Ursula K. Le Guin, 88, died peacefully on 2018-01-22 00:00:00 UTC in Portland, Oregon. Born Ursula Kroeber in Berkeley, California on October 21, 1929 to Alfred and Theodora Kroeber, she was a prize-winning American author and a major figure in science fiction and fantasy. Le Guin published her first novel, Rocannon’s World, in 1966, and went on to produce more than 20 novels, over 100 short stories, 4 children’s books, 7 books of poetry, 13 collections of essays, 5 film adaptations, 5 translations, and many other works. Her best known novels include The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed, and Earthsea. Le Guin was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, was awarded the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal, and became the first woman to be recognized as a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Le Guin is survived by her husband Charles Le Guin, her two children, and a wide readership of science fiction aficionados.