Acclaimed fantasy novelist Ursula Le Guin passed away at her home in Portland at the age of 88.

According to a report in the New York Times, Le Guin’s death was confirmed by her son, Theo Downes-Le Guin. The cause of her death has not been reported by she had apparently been in poor health for months.

“It was unexpected at that moment,” Downes-Le Guin said. “Her health had not been great.”

Le Guin is the author of dozens of books, including 20 novels, six collections of poetry and over 100 short stories. He writing spanned fantasy, science fiction and children’s fiction. She was a five-time winner of the Hugo Award, science fiction’s highest honour, and was also a recipient of the Nebula Award.

She’s probably best known for her Earthsea quartet of books, an epic sword and sorcery tale that followers the titular protagonist on a quest to discover the value of morality within magic. Le Guin’s work stood out from her peers forgoing a lot of the macho bluster associated with the genre, and including many morally ambiguous settings and characters.

Really, if you’ve never cracked the spine on one of her books, we suggest you head to a book store or your nearest library. You really are missing out.

[Source: The New York Times]
[Picture Credit:Taryn Domingos]