Ursula K. Le Guin: Overlap Between LOA and Sage Press Editions

I read my first Ursula K. Le Guin novel about two months ago. It was Rocannon's World, which I read from the LOA's Hainish Novels and Stories, Vol I. I really enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to diving back into the worlds she imagined I have both Hainish volumes on my bookshelf, and will probably get around to buying The Complete Orsinia at some point in the not too distant future.

I have also heard a lot of positive things about the Earthsea cycle as well and I think I would like to read it. I ran across the Sage Press collections the other day, titled The Unreal and the Real and The Found and the Lost... I almost bought both, but I hesitated until I could check on how much overlap existed between these editions and the LOA volumes. Add to that, that apparently, Sage Press is going to collect all the Earthsea material in one volume latter this year.

So that is basically the dilemma. I prefer LOA editions of books to almost any other books that I have run across. But last I heard via Librarything, it sounds like the LOA is nowhere near publishing an Earthsea volume, though they are working on a fourth Le Guin volume now, of what I presume will be non-Earthsea, non-Hainish material. I'd hate to buy either of the Sage Press volumes, only to find out that LOA is publishing a huge chunk of the same material next year.

Sorry for the length and rambling nature of this post. Small child in the home, and we all need a nap here.

I'm also curious about the LOA plans for Earthsea, I'm confused about what I've read in bits of pieces here on LT but also in various other places. I thought that LOA would publish Earthsea eventually, but there was a significant break / delay due to the Sage Press edition. But maybe I made that up and LOA is not confident of publishing Earthsea.

The Saga (not Sage) Press edition ought to be great, though, illustrated and all. I will almost surely be getting it (in spite of the fact that I have an omnibus of the 1st 4 Earthsea novels already), along with the slipcased set of the other pair you mentioned. LOA books are lovely, but I see zero reason to only buy from one publisher, especially if a volume has something special (like illustrations, that were discussed in depth with Le Guin to get right).

>2 elenchus: I am a little confused too, but the last thing I remember reading regarding Earthsea was that the LOA was nowhere near securing the rights to publish an Earthsea volume. I want to say I read that around 2016, so things might of changed since then. I also can't find where I read it, so it is possible that I am mis-remembering or that maybe I didn't read it at all. I am sure I read more recently that the LOA was already putting together a fourth Le Guin volume however, which I took to mean a volume of Le Guin's non-Earthsea, non-Hainish, non-Orsinia work. So this gives me pause about buying either of the Saga volumes that are currently available. I might break down and buy one or both anyway.

>3 .Monkey.: Thanks for the correction. You are 100% correct on the name, my mistake. On the question of buying from one publisher, I don't just buy from one publisher, but I have a strong preference for LOA editions in general. I think the books themselves are handsome, durable and just the right size to balance comfort, portability and function. But you are correct that some editions offer other features that are pretty appealing. I have a few of LOA's Melville volumes for example, including Moby-Dick... but I would love to run across an illustrated Folio Society edition of Moby-Dick for the right price.

I will most likely buy the Saga edition of Earthsea about as soon as it becomes available, for the reasons you mentioned, and because I have the impression that it is going to be a long time before we see it in an LOA volume anyway. I am more on the fence about the two Saga volumes that are currently available. How do you feel about the quality of the two slipcased volumes?

>4 Dr_Flanders: I haven't seen them in person yet, they're just on my radar to grab at some opportune time (like when somewhere is having a sale ;)).

Don't get me wrong, LOA is great, I definitely wouldn't steer anyone away from any of their volumes; I have the Hainish slipcased set and will certainly get the Orsinia volume as well (I would have already if they hurt my wallet less, haha), and I do love when I can have an author's works sitting pretty all in matching publisher editions, but, I never think twice about getting from any varied publisher who puts out a nice edition of a favored author. :)

>1 Dr_Flanders:

Here are the contents of the Saga Press edition of Le Guin's novellas, with LOA overlap as indicated:

{LOA} Vaster Than Empires and More Slow
Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight
Hernes
{LOA} The Matter of Seggri
{LOA} Another Story or a Fisherman of the Inland Sea
{LOA} Forgiveness Day
{LOA} A Man of the People
{LOA} A Woman's Liberation
{LOA} Old Music and the Slave Women
{Earthsea} The Finder
{Earthsea} On the High Marsh
{Earthsea} Dragonfly
Paradises Lost

I don't think the three Earthsea novellas will be included in the forthcoming Saga Press Earthsea edition, but I'm not sure. (Correction: These three novellas are in Tales from Earthsea, so they will be in the Saga edition.)

As for the Saga stories collection: of the 41 stories, 4 are in the LOA Orsinian volume and 4 are in the Hainish volumes.

We plan to work with the estate to finish up the fourth LOA collection (which Le Guin was helping us assemble at the time of her death) and subsequent volumes. We hope to have news on that front soon.

As several of you have noted, the rights situation is such that it will be a number of years before an LOA Earthsea volume is possible. (For the record, I too will be purchase the Saga illustrated edition for my own collection, so I will not be the person to discourage anyone from doing the same.)

--David

Re: contents: The Saga Press press release from 2016 says: "the complete novels and short stories of Earthsea will be compiled in one volume titled The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition. Stories will include the new, never-before-published in print Earthsea story “The Daughter of Odren,” along with the novels A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, and The Other Wind, in addition to the stories “The Word of Unbinding” and “The Rule of Names.” This omnibus will also include a new introduction by Le Guin as well as the essay “Earthsea Revisioned.” With color and black-and-white illustrations by award-winning illustrator Charles Vess, The Books of Earthsea will publish in Fall 2018 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of A Wizard of Earthsea." So unless plans change before publication, no novellas in that one.

>7 .Monkey.:

I've corrected my original post: The three novellas are from Tales from Earthsea, so they will in fact be in the Saga Earthsea edition.

Ahh gotcha, that makes sense. I don't have Tales yet so was unaware the contents there. :)

>5 .Monkey.: Understood. I just didn't want to give the impression that I wouldn't buy a book if it wasn't published by the Library of America, since that is certainly not true. But the LOA is probably the publisher I value the most, and it being a non-profit that manages to publish high quality books at pretty darn reasonable prices, I feel a great deal of loyalty to the organization. Not to mention DCloyceSmith's participation in these forums, which I think many of us appreciate. It sounds like the best answer to my original dilemma might be to just buy them all as the budget allows (I feel similar book related wallet pains! The first symptom of a relapse is usually might wife asking "Wait, how many books are you going to buy?").

>6 DCloyceSmith: Thanks for laying it all out. I should have compared the contents myself, but I was being lazy about finding the time to sit down and do it. It looks like there isn't really too much overlap between all these editions. I can't wait to hear what the 4th LOA volume turns out to be, but I am also pretty excited about the forthcoming volumes that we already know are on the way. And it sounds like Saga Press is going to sell at least 3 copies of their Earthsea book later this year.

This has nothing to do with the overlap question, clarification.
Just curious: did anyone else get the Saga Press edition of THE BOOKS OF EARTHSEA?
Just got mine: wow. Just...wow.
(Another book I got, THE WRITER'S MAP, with an essay -- by David Mitchell -- containing words of appreciation about LeGuin, as well as just a bunch of terrific essays, thoughts and maps and drawings -- from Bronte to Melville to Tolkien-- of and about the various worlds of various writers).

But, yeah, that Saga Press edition...gobsmackingly good.
Wow!

>11 Truett:

Mine arrived yesterday: the US edition, with dustjacket. It is as hefty as an old dictionary, but stout boards and seemingly well bound. The contents are stunning, though I've come across two errata while browsing. These take nothing away from the edition, I agree it is stunning.

Did you confirm yours includes no inverted pages? I read in another thread that some copies do, though I've yet to see those pages specified.

elenchuss: Did a quick flip through -- page by page -- and didn't run across inverted -- or diverted or perverted or even subverted -- pages. Perhaps the story about the inverted pages came from "reviewers" on Amazon (anyone and everyone can be a reviewer nowadays, regardless of skill or knowledge, as long as you say yes). Lotta those yobbos actually think the ARC or proof is an actual finished product, albeit in paperback. Maybe someone with a screwed up ARC, or whatever, started the thread. Thus far, you and I have confirmed at least _two_ of the American editions are in good shape as regards the placement of pages.

As for typos, etc., I'll watch for any as I make my way through the book.

(What was it YOU found?)

Errata I found: "Earhsea" in Le Guin's introduction itself (d'oh!), and a misplaced letter in one of the short stories (either "Rule" or "Unbinding"). I have it noted at home, will try to remember and look it up and report back.