Who Is Ursula K. Le Guin? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Ursula K. Le Guin was an acclaimed American author known for her influential works in the realm of fantasy and science fiction. Born on October 21, 1929, in Berkeley, California, she created a legacy that continues to inspire readers and writers today. Renowned for her explorations of sociocultural themes and her poignant narrative style, Le Guin passed away in January 2018, leaving behind a rich tapestry of literature that sparked conversations about gender, society, and human nature.
| Occupation | Essayist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 21, 1929 |
| Age | 88 Years |
| Birth Place | Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 22 January, 2018 |
| Died Place | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Popularity
Ursula K. Le Guin's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While Ursula K. Le Guin was primarily celebrated for her intellectual and artistic contributions rather than her physical attributes, it is commonly understood that she stood at an estimated height of 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm). Her weight varied throughout her life, as she embraced different phases of her journey. However, specific details regarding her weight and other body measurements are seldom documented, as Le Guin’s public persona focused more on her writings than on her physical appearance.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Throughout her life, Ursula K. Le Guin maintained a private personal life. She was married to Charles Le Guin, a prominent anthropologist, from 1953 until his passing in 2018. Their partnership was not only romantic but also deeply collaborative, influencing her literary work significantly. Together, they had three children: Elizabeth, Theo, and Caroline. As of 2025, there are no public records or commentary regarding any romantic relationships following her husband's death; she remains a powerful symbol of strength and intellect.
Her father, Alfred Louis Kroeber, was an anthropologist at the University of California, Berkeley. Le Guin's mother, Theodora Kroeber (born Theodora Covel Kracaw), had a graduate degree in psychology, but turned to writing in her 60s, developing a successful career as an author.
Among her works was Ishi in Two Worlds (1961), a biographical volume about Ishi, an Indigenous American who had been studied by Alfred Kroeber. Ishi was the last known member of the Yahi tribe after the rest of its members died or (mostly) were killed by white colonizers.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of her passing, Ursula K. Le Guin was estimated to have a net worth of approximately $1 million. Throughout her career, her novels, essays, and short stories garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, contributing to her financial stability. With bestselling works such as The Left Hand of Darkness and A Wizard of Earthsea, Le Guin’s earnings were bolstered not only by book sales but also by speaking engagements, royalties, and adaptations of her work in various media.
Always Coming Home, set in California in the distant future, examines a warlike society, resembling contemporary American society, from the perspective of the Kesh, its pacifist neighbors. The society of the Kesh has been identified by scholars as a feminist utopia, which Le Guin uses to explore the role of technology.
Scholar Warren Rochelle stated that it was "neither a matriarchy nor a patriarchy: men and women just are".
"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas", a parable depicting a society in which widespread wealth, happiness, and security, comes at the cost of the continued misery of a single child, has also been read as a critique of contemporary American society.
The Word for World is Forest explored the manner in which the structure of society affects the natural environment; in the novel, the natives of the planet of Athshe have adapted their way of life to the ecology of the planet.
The colonizing human society, in contrast, is depicted as destructive and uncaring; in depicting it, Le Guin also critiqued colonialism and imperialism, driven partly by her disapproval for U.S. intervention in the Vietnam War.
Career, Business, and Investments
Le Guin's literary career spanned several decades, during which she wrote numerous novels, essays, and poetry. Her unique ability to blend imaginative realms with philosophical concepts revolutionized the fantasy and science fiction genres. Notable works include The Earthsea Series, The Dispossessed, and The Word for World is Forest.
Besides writing, Le Guin was actively involved in various literary communities and contributed to anthologies, literary criticism, and edited collections. She was a fierce advocate for women's rights and often examined themes of gender fluidity and social norms in her narratives. Though she didn’t venture into traditional business investments publicly, her literary contributions have been monumental, sparking discussions and debates that resonate today.
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin ( Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series.
Her work was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories, in addition to poetry, literary criticism, translations, and children's books.
Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters". Le Guin said she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist".
Social Network
Though Ursula K. Le Guin passed away in 2018, her influence remains strong across social networks. Her official website and social media channels, maintained by her estate, continue to engage her audience, sharing her legacy and works. In 2025, you can find discussions, fan art, and tributes across platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, where her impact on literature is celebrated by avid readers and writers alike.
Cultural anthropology, Taoism, feminism, and the writings of Carl Jung all had a strong influence on Le Guin's work. Many of her stories used anthropologists or cultural observers as protagonists, and Taoist ideas about balance and equilibrium have been identified in several writings.
Le Guin often subverted typical speculative fiction tropes, such as through her use of dark-skinned protagonists in Earthsea, and also used unusual stylistic or structural devices in books such as the experimental work Always Coming Home (1985).
Social and political themes, including race, gender, sexuality, and coming of age were prominent in her writing. She explored alternative political structures in many stories, such as in the philosophical short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (1973) and the anarchist utopian novel The Dispossessed (1974).
Education
Ursula K. Le Guin was a well-educated individual, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Radcliffe College in 1951. She went on to study at Columbia University, where her focus on literature and languages laid the groundwork for her literary career. Her educational background profoundly influenced her writing style, imbuing her works with depth and meaningful discourse.
Having earned a master's degree in French, Le Guin began doctoral studies but abandoned these after her marriage in 1953 to historian Charles Le Guin.
She began writing full-time in the late 1950s and achieved major critical and commercial success with A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) and The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), which have been described by Harold Bloom as her masterpieces. For the latter volume, Le Guin won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, becoming the first woman to do so.
Several more works set in Earthsea or the Hainish universe followed; others included books set in the fictional country of Orsinia, several works for children, and many anthologies.
