Major Issues
Author Links
Essay Questions

Major Issues

"Psychomyth" is the term that Ursula Le Guin uses to describe her surreal fantasies that take place outside of time and history. She uses these atemporal locales to investigate philosophical and psychological matters that are very much pertinent to the "here and now" of late 20th century Western civilization. Scholars note that a common Le Guin theme, for example, is the extent to which suffering and grief are necessary components of joy and happiness. Other critics have focused on the principles of Jungian psychology that underlie many of Le Guin’s science fiction and fantasy works. Her protagonists struggle towards the essential recognition and acceptance of their shadows, or dark sides of themselves. Le Guin’s anthropological interest in cultures has been examined by critics, as has her feminist critique of gender roles.

Author Links

The Unofficial Ursula K. Le Guin Page
Well-organized bibliographic lists of works by and about Le Guin.

Le Guin’s World
A fan site which presents a brief biography, primary bibliography, guides, and links to other sites.

Ursula K. Le Guin
A bio-critical essay which focuses on the inadequacy of the "science fiction" label to describe Le Guin’s work.

Portland Trailblazer
Author profile including Le Guin’s comments on science fiction, Jung, feminism, and Taoism.

Coming Back from the Silence
1994 interview in which Le Guin comments on feminism, fantasy, the sacredness of stories, and her interest in indigenous peoples.