now known only as Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the labyrinthine Tombs of Atuan, shrouded in darkness. When a young wizard, Ged Sparrowhawk, comes to steal the Tombs'' greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe, Tenar''s rightful duty is to protect the Tombs. But Ged also brings with him the light of magic and tales of a brighter world Tenar has never known. Will Tenar risk everything to escape the darkness that has become her domain? With millions of copies sold worldwide, Ursula K. Le Guin''s Earthsea Cycle has earned a treasured place on the shelves of fantasy lovers everywhere, alongside the works of such beloved authors as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

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.