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==Contents== |
==Contents== |
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''The Wind's Twelve Quarters'' collects 17 previously published stories. Four of these were the germs of novels she was to write later: "[[The Word of Unbinding]]" and "[[The Rule of Names]]" were Le Guin's first pieces set in [[Earthsea (universe)|Earthsea]]; "Semley's Necklace" was first published as "Dowry of the Angyar" in 1964 and then as the prologue of the novel ''[[Rocannon's World]]'' in 1966; and "[[Winter's King]]" is about the inhabitants of the planet Winter, as is Le Guin's later novel ''[[The Left Hand of Darkness]]''.{{sfn|Bucknall|1981|p=133}}{{sfn|Le Guin|2004|p=x, 93}} Several of the other stories are also connected to Le Guin's novels |
''The Wind's Twelve Quarters'' collects 17 previously published stories. Four of these were the germs of novels she was to write later: "[[The Word of Unbinding]]" and "[[The Rule of Names]]" were Le Guin's first pieces set in [[Earthsea (universe)|Earthsea]]; "Semley's Necklace" was first published as "Dowry of the Angyar" in 1964 and then as the prologue of the novel ''[[Rocannon's World]]'' in 1966; and "[[Winter's King]]" is about the inhabitants of the planet Winter, as is Le Guin's later novel ''[[The Left Hand of Darkness]]''.{{sfn|Bucknall|1981|p=133}}{{sfn|Le Guin|2004|p=x, 93}} Several of the other stories are also connected to Le Guin's novels.{{sfn|Bucknall|1981|p=133}} the protagonist of the "[[The Day Before the Revolution]]" was an inspiration for the society depicted in ''[[The Dispossessed]]'' (1974), and the short story is described as a prologue to that novel, though it was written later.<ref name="Spivack 1984b">{{cite journal |last1=Spivack |first1=Charlotte |title="Only in Dying, Life": The Dynamics of Old Age in the Fiction of Ursula Le Guin |journal=Modern Language Studies |date=Summer 1984 |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=43, 46-49}}</ref> Scholars have commented on the philosophical links between ''The Dispossessed'' and "[[The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas]]", also included in the collection.{{sfn|Reid|1968|p=68}} The stories are arranged approximately in order of publication.{{sfn|Bucknall|1981|p=133}} |
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===List of stories=== |
===List of stories=== |
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Revision as of 04:10, 24 September 2023
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Ursula K. Le Guin |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Patricia Voehl |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction, fantasy |
| Published | 1975 (Harper & Row) |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 303 |
| ISBN | 0-06-012562-4 |
| OCLC | 1366086 |
| 813/.5/4 | |
| LC Class | PZ4.L518 Wi PS3562.E42 |
The Wind's Twelve Quarters is a collection of short stories by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, named after a line from A. E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad[1] and first published by Harper & Row in 1975.[2] A retrospective of Le Guin's short stories, it collects 17 previously published pieces, four of which were the germs of novels she was to write later.[3] The collection was critically well-received, with Publishers Weekly describing it as "First-rate Le Guin".[4]
Contents
The Wind's Twelve Quarters collects 17 previously published stories. Four of these were the germs of novels she was to write later: "The Word of Unbinding" and "The Rule of Names" were Le Guin's first pieces set in Earthsea; "Semley's Necklace" was first published as "Dowry of the Angyar" in 1964 and then as the prologue of the novel Rocannon's World in 1966; and "Winter's King" is about the inhabitants of the planet Winter, as is Le Guin's later novel The Left Hand of Darkness.[3][5] Several of the other stories are also connected to Le Guin's novels.[3] the protagonist of the "The Day Before the Revolution" was an inspiration for the society depicted in The Dispossessed (1974), and the short story is described as a prologue to that novel, though it was written later.[6] Scholars have commented on the philosophical links between The Dispossessed and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", also included in the collection.[7] The stories are arranged approximately in order of publication.[3]
List of stories
| Title | Time of first publication | First edition publisher/publication | Summary | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Semley's Necklace" | September 1964 | Amazing Stories | The first piece of Hainish Cycle fiction written by Le Guin. Previously published as "The Dowry of the Angyar". It is also used as the prologue of Rocannon's World. | [8][9] |
| "April in Paris" | September 1962 | Fantastic magazine | Le Guin's first professionally published short story. A destitute 15th century French scholar accidentally summons an American professor of the 20th; they begin a friendship, and summon two other people, women from the past and far future. | [10][11] |
| "The Masters" | February 1963 | Fantastic magazine | Le Guin's first published science fiction story. In a dystopian future, the use of science is greatly limited, and Arabic numerals are considered black magic. Two mechanics covertly study mathematics, and are punished when discovered. | [10][12] |
| "Darkness Box" | November 1963 | Fantastic magazine | "Darkness Box" is a fantasy: a king who wishes to end the conflict between his sons stops time by trapping darkness in a box and flinging it into the ocean. | [13][12] |
| "The Word of Unbinding" | January 1964 | Fantastic magazine | Le Guin's first story set in Earthsea: a wizard attempts to escape from an enemy who has returned from the dead. | [14][12] |
| "The Rule of Names" | April 1964 | Fantastic magazine | A light-hearted story and the second set in Earthsea. A wizard named Blackbeard attacks Mr. Underhill, a seemingly inefficient wizard, thinking to overpower him with his true name. | [14][12] |
| "Winter's King" | 1969 | Orbit 5, edited by Damon Knight. | [15][16] | |
| "The Good Trip" | August 1970 | Fantastic magazine | [15] | |
| "Nine Lives" | November 1969 | Playboy | [12] | |
| "Things" | 1970 | Orbit 6, edited by Damon Knight | [15] | |
| "A Trip to the Head" | 1970 | Quark/1, edited by Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn Hacker | [12] | |
| "Vaster than Empires and More Slow" | 1971 | New Dimensions 1, edited by Robert Silverberg. | [15][17][18] | |
| "The Stars Below" | 1974 | Orbit 14, edited by Damon Knight | [15] | |
| "The Field of Vision" | October 1973 | Galaxy Science Fiction, vol. 34 | [15] | |
| "Direction of the Road" | 1973 | Orbit 12, edited by Damon Knight | [19] | |
| "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" | 1973 | New Dimensions III, edited by Robert Silverberg | [12] | |
| "The Day Before the Revolution" | August 1974 | Galaxy Science Fiction | [15] |
Reception
A review in Publishers Weekly praised the collection as "First-rate Le Guin", describing it as a "retrospective" of the a decade of Le Guin's writing and a demonstration of her "special talent" for speculative fiction. The review highlighted the stories "April in Paris", "Nine Lives", and "The Ones Who Walk from Omelas" (sic), and also called attention to the author's notes that preceded each story, saying they offered "interesting additional insight" into the stories.[4] Susan Wood wrote that the collection was a good showcase of Le Guin's "rapid development as a writer" in the period following the publication of her first stories. Wood called particular attention to "Nine Lives", "Winter's King", and "Vaster Than Empires and More Slow", writing that in each, scientific extrapolation was used as a "framework for powerful psychological studies".[20] Suzanne Reid wrote in 1997 that the stories showcased Le Guin's "wide range of talents and ethical concerns" and praising her comfort with widely varied settings.[21]
Two of the stories in the volume won awards when first published. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Short Fiction[22] and won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1974,[23] while "The Day Before the Revolution" won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story,[24] the Locus Award for best short story,[25] and the Jupiter Award for short stories, all in 1975.[26] It was also nominated for the 1975 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.[27]
See also
- Classical compass winds - the phrase refers to the Classical 12-point wind rose, not the later mariners' rose of 8, 16, or 32
References
- ^ Le Guin 2004, p. v.
- ^ Le Guin 2004, p. iv.
- ^ a b c d Bucknall 1981, p. 133.
- ^ a b "Science Fiction". Publishers Weekly: 55. September 8, 1975.
- ^ Le Guin 2004, p. x, 93.
- ^ Spivack, Charlotte (Summer 1984). ""Only in Dying, Life": The Dynamics of Old Age in the Fiction of Ursula Le Guin". Modern Language Studies. 14 (3): 43, 46–49.
- ^ Reid 1968, p. 68.
- ^ Bucknall 1981, pp. 16–17.
- ^ Nicholls, Peter; Clute, John; Sleight, Graham, eds. (April 7, 2018). "Le Guin, Ursula K.". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. London: Gollancz. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Bucknall 1981, p. 134.
- ^ Erlich 2009, p. 25.
- ^ a b c d e f g White 1999, p. 123.
- ^ Bucknall 1981, pp. 134–135.
- ^ a b Bucknall 1981, p. 135.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nicholls & Clute 2018.
- ^ Damon Knight's Orbit 5: the best all-new science fiction of the year. OCLC 2915003.
- ^ Watson, Ian (November 1975). "The Forest as Metaphor for Mind: "The Word for World is Forest" and "Vaster Than Empires and More Slow"". Science Fiction Studies. 2 (3): 231–237.
- ^ New dimensions 1: fourteen original science fiction stories. OCLC 898065808.
- ^ Levin, Jeff (November 1975). "Ursula K. Le Guin: A Select Bibliography". Science Fiction Studies. 2 (3). Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ Wood 1986, p. 186.
- ^ Reid 1997, p. 68.
- ^ "Locus Awards Nominee List". The Locus Index to SF Awards. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
- ^ "1974 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
- ^ "Nebula Awards Winners List". The Locus Index to SF Awards. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ "Locus Awards Winners List". The Locus Index to SF Awards. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ Reginald, R. (September 2010). Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Wildside Press LLC. p. 768. ISBN 9780941028769.
- ^ "Hugo Awards Nominee List". The Locus Index to SF Awards. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
Sources
- Bucknall, Barbara J. (1981). Ursula K. Le Guin. Frederick Ungar publishing. ISBN 978-0-8044-2085-3.
- Erlich, Richard D. (December 2009). Coyote's Song: The Teaching Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin. Wildside Press LLC. ISBN 978-1-4344-5775-2.
- Le Guin, Ursula K. (2004). the wind's twelve quarters. Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0-06-091434-9.
- Reid, Suzanne Elizabeth (1997). Presenting Ursula Le Guin. Twayne. ISBN 978-0-8057-4609-9.
- White, Donna (1999). Dancing with Dragons: Ursula K. Le Guin and the Critics. Columbia, South Carolina: Camden House. ISBN 978-1-57113-034-1.
- Wood, Susan (1986). "Discovering Worlds: The Fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin". In Bloom, Harold (ed.). Modern Critical Views - Ursula K. Le Guin. Modern critical views. Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-87754-659-7.