https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/...ed-for-her-fantasy-fiction-is-dead-at-88.html A Wizard of Earthsea was my introduction to fantasy and sci-fi novels.
An incredible writer who happened to pick science fiction and fantasy as her genres of choice. I remember reading The Left Hand of Darkness in 1969, which won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for that year's best science fiction novel. It was very surprising for a woman writer, particularly writing SF, a genre dominated by men (many of them scientists) to garner such praise back then. Darkness explored the impact of gender and sex on the both the "ambisexual" inhabitants, and the effect of that society and its culture on visitors of the planet from other worlds. It's particularly interesting considering the discussions about sex and gender identity going on today. Rest in peace.
