Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018)

LeGuin's final entry in the EarthSea cycle is essential in that it revisits and reinterprets the world-building behind The Farthest Shore, which was the original final entry, and brings back for a final bow most of the main characters from the previous books. It is however mostly people talking and suffers from a surprising lack of urgency, given that this is Earthsea's biggest crisis. Jo Walton managed to make "people mostly talking" exciting in her Thessaly trilogy, but for me the conversations in The Other Windw just rehashed events and previously expressed ideas.

Recommended because it's LeGuin, so the characters are strong and well-developed, and it does close things out, but it's not LeGuiin in top form.… (more)

This gripping science fiction novel from Ursula K. LeGuin tells the story of George Orr, a man cursed with the unwanted ability to make some of his dreams become reality. Because George is terrified by the massive changes his dreams can produce in the world, he is afraid to sleep. He contacts Dr. Hader, a psychiatrist specializing in dreams who, instead of helping him, tries to direct George's dreams for his own purposes.

The beginning of the story is confusing, reflecting George's own uncertainty about what is happening to himself. After a few chapters things become more clear and the book turns into a real page-turner.… (more)