![]() ![]() A boy discovers that he possesses great magical power. The Earthsea cycle by Ursula Le Guin, who died in January at the age of 88, excels at these tropes. It puts the “fantasy” in fantasy, and is one reason this genre is often associated with young adult fiction. How much easier everything would be if the choice were essentially made for you! And how amazing it would be to find that you were, as you might have secretly hoped, special, that you could speak to animals or move objects with your mind. It is an irresistible idea for adolescents particularly, who are in the midst of discovering themselves and trying on different identities. At some point the protagonist discovers, with the force of a calling from God, that he is no mere mortal, but a wizard, a dragonslayer, a king. The most beguiling promise of fantasy fiction is that of self-knowledge. ![]()
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