A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel

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A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel

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Overview

Ursula K. Le Guin’s timeless and revered A Wizard of Earthsea is reimagined in a richly expansive graphic novel by acclaimed artist Fred Fordham, creator of stunning adaptations To Kill a Mockingbird and Brave New World.

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and unleashed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

Experience the bestselling first adventure of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Books of Earthsea as a masterly crafted graphic novel. Fred Fordham brings new life to Le Guin's iconic fantasy classic with his breathtaking illustrations and thoughtful text adaptation.

Product Details
About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063285767
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Series:	The Books of Earthsea
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) was a celebrated author whose body of work includes twenty-three novels, twelve volumes of short stories, eleven volumes of poetry, thirteen children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation. The breadth and imagination of her work earned her six Nebula Awards, seven Hugo Awards, and SFWA’s Grand Master, along with a PEN/Malamud Award and many others. In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2016, she joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetimes by the Library of America.

Fred Fordham is an artist and author of multiple acclaimed graphic novels. He most recently adapted and illustrated the graphic novel versions of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World ("Brilliant. A book that will keep your bedside light burning long into the night." —Guardian) and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird ("Gorgeously rendered.” —USA Today). He has also designed and drawn several other comics and produced illustrations for The Phoenix, the Guardian, Aces Weekly, Delcourt, and others. He currently resides in London. Find Fred online at fredfordham.com.

Hometown:

Portland, Oregon

Date of Birth:

October 21, 1929

Place of Birth:

Berkeley, California

Education:

B.A., Radcliffe College; M.A., Columbia University, 1952

Website:

http://www.ursulakleguin.com

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

"The world of Earthsea has been widely known since Le Guin’s original publication in 1968 and paved the way for non-Tolkienian fantasy novels for decades. Fordham’s artistic vision will bring in a new generation of fans with vivid colors, dialogue-driven pages, and fast pacing...Fantasy lovers and art lovers alike will make this graphic version of the classic novel a highly sought-after addition to library shelves." — School Library Journal
"[V]isual magic that is able to blur between the light and dark that churn at the story's core. A worthy adaptation of an enduring classic that manages to bring forth all the quiet power of the whispered secret of someone's true name." — Booklist
"Fred Fordham's graphic novel adaptation...stay[s] faithful to Le Guin's beautiful prose and story while bringing her world to life with lush illustrations...Wondrous. If anyone attempts to adapt Le Guin's work to film or television again, this is a model they should hold to as tightly as her wizards guard their true names." — Avclub
"[I]ntentionality and mindfulness behind...the portrayal of Ged as "a young copper-skinned man." A beloved cornerstone of the genre brought vividly to life through striking illustrations." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Does A Wizard of Earthsea work as a comic? I'd certainly say so. I think it's in the upper tier of the literature-to-comics adaptations I've read...[a]n A-tier book, and an absolute must-read for fans of Le Guin, high fantasy, or both." — The Beat, #1 source for comics and graphic novel news

From the Publisher

02/01/2025
Gr 8 Up—The world of Earthsea has been widely known since Le Guin's original publication in 1968 and paved the way for non-Tolkienian fantasy novels for decades. Fordham's artistic vision will bring in a new generation of fans with vivid colors, dialogue-driven pages, and fast pacing. The watercolor art style gives the world a dreamlike quality, which serves to let the reader fill in some parts with their own imagination, as Le Guin originally intended in the novel. The art is rich and the bits of exposition and descriptions that Fordham has turned into textless panels let the settings sing. Justly, this adaptation portrays Ged as his proper age and with copper skin to match Le Guin's character description from the novels, which have been obscured in other illustrative interpretations and film adaptations. The quick, light pace will keep readers turning pages, though no number of beautiful illustrations can replace Le Guin's stunning prose. It is especially absent in the climactic scene, which ends up feeling rushed in this version. However, this is an otherwise faithful adaptation, and the interpretation of the characters, towns, and magic make this definitely worth adding to any graphic novel collection. VERDICT Fantasy lovers and art lovers alike will make this graphic version of the classic novel a highly sought-after addition to library shelves, though it should be in addition to the original, not in place of it.—Lauren Sullivan

School Library Journal

★ 2024-12-12
An ambitious young wizard embarks on a perilous quest to correct a mistake made from hubris in this graphic adaptation of Le Guin’s well-loved 1968 classic.
Duny is nearly 13 when he’s visited by Ogion the Silent, a mage who gives him his true name, Ged, a coming-of-age milestone. As Ogion’s apprentice, Ged begins his long journey of understanding the consequences of magic and the importance of maintaining the world’s balance. Ged studies wizardry at the School of Roke, where he performs a spell summoning the dead and calls up an evil shadow force that starts following him. Ged must defeat it before it can take over his body and use him to enact dark magic. Fordham’s watercolor-style art brings the story’s world to life, beautifully portraying seaside villages, starlit nights, the stone-walled school, and more. Wordless spreads seamlessly propel the plot, as when Ged battles fierce flying dragons off the coast of Pendor. While the story moves quickly, visual clues such as changing seasons signal Ged’s growth and the passage of time. The concise narration and dialogue enhance the story’s drama. A preface by Theo Downes-Le Guin, the author’s son, discusses the intentionality and mindfulness behind the illustrations, as for example, in the portrayal of Ged as “a young copper-skinned man” rather than the “white, often middle-aged man” shown in other versions, which Le Guin felt betrayed her original vision.
A beloved cornerstone of the genre brought vividly to life through striking illustrations. (map)(Graphic fantasy. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel

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