I’m back for another installment of author birthdays!* For this fall’s edition, I’m writing about Ursula K. Le Guin for October, with a bonus salute to N.K. Jemisin for September.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Birthday: October 21

• Reason I chose her: She’s one of the best sci-fi and fantasy writers we’ve ever had. Talk about an inspiration and someone to look up to!
• Fun fact: She’s written “23 novels, 12 volumes of short stories, 11 volumes of poetry, 13 children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation.” Not to mention, she’s won a bucket of prestigious awards.
• Work I recommend you start with: A Wizard of Earthsea, which is the first book in the absolutely delicious Earthsea Cycle. A friend recommended the series to me, for which I’m super grateful. There’s just so much about it that’s wonderful.

N.K. Jemisin

Birthday: September 19

• Reason I chose her: Her Broken Earth Trilogy blew my mind. Seriously, I can’t stop talking about how good it is. Also, for quite a while, she was working a day job while she wrote. Since I’m in the same boat, it inspires me to see what can be accomplished.
• Fun fact: She’s another powerhouse like Le Guin. Get this: Jemisin is the first author to win three Best Novel Hugo Awards in a row—one for each book in the abovementioned Broken Earth Trilogy. In 2020, she won the MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.”
• Work I recommend you start with: The Fifth Season, which is book 1 in the Broken Earth Trilogy. 

What about you? Have you read either of these authors? What did you think?

 

*As usual, I’m writing about authors whose work you should be able to find in the library, but I’m also including links to Amazon in case you want to snag it there.