Ged was the greatest painter in the world who lost his hands. Of course he despairs for a while, grieves. We are all eventually shadows of who we were. But Ged remains kind, respectful, loving, and still f*cking protects who he cares about. I think his story is great for anyone who feels powerless
Ged is probably one of the most unique main characters from any fantasy which is even more interesting considering he's only the POV character for one of the six books.
so glad to hear the praise for Tombs. You can’t help but hear Le Guin’s voice when reading it. Truly amazing and overlooked story, deserves to be in the fantasy canon.
Totally agree - it's kind of amazing you don't hear more praise for Tombs in general, but maybe that just speaks more to the crowds I'm in haha. So cool to see appreciation for this series though!
Will be 65 this year as I read my way through Earthsea for the first time in my life. Why I never read the books before I'll never know. Highly recommended. The writing is simple, clear and wonderful.
It’s not rlly related or similar but I couldn’t believe how good the Three Musketeers books were until I read the first two, and I’m so excited for the final three
My favourite book. My favourite author. She stands out because her books are so much more than the genre they're labeled as. Rather than being witty or sprinkled with lines that resemble wisdom, what she writes is wise from beginning to end. And you can see her wisdom grow from book to book over the decades. I can also see my understanding grow with each read-through; when I was a kid, I mourned Ged's loss of magic; as I grew up, I understood he'd lost nothing; magic was just one of the things that helped him become a wise, whole person that he was - which is something he could never lose. Out of all modern interpretations of mythic themes, Ged's hero's journey is the only one I'd wish for myself.
You know it's an amazing and magical book when Studio Ghibli made an anime adaptation of it. Tales from the Earthsea will always have a special spot here in my heart
@@vincentprado6676 I thought she was more ambivalent to the animated adaptation. But vehemently HATED the lie action adaptation...which in all fairness they lied to her
@@vincentprado6676Honestly this is why I don't believe anything anymore that some random person writes online. She didn't hate it. She was disappointed but explicitly said it's a good movie. Just not her story anymore. Which wasn't the point and I assume that just wasn't communicated to her in advance. Still. You shouldn't just make up stuff and spread it online.
If you can guess what I'm covering in two weeks I will be truly impressed haha. But glad to be mind controlled if it lets me cover such amazing series like Earthsea!
Hey thanks so much! Honestly just so cool there's people who are interested in this stuff on RUclips! It is interesting how there's not really a ton of Earthsea content on RUclips, I wonder if it's indicative to the popularity of the series or something else
For those who don't know, Ursula K. Le Guin also wrote The Word for World is Forest, which really is what the movie Avatar is based on - even if her characters weren't as 'flashy' as those in the movie. It's a beautiful story.
The movie skipped most of the poignant commentary on colonialism though. Hollywood gonna Hollywood. I love generic action movies soooooo much. I'll never not be mad about what they did to world war z
Earthsea had my favorite depiction of dragons in fantasy novels. "Dragons don't use magic, they are magic, it is very substance of their being." Could you maybe do Dying Earth by Jack Vance?
I have a major soft spot for the ghibli adaptation, even if the plot is clunky, I just loose myself in its visuals and music and love putting it on as background noise while I work on projects :)
I have so, so much to say about Earthsea. What a brilliant set of books, what an imaginative take on fantasy and story, Ursula Le Guin has opened my mind to many different ways a story can be; I've since gobbled up any book of hers I can find (most recently, Lathe of Heaven). On the Ghibli side of things, word on the street is Hayao Miyazaki was a HUGE fan c. 1980's and the series has been a huge influence for him; if you ask me, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind feels like it gets Earthsea more than the actual Ghibli Earthsea did.
Yes, and instead of going out in a blaze of glory, La Guin has him survive past his time, and we see him then struggle to find his place in the universe. He faces powerlessness and the decline of old age, but still manages to find beauty and purpose just as powerful and just as important as a humble old man and supporting father figure. Absolutely inspired.
@@jemm113 I remember it being incredibly popular when it came out (The Alchemist, I mean). At least in my country. I read it then as a teenager and it made a big impression, but when I read it again a bit later, it seemed... way too aware of the fact that it's trying to be wise (maybe it's time for another reassessment?). Since then it seems like it's lost popularity because Coelho leaned into the whole "look how deep I am" angle too much, so people started to retrospectively kinda laugh a bit at the the Alchemist too. This is not to throw shade at any fans like the OP here! Give it a go and form your own opinion, you might love it. It could simply be that it's a book that speaks to a certain need for a sense of importance that tends to be more common in young people :-)
Earthsea os one of my favourite fantasy series, so cool to see you do a video on it! I had no idea they did a radio series on it, hope it gets adapted properly one day...
Hey thanks so much! Hope I did. the series justice in your opinion. It would be great to see an adaption, but I think it's a tough series to do properly, we'll see if the most recent one gets off the ground!
Earthsea sets itself apart by not being an unabashed Tolkien clone. I've grown up loving Tokkien and his work, still do, and looking for oher fantasy series is so hard because nothing else quite captures the wonder in fantasy the same way Tolkien does. Earthsea is one rare exception to that.
I tried to like the Ghibli film but the story was hard to try to feel invested in. I was more interested in the landscaping. Movie felt more like a pretty postcard
That's true it was a gorgeous movie if nothing else. Apparently Miyazaki wanted to do the film much earlier but Ursula shot it down because she hadn't heard of Ghibli at the time. After a while Ghibli blew up a little and she agreed to do the film. A juicy theory some have people is that Miyazaki handed it to his son and part of the reason he was so hands off on the project was a kind of revenge for being put off the first time. In any event it does make you think how it would have turned out differently if Miyazaki had been more involved, or directed himself instead of his son.
@@exitsexamined It was Toshio Suzuki who gave it to Gorō, not Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao was actually vocally against giving the project to his son, and it caused some rift in their relationship and they did not speak to each-other during the whole production of the film. Le Guin was against giving Ghibli the rights originally mainly because her main reference point for animated fantasy films at the time was Walt Disney and she did not want to risk an Earthsea film being like that. She changed her mind after actually getting the chance to see a Miyazaki film, namely My Neighbor Totoro. Le Guin wanted Hayao Miyazaki to do it and Hayao wanted to do it, but he was busy with Howl's Moving Castle at the time, so instead of waiting on him Suzuki gave it to Gorō.
If you want a newer fantastic fantasy series written by a woman, I propose: "Witch Hat Atelier." Which essentially takes the magical school idea and takes an original spin with the idea while weaving in some real world issues. There are also stakes at hand that not only the main character faces, but everyone has their own secrets or helps to hide the secrets of others. I can't say much more without spoiling integral plot points, but it is an ongoing series that is beautifully drawn and written. Shameless fan plug out of the way I want to give my thoughts. I haven't managed to read this series yet, in fact my first introduction was Ghibli's version. Visually, I found it so beautiful, but story wise, I do agree it felt a little odd. I had no idea it was based on a book series until I went and did some digging. Now this series is definitely on my list of underrated fantasy series to try. I have found that some of modern fantasy books just don't do it for me, and I questioned if I just didn't fit with the genre. But then I was encouraged to read older fantasy like Narnia and The Last Unicorn and realized I was just likely not looking in the right places. But this series definitely looks right up my alley of what I've always wanted in a fantasy series. It's just so unique? I think current fantasy has fallen into a bottlenecked rut of limiting itself to European ideals. I don't hate it, I love elves, and fae, dragons, changelings, etc. But it's ALL fantasy showcases nowadays. I'm hoping to find more fantasy and that future fantasy takes inspiration from other cultures. Like the Brazilian myths of pink dolphins could be weaved into a fantasy. Let's switch out unicorns for things like Qilins. Throw in the old myths of the terrifying dog people. I'd love to see more selkies, or fantasy inspired by mythology from Africa, Indigenous Mexico, India, etc. I don't think modern fantasy writers do it on purpose, at least I hope not, but I hope it does start to shift soon. I think Ursula K. Le Guin was certainly on the right path to taking fantasy where it's never gone before. Deserts and Islands and jungles sound so fun for a fantasy setting and it's definitely underutilized. Unfortunately it seems she was just overshadowed and the adaptations of her series were clearly not understood by folks who salivated over male dominated fantasy settings that were popular at that time. Again nothing wrong with those, I LOVE The Witcher, and grew up watching or reading Harry Potter, The Hobbit/LOTR, but it's all so male centered and idealized. I hope we get another like Ursula soon. (Another shameless fan plug: Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren both somewhat scratches that itch I've been looking for)
Hey thank you so much! I'd be really curious to hear how you enjoy the last two books! If you enjoyed Tehanu and the proceeding books you'll probably like the last few!
I still remember how well written these books were, especially the first one, with a prose that was almost poetic. Earthsea still inspires my worldbuilding to this day, especially when it comes to its magic and people.
Ursula le Guin is one of my favorite authors and the Eathsea series I have read over and over again. Too good to be turned in run of the mill action TV, I hope Hollywood leaves it alone.
I have only read the first Earthsea but its legitimately the most beautiful fantasy novel i've ever read. Its more than just a fantasy novel, its as if a legend was being told to you by a blind storyteller around a campfire.
I *adore* the Earthsea (first) trilogy + _Tehanu._ Book four is where I stopped; as the video says, that seemed like the end. But now I've been persuaded to at least read _The Other Wind._ I think people who were upset by Ged's loss of power in _Tehanu_ were not paying attention to what Le Guin was telling them all along in the first trilogy. Ged is not the main character of a power fantasy. If he's an aspirational figure at all, it's not for fantasy reasons but reality reasons. He struggles, stumbles, fails, and grows up―not as a wizard but as a human being. His status as archmage in book three is symbolic (in Jungian or mythological fashion, if you like) of a man in the prime of his life, at the height of his physical and social power. Then he grows into old age. His powers decline, but they're replaced by other powers. It's natural and not undesirable. Last note: Part of the difficulty of adapting Earthsea to visual media may be that Le Guin often "violates" the truism "Show, Don't Tell". Actually, telling is sometimes the best way to convey information. Sorry if that comes as a surprise to anyone. (This is possibly why the first four books of Earthsea pack more punch into fewer pages than some single entries in some long-winded writers' series.)
I think Tales and The Other Wind are 100% at least worth checking out if you've gotten to Tehanu! It somehow feels like a proper end even though somehow Tehanu also felt like an end haha and if nothing else it's more Earthsea! It is interesting how some people were so upset by Tehanu, but on the other hand it's kind of surprising that even after all this time this is still such fresh ground for fantasy as a whole. I haven't checked out that much modern recent fantasy to be fair, but I've never seen another fantasy series that deals with heros after they lose their power. in their old age, and settling down and coming to terms with it. Agree it would take a very special team to be able to translate Earthsea into visual media, but I think actually a graphic novel might be interesting to see actually
In Tehanu, Ged's parallels that of Tenar. He's given up magic (with more regret than she did) but he learns how to be a normal mortal man, becoming a domestic defender of Tenar and Tehanu and losing his virginity. Something's lost but something's gained and it's understood that he will now mentor Tehanu as she comes into her power.
@@cliffarroyo9554 I like this interpretation, too. I was saying that his development as a wizard was _symbolic_ of his development as a person; you're saying the point (in some sense) of _Tehanu_ is his transition _from_ a wizard _to_ a regular person. Makes sense. "Something's lost but something's gained" Nicely put.
The initial reception of “Tehanu” and Ged’s depiction kinda reminds me of how fans responded to Luke Skywalker’s portrayal in “The Last Jedi”. Would you say the comparison is valid, or are there differences between the two media that you feel separates them from each other in terms of execution?
On the surface level I can see where the comparison is coming from, but there's some pretty major differences - Ged isn't training anyone, Ged actively tries to hide away from politics, it's more about him coming to terms with another side of himself, ultimately it's a much more rich and fleshed out story. Also it's directly after Ged was in his prime, not like years and years
I think it can be a bit jarring and seemed like it was for readers on release but at least all the characters and plots are connected throughout the series which hopefully makes it a bit less jarring
What is rare - its a book series with a pretty big bunch of healthy relationships. I was mesmerised by it in the childhood, because there were not so many examples of healthy dynamics in my circumstances.
I do wonder how much adaptation friction came from a lack of respect for the diversity, depth and emptional maturity of Earthsea. At least compared to things like LoR and GoT. It's both what makes the series so incredibly special and unique, as well as why so many fantasy fans haven't actually read it. More should.
For many years LeGuin had an Earthsea screenplay she and the great British director Michael Powell had co-written, but they could never get a studio interested. Imagine an adaptation of Earthsea by her and Powell, directed by Powell, and edited by Schoonmaker (Powell's wife, and main editor for Martin Scorsese)! Though they would have had to fight quite hard to get any studio at that time to accept POC actors for all the lead roles.
In general, I'm hearing the same thing I learned from Fullmetal Alchemist: it had a lady author, Arakawa Hiromu, and women authors write differently than men authors. That's it! If I had to try and put it to words, I've found that women authors have a kind of gentleness in their stories, and it's like they don't even have to try hard to write characters. Granted, my sample size is Le Guin, Arakawa, and Lois McMasters Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan sci-fi novels), and maybe Rowling...Jane Austen too, now that I think of it, when I was reading the text wall at the 22:00 minute mark. [Edit: we have Twilight and trashy romance novels that contaminate the sample size, so I want to say 'the high-caliber women authors' show the above similarities.]
Hey! I hear you! But my guess is that woman authors, just like men authors all write different depending on their background, generation, beliefs, demographics etc. Earthsea has a good amount of aspects that make it unique from other fantasy. Actually this comment has me thinking the same thing I did when doing my video for Eragon - makes you think how the series would critiqued differently if the the books were released anomalously, so much of how we perceive them is based on our opinions of the authors, myself included haha. Interesting to think about!
Firstly, amazing video! Got me to order the first book, which i've been meaning to do for a while. Secondly, there's some pieces of media I think deserve more attention and that seem up your alley: the book series the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu (who translated the 1st and 3rd book from Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past series), which also has a lot of variety in scope, themes and writing style and also uses subversions of fantasy/scifi tropes in interesting ways. The netflix series Maniac is an amazing magical realism scifi (is that a thing?) series about trauma and healing whose structure, pacing, writing and direction might suit a tv-adaptation of Le Guin's work. Lastly, Netflix series Dirk Gently, which I can't link really link to this video, but it's a really fun and interesting scifi-ish series which sadly got cancelled (but for a very good reason).
Hey thank you so much for the suggestions! I've written all of these down and will let you know, it will probably take me a couple months to go through these, but they sound really interesting!
If you want suggestions, you've come to the right place. Unlike most here (I would guess), I haven't hopped on the bandwagon for most of the popular new or current writers (like Sanderson or Martin). I'm kinda picky, and shy away from most sci-fi (but I like Star Wars of course, go figure). So here is my short list of authors that need a revival. Lloyd Alexander (with a bullet) he wrote for kids and older kids, but I loved pretty much everything. His big splash in fantasy was all about Welsh mythology, The Chronicles of Pyridan, featuring the adventures of Taran, Assistant Pig Keeper. One single adaptation, the Black Cauldron, one of Disney's flops, when they could put out good work, but marketing had no idea how to market (it failed at the same time frame as Treasure Planet and now having watched both, it's like how??). PS - special shout out to his three book series West Mark - Star Wars in a medieval setting, but pretty deep - rebelling is easy, but winning is hard and hardest of all is keeping the win and your soul while doing it. Julian May - when this author shot to the top, there was nothing like it. The prehistoric past on earth, invaded by ancient elves, at the same time the current timeline aliens have come to invite us to join the rest of the galaxy, at the same time that we in the current day discover that we can go back to prehistory so that the people who can't put up with the brave new world can go back and live out their lives without suicide or messing up the timeline... The series regarding this Many Colored Land ends and we never hear from the author again. Elizabeth Scarborough - wonderful fantasy and a very fun world starting with The Unicorn Creed, and our Maggie, the village witch, and the rest of the series expands to include her entire extended family. Nancy Springer - another genius storyteller who loves to tell us of a place called Isle, and how some of their folk are descended from elves and goddesses and how mad gods and invaders came among them...yes, we've seen this before, but it doesn't feel derivative or rehashed. Barbara Cooper - she's done a lot, but most famous series is a what if Arthurian cycle of young Bran, heir to Arthur in the modern day- of the five, I Stan the middle book "Green witch". IIRC she was also the creator of the High Derynie series, and both Ursula LeGuin and I think that series was a little under baked - LeGuin's takedown of this Cooper series was part of her famous essay "From Elfland to Poughkeepsie", a must read for any fan or would be author of fantasy. Anne McCaffrey - prolific author of both science fiction (eg The Ship Who Sang) and her fantasy - sci-fi hybrid the Dragonriders of Pern series. I especially like and recommend the side series 'for kids' the Harper Hall trilogy... Dragons and their mini ancestors the fire lizards and a girl named Mennolly who can sing and play music and who imprinted (called Impression in world) nine singing fire lizards. Why much lesser stuff gets the adaptations and this gets passed over? Beats the heck out of me. There's more, but these are the authors the uppermost in my mind.
Hey thanks so much for the detailed response, I've recorded some of these for future entries! I already covered Chronicles of Prydain series though! Check it out, would be good to hear your thoughts!
@@exitsexamined I've finished Pryidan and I think I left some comments there too. I am enjoying these, and will be looking at some of the other vids. Good luck with this channel.
Lots of names I haven't heard in an age! One point: The Deryni books were written by Katherine Kurtz. A few other nitpicks, but overall a good list of some lost classics.
@@crazyquilt oops! Sorry, but as to the takedown of High Derynie, that was true... LeGuin had a very well defined sense of what high fantasy should look and sound like, and lords in a medieval keep with medieval drama should not sound like a couple of IBM execs leaving a board meeting in Poughkeepsie. Thanks for the kind words.
I have absolutely adored this series ever since the first books were read to me as a child (Tehanu was also out then, but my folks thought it a bit too dark for a 7-year-old)! I genuinely think it's a nearly perfect series. I think if I had only one criticism, it was the hurried ending of Tehanu, and the fact thay the villain of that book was motivated by loyalty to the book 3 antagonist. I think it would jave been better if Aspen had just been a mean-spirited ambitious bastard disrespecting Tenar for being a woman, and Ged for having thrown away personal ambition and power.
Fantasy is a genre that is riddled with storms, grand conflicts, epic conflicts, and massive social upheaval. Earthsea is a fantasy more interested in the eye of the storm, the place of calm amid the tumult as the storm rages around it.
My favorite that I never hear mentioned anywhere is the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. Love Earthsea though! Also.. discworld and the hyperborean cycle
I really enjoyed the first three books! I think the first book is the strongest and is my favorite, with Tombs being a great book but missing the wonder of the first, and the third having an interesting middle, absolute slog of a middle, and wonderful ending. Everything I've heard of the 4th book onward makes me want to stick with the trilogy and not continue. I'd be happy with the first trilogy and I absolutely do not want Ged's complete character arc betrayed. Not because he lost his power, but because he already found spiritual mastery from the first book and apparently that's all reversed to make a sociopolitical point and one that I'm just tired of. Thanks for the video, I may check out the short stories :)
I read the books as they came out and they have always resonated so deeply with me, there is nothing I can say about the series because it simply is for me.
I read the original trilogy around 13 or so, and then each of the next three books as they were published much later. This is my all-time favorite series ever. I even sprung for the gorgeous Charles Vess illustrated complete Earthsea, with essays and speeches by LeGuin and all the other related stories, as well.
Ursula K. Le Guin inspired readers to watch out for our mistakes, the consequences, and the price of wisdom (surviving the repercussions, being at odds with former mindsets AND companions). For supposed YA aka coming of age that is A LOT of maturity in compressed form, and without the weaponized therapy-talk or woke BS of nowadays.
The thing if treu name is a very interesting topos, used both by Le Guin and Paolini, much time before LeGuin used, so I do not thing Paolini copy the writress, at last not in this case;) Beautiful video;)
Thanks so much for watching it! That's true, going for Paolini for copying is a low hanging fruit and some people do debate if Le Guin even came up with it. Honestly that's a whole video in itself!
@@exitsexamined the power of the name is ancient belief in many cultures, and LeGuin as the child of an anthropologist would know that. Like Elves and Dwarves, anyone can write about that. It's just that real power like that isn't visual, and nowhere near as flashy as throwing fireballs around.
The concept of true names is an integral concept in several semitic mythologies. Most gods just spring into existence just by uttering their name. In Christianity and Judaism, God can be named YeHoWaH (I am) because he is and cannot not be. True names are based on the cogito ergo sum principle, from knowledge comes power and from knowledge of yourself comes the ability to affirm your own sentinence
@@lucagianchino6404 just so we are clear...Paolini is much much younger than Ms LeGuin was, and she wrote A Wizard of Earthsea before Paolini was born (Paolini was a bona fide teenager whose manuscript for Eragon got greenlit when publishers were desperate for fantasy content in the late 1990s to early 2000s, while LeGuin was writing since the 1960s ). While it is entirely possible for Paolini to have come up with true names having power, completely sui genuris, it is more likely that by the time he sat down to write his own fantasy story, the ingredients like a true name, were already part of the 'common knowledge' lore of dragons, the same way that 'everyone' knows vampires can't abide crucifixes or garlic or sunlight, without having read a word of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. Dragons have been in the world for a very very long time, I think Gilgamesh had a dragon or two hunting around the camp, so there's not much that Paolini could have 'invented' without said 'invention' having already been part of the canon for about 4 millennia.
Honestly, this is one book series that I really don`t want adapted into TV/movie/game. It works so well exactly because it a book, and IMHO taking it out of this medium would just take away from the experience. All the stories are very introspective and not action focused at all, which can be extremely hard to pull off in a visual medium. And on Ged loosing his powers, I mean, as we get older we all start loosing abilities that we had when we were younger. I don't think he was emasculated, it's just a continuation of the "coming of age story", continuation of age if you will. It´s something that`s not covered in fantasy books often, but is a normal part of life. To me it perfectly fits into what Le Guin is doing with her books.
This was a very interesting video, I liked the thoughtful exploration of the philosophical themes in this series. It's inspired me to go pick up one of these novels! One thing I'm curious about that wasn't covered in the video is how much of a modern day fandom this series supports. Is there a big online community for Earthsea and does it have a lot of fanfiction, fan art, fan animation, and fan created works like Warrior Cats or was it more the pre Millennial generations who liked it and consequently didn't create a lot of fandom culture.
I read a comment once long ago where Tenar's struggle in "The Tombs of Atuan" could be a metaphor for a person escaping a cult or a high-pressure religious community. She actively questions and defies, but she's also emotionally scarred and doesn't know how to live.
I read most of these books back when I was 12. I remembered loving the first book and being very confused by the later books. I felt like I was missing key information. I need to reread them. In my 30's now I feel like I have a lot more life experience to get the better.
Thank you for this video! The adaptations were the only exposure I had to the series and they turned me off so much, I never thought I'd take an interest in the source material. Your analysis made me realize it actually sounds like exactly what I want from fantasy and I'm gonna try the books!
Please do. The "adaptations" are simply dreadful. LeGuin was so excited that Studio Ghibli was going to do Earthsea, and then so disappointed in how they butchered her stories. The books are truly remarkable.
@@katharinewiley8850 I've since read the entire series and love it! I'm so glad I actually read the books rather than only seeing adaptations! Thank you!
_"This was way, way, way ahead of its time."_ 4:05 This 1968 book is definitely innovative in a lot of ways, but sci-fi had been for decades engaging with themes of race and challenging racial tropes. Even *Starship Troopers* from the 1950s challenged racial ideas of the time.
Hey fair enough! I should have clarified for fantasy! Although I'm not hugely knowledgeable about sci fi I would be curious if there were many prominent minority MC from famous authors from that time though - for example Ursula LG had to fight extremely hard to get a dark skinned Ged on the cover, which makes you wonder if that precedent had been set before in Sci fi or other genres!
There was nothing challenging about discussing race in the 1960s. People act like the Civil Rights Movement didn't exist, and as if it wasn't endorsed by most mainstream media, JFK and mainstream democrats, Richard Nixon and mainstream republicans, and countless colleges and church organizations. "Modern" leftism has existed and been mainstream for a very long time. I hate how people often act like it's more novel or revolutionary than it is.
Honestly it's kind of an amazing career - even after writing what some people consider the best fantasy series of all time probably a ton of people know her for her sci fi and probably vice versa
I hope so too! I think book four was hard for me at first too but I found it worth reading because it's rare for me to start a book with boredom, then hate, then a begrudging respect. But I'm sure everyone will feel differently!
Definitely “make it through” book 4 and then finish the series, and then you’ll see the brilliance of it. Even if it never becomes your favorite, it’s a vital part, the vegetables of a Thanksgiving meal.
Studio Ghibli got me interested in Earth Sea! I thought (after reading the books) it was a great mix of the books almost a separate story or continuation...
To sneak in a dig at GRRM, if you wanna see a dark fantasy series that can actually finish its story satisfyingly I highly recommend the first three books in the Black Company series by Glen Cook. The first trilogy is an excellent blend of classic pulp fantasy and gritty military fiction. You need not go any further beyond The White Rose, and after reading it you'll see why.
My biggest regret reading the Earthsea Cycle is that I didn't read them sooner than I did. Reading the first book alone made me understand why people used to write letters to their favorite authors.
I do wait for an adaptation that can capture at least part of the feel and the poignancy of the books. I was so excited before the sci-fi came out and after the first 20 mins I was like: what IS that? It had nothing to do with the books, and what's arguably worse for a movie/series, it looked so cheap and careless, like it was put together in 2 days (that includes working out the screenplay)
At first I found it jarring that the main character is suddenly dropped in the middle book (Tombs) but then the third book sort of did it again - and the next two books did it AGAIN when they came along. I don't consider Tales from Earthsea as part of the series. It is just good stuff.
Hey thanks so much! Earthsea isn't for everyone but for the people who get into it, there's nothing else like it. The next few weeks I'll be covering some YA series so depending on your tastes might not want to auto que those haha.
Im sure Amazon would do great with Earthsea if they hadnt already invested in Rings Of Power. I couldn't see HBO taking it on either of course. If it could get the same care Warner Brothers are taking with Dune- it could be great. Ultimately I think Studio Gihble should just take another crack at it adapt the first book
3:56 The people of Oskill have light skin too. Also, the common skin colour is a red brown, while the people of the East Reach, such as Vetch, have a dark brown skin colour.
Funny enough there’s a conspiracy theory that supposes that Miyazaki intentionally didn’t direct or put much work in the movie because he was pissed off that Le Guin didn’t give him the rights to adapt Earthsea back in the 80’s
I read that theory while researching, and was toying with including it but couldn't find enough evidence. Real interesting production and drama with the making of the film though
I felt farthest shore was her "normal" fantasy quest novel, and despite the storyline- her weakest book. Tehanu became my fave book of the series- because of the challenging themes... and the development of the characters. I have become especially fond of Therru; the damaged child who Tenar helps. I have enjoyed LeGuin since I first read her- her sci fi book Lathe of Heaven.
The saga is nice, well written, throughful and the characters are well fleshed out. The first book really is a great work, second and third are good at subverting expectations but they felt a litte like spin-offs, quality included, rather than proper sequels. Tehanu, as you said, felt darker and more mature, but imo it was also a little bit boring. I didn't exactly dislike it, because I remember ending it with intention of reading the other 2 but, truth is, I never did. Overall I think is a nice read to any fantasy lover, but I wouldn't tell people to expect the quality of as ASOIAF and I would never ever try to compare it to LOTR. My advice is approach it without such high expectations and enjoy the many fantasy tropes subtly turned upside down. That way you will be entertained.
'I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind ' I love those books so much. Especially the Song of Susannah.
Ursula was happy with the stage adaptation she directly consulted on in Portland OR 1 2012-2014. Google articles from The Oregonian of the time. I did not see it. Only book 1. You are correct. 1st 3 flash of impression-- just middle-aged, kids still at home. Tehanu nagged her for a bit AND she herself thought it the true end -- by then she had grand children, was in a poetry group with similarly older women, and persuing her other themes. Her daemon was not sarisfied, so following Dickinson's "tell it slant," she went back, In effect, to TOMBS to conclude Tenar's story, but needed Tehanu for that purpose & so the daemon created another need Then, too, Ged's story needed a conclusion -- why is he what he is in TEHANU. And of course there's the why of the dragons of Kargad. So, hey, boys, listen to women -- the other wind.
Sorry I'm on all your videos right now, this one makes me think of "Whatever Happened to Ayla and the Clan of the Cavebear?" Jean M. Auel. Started in the 80's is relatively obscure, there's a bad movie, lots of adaptations, I know a lot of girls named Ayla (cameo in Chrono Trigger!) and the last book came out in 2011.
Earthsea is arguably as influential to fantasy as Dune is to scifi. And for both, the maturity and depth of the books mean a lot of genre fans haven't actually read the books and only know of the terrible, inaccurate adaptations. Always sad to see Ged whitewashed
Earthsea is a book series I have immense respect for: The messages, the deconstructions, the worldbuilding and how it handles conflicts and spirituality. But reading the books doesn’t work too well for me. I enjoyed the first book, Tombs of Atuan even more. But I struggled with the slow pace of the Farthest Shore. Tehanu unfortunately lost me. Not because Ged got ‘emasculated’, but because nothing… really… happened. For so long. It doesn’t diminish my admiration for LeGuin though and I dearly love many of the writers she inspires, like Terry Pratchett.
I'd say go for it! What type of dragon books are your favorite? The ones in Earthsea aren't in the spotlight as often as other series, they are more like forces of nature at the edge of her stories if that makes any sense
I’d say these Dragons are different than most, and the understanding evolves of them from book to book. They’re not companions, they’re more like the Elves in Lord of the Rings. There’s one like Smaug in book 1, but then they are just a bunch of remote yet interesting characters who really define the theme. Remote with one big exception, and it’s not a dragon bond, it’s a dragon herself. They are the Wind & Fire, compared to Humans being the Earth&Sea.
Was unfamiliar with Starseige, but did a quick wiki glance. Now I have to read more to see how a Mech sci fi universe battling against AI is similar to Earthsea haha. I'm imagining like Taoist AI
@@exitsexamined its more so that its considered a gem, being the first game to both introduce large scale combat and sci-fi FPS to gaming, a prelude to both Halo and Battlefield. It's been mostly forgotten as a franchise.
Ged was the greatest painter in the world who lost his hands. Of course he despairs for a while, grieves. We are all eventually shadows of who we were. But Ged remains kind, respectful, loving, and still f*cking protects who he cares about.
I think his story is great for anyone who feels powerless
Ged is probably one of the most unique main characters from any fantasy which is even more interesting considering he's only the POV character for one of the six books.
@@exitsexamined seeing his growth through the eyes of other characters is very cool
Painter?
@@marieroberts5664 After all, is magic not like weaving a picture with your hands? To turn your imagination to reality?
so glad to hear the praise for Tombs. You can’t help but hear Le Guin’s voice when reading it. Truly amazing and overlooked story, deserves to be in the fantasy canon.
Totally agree - it's kind of amazing you don't hear more praise for Tombs in general, but maybe that just speaks more to the crowds I'm in haha. So cool to see appreciation for this series though!
Will be 65 this year as I read my way through Earthsea for the first time in my life.
Why I never read the books before I'll never know.
Highly recommended. The writing is simple, clear and wonderful.
There's no wrong age to pick up Earthsea in my opinion at least!
It’s not rlly related or similar but I couldn’t believe how good the Three Musketeers books were until I read the first two, and I’m so excited for the final three
I`m a bit jealous - its so cool to read it for the first time.
My favourite book. My favourite author. She stands out because her books are so much more than the genre they're labeled as. Rather than being witty or sprinkled with lines that resemble wisdom, what she writes is wise from beginning to end. And you can see her wisdom grow from book to book over the decades. I can also see my understanding grow with each read-through; when I was a kid, I mourned Ged's loss of magic; as I grew up, I understood he'd lost nothing; magic was just one of the things that helped him become a wise, whole person that he was - which is something he could never lose. Out of all modern interpretations of mythic themes, Ged's hero's journey is the only one I'd wish for myself.
You know it's an amazing and magical book when Studio Ghibli made an anime adaptation of it. Tales from the Earthsea will always have a special spot here in my heart
For the animation alone.
Shame the movie is an atrocious adaptation
Ursula hated that movie.
@@vincentprado6676 I thought she was more ambivalent to the animated adaptation. But vehemently HATED the lie action adaptation...which in all fairness they lied to her
@@vincentprado6676Honestly this is why I don't believe anything anymore that some random person writes online.
She didn't hate it. She was disappointed but explicitly said it's a good movie. Just not her story anymore. Which wasn't the point and I assume that just wasn't communicated to her in advance.
Still. You shouldn't just make up stuff and spread it online.
The Tombs of Atuan was one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. Amazing job on the video, didn't even know about the Ghibli film!
I clearly have mind control over this channel. Every time I wonder "whatever happened [ insert setting here ]" you do a video on it.
If you can guess what I'm covering in two weeks I will be truly impressed haha. But glad to be mind controlled if it lets me cover such amazing series like Earthsea!
@@exitsexamined I’ll have to wait until I’m driving on some long highway and my brain goes “Whatever happened to…” Then I’ll know!
@@exitsexamined Bam! Got it already. I woke up thinking “whatever happened to Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar saga?”
@@williamobraidislee3433 haha not quite! But you have inspired me to write it on my list! I'll let you know when I release it though, a good pick!
The Tombs of Atuan is my favorite book of all time. I have never felt the way I did when I finished that book again.
This was definitely my favourite of the series
There is not enough about Earthsea on RUclips. First the DinoTopia video NOW THIS!? You’ve got a sub.
Hey thanks so much! Honestly just so cool there's people who are interested in this stuff on RUclips! It is interesting how there's not really a ton of Earthsea content on RUclips, I wonder if it's indicative to the popularity of the series or something else
For those who don't know, Ursula K. Le Guin also wrote The Word for World is Forest, which really is what the movie Avatar is based on - even if her characters weren't as 'flashy' as those in the movie. It's a beautiful story.
The movie skipped most of the poignant commentary on colonialism though. Hollywood gonna Hollywood. I love generic action movies soooooo much.
I'll never not be mad about what they did to world war z
I'm so happy to see Earthsea getting some love. Thank you for this video!
Happy to do it, and thanks for watching!
Earthsea had my favorite depiction of dragons in fantasy novels. "Dragons don't use magic, they are magic, it is very substance of their being."
Could you maybe do Dying Earth by Jack Vance?
I have a major soft spot for the ghibli adaptation, even if the plot is clunky, I just loose myself in its visuals and music and love putting it on as background noise while I work on projects :)
I actually might take that idea from you! Putting on a projector in the background sounds really comfy!
And the music. Oh, the music.
I have so, so much to say about Earthsea. What a brilliant set of books, what an imaginative take on fantasy and story, Ursula Le Guin has opened my mind to many different ways a story can be; I've since gobbled up any book of hers I can find (most recently, Lathe of Heaven). On the Ghibli side of things, word on the street is Hayao Miyazaki was a HUGE fan c. 1980's and the series has been a huge influence for him; if you ask me, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind feels like it gets Earthsea more than the actual Ghibli Earthsea did.
The part where Ged sacrificed his magic just to seal the crack between the realm of the dead and the living is just indescribable for me.
Yes, and instead of going out in a blaze of glory, La Guin has him survive past his time, and we see him then struggle to find his place in the universe. He faces powerlessness and the decline of old age, but still manages to find beauty and purpose just as powerful and just as important as a humble old man and supporting father figure. Absolutely inspired.
"just"?
This is like Edward from FMA sacrificing his alchemy to get gis brother and his limbs back.
Yes! These illustrations look beautiful and we need and deserve some beauty!
Agree, the illustrations were a joy to go through
Earthsea was one of my favorite books growing up. Right up there with The Alchemist and The Years of Rice and Salt.
I saw the Alchemist at the bookstore but didn’t pick it up, what’s it about and would you recommend it?
@@jemm113 It’s a coming of age story, very lite read, and has fantastic world building. Would recommend for everyone at all ages.
@@jemm113 I remember it being incredibly popular when it came out (The Alchemist, I mean). At least in my country. I read it then as a teenager and it made a big impression, but when I read it again a bit later, it seemed... way too aware of the fact that it's trying to be wise (maybe it's time for another reassessment?). Since then it seems like it's lost popularity because Coelho leaned into the whole "look how deep I am" angle too much, so people started to retrospectively kinda laugh a bit at the the Alchemist too. This is not to throw shade at any fans like the OP here! Give it a go and form your own opinion, you might love it. It could simply be that it's a book that speaks to a certain need for a sense of importance that tends to be more common in young people :-)
Earthsea os one of my favourite fantasy series, so cool to see you do a video on it! I had no idea they did a radio series on it, hope it gets adapted properly one day...
Hey thanks so much! Hope I did. the series justice in your opinion. It would be great to see an adaption, but I think it's a tough series to do properly, we'll see if the most recent one gets off the ground!
Earthsea sets itself apart by not being an unabashed Tolkien clone. I've grown up loving Tokkien and his work, still do, and looking for oher fantasy series is so hard because nothing else quite captures the wonder in fantasy the same way Tolkien does. Earthsea is one rare exception to that.
I tried to like the Ghibli film but the story was hard to try to feel invested in. I was more interested in the landscaping. Movie felt more like a pretty postcard
That's true it was a gorgeous movie if nothing else. Apparently Miyazaki wanted to do the film much earlier but Ursula shot it down because she hadn't heard of Ghibli at the time. After a while Ghibli blew up a little and she agreed to do the film. A juicy theory some have people is that Miyazaki handed it to his son and part of the reason he was so hands off on the project was a kind of revenge for being put off the first time. In any event it does make you think how it would have turned out differently if Miyazaki had been more involved, or directed himself instead of his son.
@@exitsexamined It was Toshio Suzuki who gave it to Gorō, not Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao was actually vocally against giving the project to his son, and it caused some rift in their relationship and they did not speak to each-other during the whole production of the film. Le Guin was against giving Ghibli the rights originally mainly because her main reference point for animated fantasy films at the time was Walt Disney and she did not want to risk an Earthsea film being like that. She changed her mind after actually getting the chance to see a Miyazaki film, namely My Neighbor Totoro. Le Guin wanted Hayao Miyazaki to do it and Hayao wanted to do it, but he was busy with Howl's Moving Castle at the time, so instead of waiting on him Suzuki gave it to Gorō.
If you want a newer fantastic fantasy series written by a woman, I propose: "Witch Hat Atelier." Which essentially takes the magical school idea and takes an original spin with the idea while weaving in some real world issues. There are also stakes at hand that not only the main character faces, but everyone has their own secrets or helps to hide the secrets of others. I can't say much more without spoiling integral plot points, but it is an ongoing series that is beautifully drawn and written.
Shameless fan plug out of the way I want to give my thoughts. I haven't managed to read this series yet, in fact my first introduction was Ghibli's version. Visually, I found it so beautiful, but story wise, I do agree it felt a little odd. I had no idea it was based on a book series until I went and did some digging. Now this series is definitely on my list of underrated fantasy series to try. I have found that some of modern fantasy books just don't do it for me, and I questioned if I just didn't fit with the genre. But then I was encouraged to read older fantasy like Narnia and The Last Unicorn and realized I was just likely not looking in the right places. But this series definitely looks right up my alley of what I've always wanted in a fantasy series. It's just so unique?
I think current fantasy has fallen into a bottlenecked rut of limiting itself to European ideals. I don't hate it, I love elves, and fae, dragons, changelings, etc. But it's ALL fantasy showcases nowadays.
I'm hoping to find more fantasy and that future fantasy takes inspiration from other cultures. Like the Brazilian myths of pink dolphins could be weaved into a fantasy. Let's switch out unicorns for things like Qilins. Throw in the old myths of the terrifying dog people. I'd love to see more selkies, or fantasy inspired by mythology from Africa, Indigenous Mexico, India, etc.
I don't think modern fantasy writers do it on purpose, at least I hope not, but I hope it does start to shift soon.
I think Ursula K. Le Guin was certainly on the right path to taking fantasy where it's never gone before. Deserts and Islands and jungles sound so fun for a fantasy setting and it's definitely underutilized. Unfortunately it seems she was just overshadowed and the adaptations of her series were clearly not understood by folks who salivated over male dominated fantasy settings that were popular at that time.
Again nothing wrong with those, I LOVE The Witcher, and grew up watching or reading Harry Potter, The Hobbit/LOTR, but it's all so male centered and idealized. I hope we get another like Ursula soon.
(Another shameless fan plug: Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren both somewhat scratches that itch I've been looking for)
The scene where Tenar's son comes back, and simply takes over her home, and casually, with no malice, reduces her to a guest, is chilling.
I love seeing Earthsea content, it made up a big part of my childhood :)
I’m so glad to see a video on Earthsea! It’s so under appreciated. I love UKLG’s notes at the end of all the later editions of the novels.
Great video, only read the first 4 books so far but I'm excited to read the last 2. Love Usula K. LeGuin's writting so much.
Hey thank you so much! I'd be really curious to hear how you enjoy the last two books! If you enjoyed Tehanu and the proceeding books you'll probably like the last few!
I still remember how well written these books were, especially the first one, with a prose that was almost poetic. Earthsea still inspires my worldbuilding to this day, especially when it comes to its magic and people.
Ursula le Guin is one of my favorite authors and the Eathsea series I have read over and over again. Too good to be turned in run of the mill action TV, I hope Hollywood leaves it alone.
I have only read the first Earthsea but its legitimately the most beautiful fantasy novel i've ever read. Its more than just a fantasy novel, its as if a legend was being told to you by a blind storyteller around a campfire.
I *adore* the Earthsea (first) trilogy + _Tehanu._ Book four is where I stopped; as the video says, that seemed like the end. But now I've been persuaded to at least read _The Other Wind._
I think people who were upset by Ged's loss of power in _Tehanu_ were not paying attention to what Le Guin was telling them all along in the first trilogy. Ged is not the main character of a power fantasy. If he's an aspirational figure at all, it's not for fantasy reasons but reality reasons. He struggles, stumbles, fails, and grows up―not as a wizard but as a human being. His status as archmage in book three is symbolic (in Jungian or mythological fashion, if you like) of a man in the prime of his life, at the height of his physical and social power. Then he grows into old age. His powers decline, but they're replaced by other powers. It's natural and not undesirable.
Last note: Part of the difficulty of adapting Earthsea to visual media may be that Le Guin often "violates" the truism "Show, Don't Tell". Actually, telling is sometimes the best way to convey information. Sorry if that comes as a surprise to anyone. (This is possibly why the first four books of Earthsea pack more punch into fewer pages than some single entries in some long-winded writers' series.)
I think Tales and The Other Wind are 100% at least worth checking out if you've gotten to Tehanu! It somehow feels like a proper end even though somehow Tehanu also felt like an end haha and if nothing else it's more Earthsea!
It is interesting how some people were so upset by Tehanu, but on the other hand it's kind of surprising that even after all this time this is still such fresh ground for fantasy as a whole. I haven't checked out that much modern recent fantasy to be fair, but I've never seen another fantasy series that deals with heros after they lose their power. in their old age, and settling down and coming to terms with it.
Agree it would take a very special team to be able to translate Earthsea into visual media, but I think actually a graphic novel might be interesting to see actually
In Tehanu, Ged's parallels that of Tenar. He's given up magic (with more regret than she did) but he learns how to be a normal mortal man, becoming a domestic defender of Tenar and Tehanu and losing his virginity. Something's lost but something's gained and it's understood that he will now mentor Tehanu as she comes into her power.
@@cliffarroyo9554 I like this interpretation, too. I was saying that his development as a wizard was _symbolic_ of his development as a person; you're saying the point (in some sense) of _Tehanu_ is his transition _from_ a wizard _to_ a regular person. Makes sense.
"Something's lost but something's gained"
Nicely put.
The initial reception of “Tehanu” and Ged’s depiction kinda reminds me of how fans responded to Luke Skywalker’s portrayal in “The Last Jedi”. Would you say the comparison is valid, or are there differences between the two media that you feel separates them from each other in terms of execution?
On the surface level I can see where the comparison is coming from, but there's some pretty major differences - Ged isn't training anyone, Ged actively tries to hide away from politics, it's more about him coming to terms with another side of himself, ultimately it's a much more rich and fleshed out story. Also it's directly after Ged was in his prime, not like years and years
Doesn't Ged's condition come out of a choice he makes? A sacrifice? He makes his peace with it - like a strong person who knows himself.
From my understanding he does eventually make peace with it, after understandably some time of struggle. Which is a great message!
I think it can be a bit jarring and seemed like it was for readers on release but at least all the characters and plots are connected throughout the series which hopefully makes it a bit less jarring
My first book I read from her is The Left Hand of Darkness. That book changed my world view.
Oh man I loved Earthsea as a kid
What is rare - its a book series with a pretty big bunch of healthy relationships. I was mesmerised by it in the childhood, because there were not so many examples of healthy dynamics in my circumstances.
I was literally just telling my friend about earth sea now I’m gonna send this to her
Awesome! Let me know what they think, would be so cool to get someone into the series!
I do wonder how much adaptation friction came from a lack of respect for the diversity, depth and emptional maturity of Earthsea. At least compared to things like LoR and GoT. It's both what makes the series so incredibly special and unique, as well as why so many fantasy fans haven't actually read it. More should.
For many years LeGuin had an Earthsea screenplay she and the great British director Michael Powell had co-written, but they could never get a studio interested. Imagine an adaptation of Earthsea by her and Powell, directed by Powell, and edited by Schoonmaker (Powell's wife, and main editor for Martin Scorsese)! Though they would have had to fight quite hard to get any studio at that time to accept POC actors for all the lead roles.
In general, I'm hearing the same thing I learned from Fullmetal Alchemist: it had a lady author, Arakawa Hiromu, and women authors write differently than men authors. That's it! If I had to try and put it to words, I've found that women authors have a kind of gentleness in their stories, and it's like they don't even have to try hard to write characters. Granted, my sample size is Le Guin, Arakawa, and Lois McMasters Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan sci-fi novels), and maybe Rowling...Jane Austen too, now that I think of it, when I was reading the text wall at the 22:00 minute mark.
[Edit: we have Twilight and trashy romance novels that contaminate the sample size, so I want to say 'the high-caliber women authors' show the above similarities.]
Hey! I hear you! But my guess is that woman authors, just like men authors all write different depending on their background, generation, beliefs, demographics etc. Earthsea has a good amount of aspects that make it unique from other fantasy.
Actually this comment has me thinking the same thing I did when doing my video for Eragon - makes you think how the series would critiqued differently if the the books were released anomalously, so much of how we perceive them is based on our opinions of the authors, myself included haha. Interesting to think about!
@@exitsexamined Yeah, seems that way.
Firstly, amazing video! Got me to order the first book, which i've been meaning to do for a while. Secondly, there's some pieces of media I think deserve more attention and that seem up your alley: the book series the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu (who translated the 1st and 3rd book from Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past series), which also has a lot of variety in scope, themes and writing style and also uses subversions of fantasy/scifi tropes in interesting ways. The netflix series Maniac is an amazing magical realism scifi (is that a thing?) series about trauma and healing whose structure, pacing, writing and direction might suit a tv-adaptation of Le Guin's work. Lastly, Netflix series Dirk Gently, which I can't link really link to this video, but it's a really fun and interesting scifi-ish series which sadly got cancelled (but for a very good reason).
Hey thank you so much for the suggestions! I've written all of these down and will let you know, it will probably take me a couple months to go through these, but they sound really interesting!
@@exitsexamined I hope you like them, and looking forward to your future videos (whether they're about the recommendations or not)!
If you want suggestions, you've come to the right place.
Unlike most here (I would guess), I haven't hopped on the bandwagon for most of the popular new or current writers (like Sanderson or Martin). I'm kinda picky, and shy away from most sci-fi (but I like Star Wars of course, go figure).
So here is my short list of authors that need a revival.
Lloyd Alexander (with a bullet) he wrote for kids and older kids, but I loved pretty much everything. His big splash in fantasy was all about Welsh mythology, The Chronicles of Pyridan, featuring the adventures of Taran, Assistant Pig Keeper. One single adaptation, the Black Cauldron, one of Disney's flops, when they could put out good work, but marketing had no idea how to market (it failed at the same time frame as Treasure Planet and now having watched both, it's like how??). PS - special shout out to his three book series West Mark - Star Wars in a medieval setting, but pretty deep - rebelling is easy, but winning is hard and hardest of all is keeping the win and your soul while doing it.
Julian May - when this author shot to the top, there was nothing like it. The prehistoric past on earth, invaded by ancient elves, at the same time the current timeline aliens have come to invite us to join the rest of the galaxy, at the same time that we in the current day discover that we can go back to prehistory so that the people who can't put up with the brave new world can go back and live out their lives without suicide or messing up the timeline... The series regarding this Many Colored Land ends and we never hear from the author again.
Elizabeth Scarborough - wonderful fantasy and a very fun world starting with The Unicorn Creed, and our Maggie, the village witch, and the rest of the series expands to include her entire extended family.
Nancy Springer - another genius storyteller who loves to tell us of a place called Isle, and how some of their folk are descended from elves and goddesses and how mad gods and invaders came among them...yes, we've seen this before, but it doesn't feel derivative or rehashed.
Barbara Cooper - she's done a lot, but most famous series is a what if Arthurian cycle of young Bran, heir to Arthur in the modern day- of the five, I Stan the middle book "Green witch". IIRC she was also the creator of the High Derynie series, and both Ursula LeGuin and I think that series was a little under baked - LeGuin's takedown of this Cooper series was part of her famous essay "From Elfland to Poughkeepsie", a must read for any fan or would be author of fantasy.
Anne McCaffrey - prolific author of both science fiction (eg The Ship Who Sang) and her fantasy - sci-fi hybrid the Dragonriders of Pern series. I especially like and recommend the side series 'for kids' the Harper Hall trilogy... Dragons and their mini ancestors the fire lizards and a girl named Mennolly who can sing and play music and who imprinted (called Impression in world) nine singing fire lizards. Why much lesser stuff gets the adaptations and this gets passed over? Beats the heck out of me.
There's more, but these are the authors the uppermost in my mind.
Hey thanks so much for the detailed response, I've recorded some of these for future entries! I already covered Chronicles of Prydain series though! Check it out, would be good to hear your thoughts!
@@exitsexamined I've finished Pryidan and I think I left some comments there too.
I am enjoying these, and will be looking at some of the other vids.
Good luck with this channel.
Lots of names I haven't heard in an age! One point: The Deryni books were written by Katherine Kurtz. A few other nitpicks, but overall a good list of some lost classics.
@@crazyquilt oops! Sorry, but as to the takedown of High Derynie, that was true... LeGuin had a very well defined sense of what high fantasy should look and sound like, and lords in a medieval keep with medieval drama should not sound like a couple of IBM execs leaving a board meeting in Poughkeepsie.
Thanks for the kind words.
Tombs of atuan and tehanu are a couple of my all time favorite books
I have absolutely adored this series ever since the first books were read to me as a child (Tehanu was also out then, but my folks thought it a bit too dark for a 7-year-old)!
I genuinely think it's a nearly perfect series. I think if I had only one criticism, it was the hurried ending of Tehanu, and the fact thay the villain of that book was motivated by loyalty to the book 3 antagonist. I think it would jave been better if Aspen had just been a mean-spirited ambitious bastard disrespecting Tenar for being a woman, and Ged for having thrown away personal ambition and power.
Fantasy is a genre that is riddled with storms, grand conflicts, epic conflicts, and massive social upheaval.
Earthsea is a fantasy more interested in the eye of the storm, the place of calm amid the tumult as the storm rages around it.
My favorite that I never hear mentioned anywhere is the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. Love Earthsea though!
Also.. discworld and the hyperborean cycle
I really enjoyed the first three books! I think the first book is the strongest and is my favorite, with Tombs being a great book but missing the wonder of the first, and the third having an interesting middle, absolute slog of a middle, and wonderful ending. Everything I've heard of the 4th book onward makes me want to stick with the trilogy and not continue. I'd be happy with the first trilogy and I absolutely do not want Ged's complete character arc betrayed. Not because he lost his power, but because he already found spiritual mastery from the first book and apparently that's all reversed to make a sociopolitical point and one that I'm just tired of.
Thanks for the video, I may check out the short stories :)
Talk about Earthsea?
Subscribed.
Honestly, that's a great rule of thumb for youtube and one I intend to steal from you haha
@@exitsexamined never regretted it so far, haha. And also, great video!!!
I read the books as they came out and they have always resonated so deeply with me, there is nothing I can say about the series because it simply is for me.
Dang. You just reminded me I haven't started on that book. Once again sleeping on excellence I intended to learn from
Hey better late than never! Let me know how you like it! What were the other things you slept on?
I read the original trilogy around 13 or so, and then each of the next three books as they were published much later. This is my all-time favorite series ever. I even sprung for the gorgeous Charles Vess illustrated complete Earthsea, with essays and speeches by LeGuin and all the other related stories, as well.
The illustrated editions are some of the most beautifully done I've seen from any series!
@@exitsexamined Truly stunning, right?
This series is on my list for this year. It’s so well known and I just gotta know what’s going on!
Ursula K. Le Guin inspired readers to watch out for our mistakes, the consequences, and the price of wisdom (surviving the repercussions, being at odds with former mindsets AND companions). For supposed YA aka coming of age that is A LOT of maturity in compressed form, and without the weaponized therapy-talk or woke BS of nowadays.
The thing if treu name is a very interesting topos, used both by Le Guin and Paolini, much time before LeGuin used, so I do not thing Paolini copy the writress, at last not in this case;)
Beautiful video;)
Thanks so much for watching it! That's true, going for Paolini for copying is a low hanging fruit and some people do debate if Le Guin even came up with it. Honestly that's a whole video in itself!
@@exitsexamined the power of the name is ancient belief in many cultures, and LeGuin as the child of an anthropologist would know that.
Like Elves and Dwarves, anyone can write about that. It's just that real power like that isn't visual, and nowhere near as flashy as throwing fireballs around.
The concept of true names is an integral concept in several semitic mythologies. Most gods just spring into existence just by uttering their name. In Christianity and Judaism, God can be named YeHoWaH (I am) because he is and cannot not be. True names are based on the cogito ergo sum principle, from knowledge comes power and from knowledge of yourself comes the ability to affirm your own sentinence
@@lucagianchino6404 just so we are clear...Paolini is much much younger than Ms LeGuin was, and she wrote A Wizard of Earthsea before Paolini was born (Paolini was a bona fide teenager whose manuscript for Eragon got greenlit when publishers were desperate for fantasy content in the late 1990s to early 2000s, while LeGuin was writing since the 1960s ).
While it is entirely possible for Paolini to have come up with true names having power, completely sui genuris, it is more likely that by the time he sat down to write his own fantasy story, the ingredients like a true name, were already part of the 'common knowledge' lore of dragons, the same way that 'everyone' knows vampires can't abide crucifixes or garlic or sunlight, without having read a word of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. Dragons have been in the world for a very very long time, I think Gilgamesh had a dragon or two hunting around the camp, so there's not much that Paolini could have 'invented' without said 'invention' having already been part of the canon for about 4 millennia.
Honestly, this is one book series that I really don`t want adapted into TV/movie/game. It works so well exactly because it a book, and IMHO taking it out of this medium would just take away from the experience. All the stories are very introspective and not action focused at all, which can be extremely hard to pull off in a visual medium.
And on Ged loosing his powers, I mean, as we get older we all start loosing abilities that we had when we were younger. I don't think he was emasculated, it's just a continuation of the "coming of age story", continuation of age if you will. It´s something that`s not covered in fantasy books often, but is a normal part of life. To me it perfectly fits into what Le Guin is doing with her books.
This was a very interesting video, I liked the thoughtful exploration of the philosophical themes in this series. It's inspired me to go pick up one of these novels! One thing I'm curious about that wasn't covered in the video is how much of a modern day fandom this series supports. Is there a big online community for Earthsea and does it have a lot of fanfiction, fan art, fan animation, and fan created works like Warrior Cats or was it more the pre Millennial generations who liked it and consequently didn't create a lot of fandom culture.
I read a comment once long ago where Tenar's struggle in "The Tombs of Atuan" could be a metaphor for a person escaping a cult or a high-pressure religious community. She actively questions and defies, but she's also emotionally scarred and doesn't know how to live.
I read most of these books back when I was 12.
I remembered loving the first book and being very confused by the later books. I felt like I was missing key information.
I need to reread them. In my 30's now I feel like I have a lot more life experience to get the better.
I have all the Earthsea books in hard copy. I treasure them. I also have LOTR and CON. I hope my kids will one day appreciate.
One of the earliest fantasy novels I ever read.
I borrowed the 'archipelago world' idea for my own ttrpg.
Oh is your TTRPG out? Would be cool to check it out!
@@exitsexamined
Soon!
Thank you for this video! The adaptations were the only exposure I had to the series and they turned me off so much, I never thought I'd take an interest in the source material. Your analysis made me realize it actually sounds like exactly what I want from fantasy and I'm gonna try the books!
Please do. The "adaptations" are simply dreadful. LeGuin was so excited that Studio Ghibli was going to do Earthsea, and then so disappointed in how they butchered her stories. The books are truly remarkable.
@@katharinewiley8850 I've since read the entire series and love it! I'm so glad I actually read the books rather than only seeing adaptations! Thank you!
I was wondering where the ”power word” magic system that has been employed by Pat Rothfuss for example came from. Glad to have found the answer
_"This was way, way, way ahead of its time."_ 4:05 This 1968 book is definitely innovative in a lot of ways, but sci-fi had been for decades engaging with themes of race and challenging racial tropes. Even *Starship Troopers* from the 1950s challenged racial ideas of the time.
Hey fair enough! I should have clarified for fantasy! Although I'm not hugely knowledgeable about sci fi I would be curious if there were many prominent minority MC from famous authors from that time though - for example Ursula LG had to fight extremely hard to get a dark skinned Ged on the cover, which makes you wonder if that precedent had been set before in Sci fi or other genres!
@exitsexamined The author demographic reflected the reader demographic. That said, check out Dhalgren 👌💯💥
There was nothing challenging about discussing race in the 1960s. People act like the Civil Rights Movement didn't exist, and as if it wasn't endorsed by most mainstream media, JFK and mainstream democrats, Richard Nixon and mainstream republicans, and countless colleges and church organizations. "Modern" leftism has existed and been mainstream for a very long time. I hate how people often act like it's more novel or revolutionary than it is.
I had no idea Ursula had written fantasy books :o
Honestly it's kind of an amazing career - even after writing what some people consider the best fantasy series of all time probably a ton of people know her for her sci fi and probably vice versa
Ursula Von der Leyen
First three are wonderful but I gave up on book four. Hopefully you’ll inspire me to go back to it.
I hope so too! I think book four was hard for me at first too but I found it worth reading because it's rare for me to start a book with boredom, then hate, then a begrudging respect. But I'm sure everyone will feel differently!
Definitely “make it through” book 4 and then finish the series, and then you’ll see the brilliance of it. Even if it never becomes your favorite, it’s a vital part, the vegetables of a Thanksgiving meal.
Studio Ghibli got me interested in Earth Sea! I thought (after reading the books) it was a great mix of the books almost a separate story or continuation...
Love the quote at the end of the video!
I loved that series in school!!!!!!! I had no idea there was a 21st c novel and now I must turn off YT and go read...
To sneak in a dig at GRRM, if you wanna see a dark fantasy series that can actually finish its story satisfyingly I highly recommend the first three books in the Black Company series by Glen Cook. The first trilogy is an excellent blend of classic pulp fantasy and gritty military fiction. You need not go any further beyond The White Rose, and after reading it you'll see why.
6 books!
And I thought there were only 4 books, ending with Tehanu.
I have to check out the remaining 2 books sometime.
The Earthsea-Ghibli connection runs older--Nausicaa is inspired in part by Earthsea. Miyazaki being a fan is probably why his son tried to adapt it.
I quite agree. The greatest school for Wizards is on the isle of Roke.
My biggest regret reading the Earthsea Cycle is that I didn't read them sooner than I did. Reading the first book alone made me understand why people used to write letters to their favorite authors.
Did you end up writing one? Would be super cool to have a letter from Le Guin!
@@exitsexamined I didn't, because she was dead before I even read her stuff, sadly. That would have been very cool tho.
I do wait for an adaptation that can capture at least part of the feel and the poignancy of the books. I was so excited before the sci-fi came out and after the first 20 mins I was like: what IS that? It had nothing to do with the books, and what's arguably worse for a movie/series, it looked so cheap and careless, like it was put together in 2 days (that includes working out the screenplay)
first three books are glorious, i think after that is where peoples attention fell away.
Did you ever read the Merlin series by TA Barron? The ending to book 5 (I think? The wings one) still sticks with me
I have not! Maybe I'll add it to the list! How do you thin it compares to Earthsea?
At first I found it jarring that the main character is suddenly dropped in the middle book (Tombs) but then the third book sort of did it again - and the next two books did it AGAIN when they came along.
I don't consider Tales from Earthsea as part of the series. It is just good stuff.
Anything to recommend just goes straight on my audiobook que- LOVE your videos dude-!!!
Hey thanks so much! Earthsea isn't for everyone but for the people who get into it, there's nothing else like it. The next few weeks I'll be covering some YA series so depending on your tastes might not want to auto que those haha.
@@exitsexamined I'm a AVID audiobook listener while I work so the longer my que, the BETTER! I can't wait !!!
I need to continue reading the series, i finished book 1 not so soon
10:23 That same area is what inspired Frank Herbert when making Dune
Im sure Amazon would do great with Earthsea if they hadnt already invested in Rings Of Power. I couldn't see HBO taking it on either of course. If it could get the same care Warner Brothers are taking with Dune- it could be great. Ultimately I think Studio Gihble should just take another crack at it adapt the first book
3:56 The people of Oskill have light skin too. Also, the common skin colour is a red brown, while the people of the East Reach, such as Vetch, have a dark brown skin colour.
That's a Rebecca Guay painting as the thumbnail isn't it
Looks like it
Why does everything need to be adapted into live action films?
Funny enough there’s a conspiracy theory that supposes that Miyazaki intentionally didn’t direct or put much work in the movie because he was pissed off that Le Guin didn’t give him the rights to adapt Earthsea back in the 80’s
I read that theory while researching, and was toying with including it but couldn't find enough evidence. Real interesting production and drama with the making of the film though
I felt farthest shore was her "normal" fantasy quest novel, and despite the storyline- her weakest book. Tehanu became my fave book of the series- because of the challenging themes... and the development of the characters. I have become especially fond of Therru; the damaged child who Tenar helps. I have enjoyed LeGuin since I first read her- her sci fi book Lathe of Heaven.
i recently got the first book and I want to read it after seeing the anime movie.
Holy hell this channel is a GOLDMINE! THIS is what i want out of the internet! Thank you!
The saga is nice, well written, throughful and the characters are well fleshed out. The first book really is a great work, second and third are good at subverting expectations but they felt a litte like spin-offs, quality included, rather than proper sequels. Tehanu, as you said, felt darker and more mature, but imo it was also a little bit boring. I didn't exactly dislike it, because I remember ending it with intention of reading the other 2 but, truth is, I never did.
Overall I think is a nice read to any fantasy lover, but I wouldn't tell people to expect the quality of as ASOIAF and I would never ever try to compare it to LOTR. My advice is approach it without such high expectations and enjoy the many fantasy tropes subtly turned upside down. That way you will be entertained.
Ghibli movie is good if you first see it and then read the series. Otherwise its very strange and off. But i liked visuals tho, especially city walls.
The Dark Tower series.
'I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind '
I love those books so much. Especially the Song of Susannah.
Ursula was happy with the stage adaptation she directly consulted on in Portland OR 1
2012-2014. Google articles from The Oregonian of the time. I did not see it. Only book 1.
You are correct. 1st 3 flash of impression-- just middle-aged, kids still at home. Tehanu nagged her for a bit AND she herself thought it the true end -- by then she had grand children, was in a poetry group with similarly older women, and persuing her other themes. Her daemon was not sarisfied, so following Dickinson's "tell it slant," she went back, In effect, to TOMBS to conclude Tenar's story, but needed Tehanu for that purpose & so the daemon created another need
Then, too, Ged's story needed a conclusion -- why is he what he is in TEHANU. And of course there's the why of the dragons of Kargad.
So, hey, boys, listen to women -- the other wind.
Sorry I'm on all your videos right now, this one makes me think of "Whatever Happened to Ayla and the Clan of the Cavebear?" Jean M. Auel.
Started in the 80's is relatively obscure, there's a bad movie, lots of adaptations, I know a lot of girls named Ayla (cameo in Chrono Trigger!) and the last book came out in 2011.
With you on the books, a work of genius. All of the attempted movie adaptations fail utterly.
Which book should I start with?
The first one! A wizard of Earthsea!
I really hope 'Doc Savage' get a video
oh never heard of it! I put it on the list, how does it compare to earthsea?
Earthsea is arguably as influential to fantasy as Dune is to scifi. And for both, the maturity and depth of the books mean a lot of genre fans haven't actually read the books and only know of the terrible, inaccurate adaptations. Always sad to see Ged whitewashed
Earthsea is a book series I have immense respect for:
The messages, the deconstructions, the worldbuilding and how it handles conflicts and spirituality.
But reading the books doesn’t work too well for me.
I enjoyed the first book, Tombs of Atuan even more. But I struggled with the slow pace of the Farthest Shore. Tehanu unfortunately lost me. Not because Ged got ‘emasculated’, but because nothing… really… happened. For so long.
It doesn’t diminish my admiration for LeGuin though and I dearly love many of the writers she inspires, like Terry Pratchett.
Do The Wheel of Time
I haven't read the Earthsea Saga but I really want to. I love dragons and stories with dragons in them
I'd say go for it! What type of dragon books are your favorite? The ones in Earthsea aren't in the spotlight as often as other series, they are more like forces of nature at the edge of her stories if that makes any sense
@@exitsexamined I really love the dragons and books in the Inheritance Cycle. I like the idea of sentient dragons and dragon bonds
I’d say these Dragons are different than most, and the understanding evolves of them from book to book. They’re not companions, they’re more like the Elves in Lord of the Rings. There’s one like Smaug in book 1, but then they are just a bunch of remote yet interesting characters who really define the theme. Remote with one big exception, and it’s not a dragon bond, it’s a dragon herself. They are the Wind & Fire, compared to Humans being the Earth&Sea.
"Does she fly free?"
I dunno why but at times in the first book I felt it jumped around too much.
Honestly fair enough, then the second book might be perfect for you!
Sounds like the Starseige of books
Was unfamiliar with Starseige, but did a quick wiki glance. Now I have to read more to see how a Mech sci fi universe battling against AI is similar to Earthsea haha. I'm imagining like Taoist AI
@@exitsexamined its more so that its considered a gem, being the first game to both introduce large scale combat and sci-fi FPS to gaming, a prelude to both Halo and Battlefield. It's been mostly forgotten as a franchise.