What to read in the meantime

[Joywitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 578

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Steve Bates" <spicoli323 at h...> 
wrote:
> Otherwise I am not much of a fantasy reader, but I think if I find 
> the time I wouldn't mind trying some Ursula LeGuin.  Anybody have a 
> suggestion as to a good starting place for her writings?

I love Ursula K. LeGuin.  She wrote a trilogy about a wizard named 
Ged, which goes into his education at the wizard school on the Isle 
of Roke, which I think may be a possible inspiration for Hogwarts.  
However, this series - the Wizard of Earthsea, the Tombs of Atuan, 
and The Farthest Shore - is very dark and gloomy, and while I enjoyed 
it, it is definitely not her best work.  (There is also a recently-
written addition to the trilogy called Tehanu.) I think Ursula K 
LeGuin does a lot better at sci-fi than at fantasy.  I recommend The 
Dispossed and The Left Hand of Darkness - both sci-fi classics.  I 
also liked The Word for World is Forest, The Beginning Place, Four 
Ways to Forgiveness, Rocannons World, and Planet of Exile.