A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)

Product Description

First published in 1968, A Wizard of Earthsea, first book in the renowned Earthsea trilogy, quickly became a classic, a major contribution to a magical fantasy tradition that originated with J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, and later became the inspiration for writers like Philip Pullman, Lloyd Alexander, George Lucas, and, most notably, J. K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series. This is a tale of wizards, dragons, and shadows, played out in a world like and unlike our world, in an Archipelago of imagined islands. The geography is exact, as are the laws and limits of the magic used by the wizards of the isles. A Wizard of Earthsea is finally, with Fantastic Audio, receiving the audio production it deserves.

About the Author

Harlan Ellison is one of the world's most respected writers of fiction. He has won more awards for his fiction than any living writer.

Ursula K. Le Guin is the author of more than one hundred short stories, two collections of essays, four volumes of poetry, and nineteen novels. Her best-known fantasy works, the Earthsea books, have sold millions of copies in America and England, and have been translated into sixteen languages. Her first major work of science fiction, "The Left Hand of Darkness", is considered epochmaking in the field because of its radical investigation of gender roles and its moral and literary complexity.

Three of Le Guin's books have been finalists for the American Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, and among the many honors her writing has received are the National Book Award, five Hugo Awards, five Nebula Awards, the Kafka Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and the Harold D. Vursell Award of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

From AudioFile

Ellison's narration absorbs the listener into the imaginary realm of Roke Island where Ged grows from a reckless, awkward boy to become the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea. Besides offering a coming-of-age saga, Le Guin challenges listeners to consider the power of language: Ged's naming of things in the world creates that world. Harlan Ellison sounds like the guy next door, and his approach adds a touch of reality to this youthful fantasy story. Ellison's excellent pacing, volume, and use of dramatic pauses help weave a spell of enchantment and magic. Teens will find the way Le Guin allows Ged to grow into his power inspiring. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine--

Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine