First, I have the honor of introducing our Ursula K. Le Guin issue and Sandra Lindow’s comprehensive examination of the Library of America’s Hainish Novels and Stories omnibus, a monumental book for a monumental career.
But Le Guin was more than a monument. I never had the pleasure of meeting her, but she was deeply entangled in the sf community, an inspiration and more importantly a friend to so many, and even family to a few. Our publishers—Gavin Grant and Kelly Link—named their daughter “Ursula” out of love for Ms. Le Guin. For all of us she was a landmark; for many of us, she was an integral part of life.
We will feel her loss. Mercifully, we have all her work to guide us back to her.