Tag: Ursula K Le Guin

Can ‘The Earthsea Cycle’ Be Successfully Adapted This Time?

Written by late author Ursula K. Le Guin, The Earthsea Cycle is a fantasy series set in an archipelago of hundreds of islands and focuses on the coming-of-age story of a young wizard named Ged, who must use his powers to stop those who threaten to upset the islands’ way of life.

 

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin. Image Via Polygon

 

In 2004, the Sci Fi Channel created a three-hour loose adaptation for television of A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan, entitled Legend of Earthsea. Thanks to budget constraints, the addition of a romantic subplot, and whitewashing, the film anger not only fans of the series but also Le Guin herself.

It posed the question: Can you adapted The Earthsea Cycles successfully, or is the pressure of a studio system too great?

Yet you need the money to adapted The Earthsea Cycles. The original idea was that the book series was going to be made into films, with Le Guin giving her blessing to adapt the series after her death. Now, the plan has shifted and Earthsea will become a television series instead.

 

 

Jennifer Fox, the producer of the Jake Gyllenhall film Nightcrawler, is teaming up with studio A24 to bring the series to the small screen, in hopes of shopping it around to potential networks.

 

Jennifer Fox

Jennifer Fox. Image Via HBO

 

The series has often been compared to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Fox has even described Le Guin as second only to Tolkein:

 

 “Ursula Le Guin is a literary legend with a huge fan base and her work has been translated into practically every written language on the globe. She is second only to Tolkien in influence in this genre, and before she died last year, she agreed to put her most beloved work in my hands. This project is, therefore, a sacred trust and priority for me as well as an opportunity to create an iconic piece of American culture.”

 

Are you a fan of The Earthsea Cycle? Do you think this adaptation will work out for the best, or should they combine the first two books into one movie?

 

 

 

 

Featured Image Via Nag

 

Gene Wolfe, Famed Author of Science Fiction, Dies at 87

Another sad passing in the world of literature. Gene Wolfe, a massively influential figure who was praised by famed authors such as George R.R. Martin, Ursula K. Le Guin and Neil Gaiman, has passed away. According to The Guardian Gene Wolfe died at the age of eighty-seven, leaving behind a famous body of work. His magnum opus is The Book of the New Sun , which ranked only third in a fantasy magazine of the best fantasy novels, behind only The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Taking placing in an apocalyptic earth where mankind has regressed to a medieval era, the novels blended science fiction and fantasy to become something wholly unique.

 

A man clad in a dark mask and cloak stands before an alien sky

Image Via Amazon

 

Wolfe’s passing was mourned by his longtime publisher, Tor, and numerous other authors in the industry. Tor said he was a ‘beloved icon’ and will be ‘dearly missed’ while leaving behind a body of work that will live on forever in SF fame. Neil Gaiman praised Wolfe’s work, saying he was possibly the finest American writer who ever lived. George R.R. Martin considers him the best the science fiction genre has produced, while Le Guin said he was ‘our Melville’. For his efforts, Gene Wolfe received the title of grand master of science fiction in 2012. Wolfe himself had earlier noted his early work out of college was terrible and he was living from paycheck to paycheck before he became famous.

Gene Wolfe leaves behind a legacy of his great work, as well as being hugely influential on the writer’s community around him, inspiring others to create worlds. We salute you, Wolfe, and will remember your work forever.

 

 

Featured Image Via SyFy