Reading Notes - The Language of the Night

Has a book ever found you at exactly the right time?

I just finished The Language of the Night, by Ursula K. Le Guin. If you don’t know Le Guin, she is a titan of speculative and science fiction whose writing career spanned over five decades. (She passed in 2018).

Written over fifty years ago, the essays discuss the pursuit of art, types of censorship, whether sci-fi is “legit” literature, the power—and origin—of myth, and much more. It’s kind of a deep cut for sci-fi and fantasy writers, but touches on universal themes and challenges. When I was finished, I had worn out my highlighter.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorites: “After you have sweated to invent an original plot, it very often turns out to be a perfect parallel to one of the old stories.”