Exploring the Work of Ursula K. Le Guin: a proposed overview of new interpretations

Abstract

This article proposes a critical reassessment of the Brazilian reception of Ursula K. Le Guin’s work, highlighting the predominance of materialist and utopian approaches in its analysis, both influenced by theorists such as Fredric Jameson and Darko Suvin. Throughout these pages, I argue that this limited perspective overlooks the complexity and the development of Le Guin’s literature, which unfolds in increasingly sophisticated structures throughout her career. Additionally, I note the scarcity of Brazilian scholarly studies on Le Guin’s vast literary output, with only a select group of her novels and short stories being academically explored, while other works central to her career — such as her poetry and the Earthsea series — remain largely neglected by national criticism. I thus propose a broader reading, one that takes into account other influences present in her work — for instance, Taoist philosophy, Indigenous cosmologies, and pacifist anarchism — all of which enrich her narratives beyond the utopian lens. In this way, I suggest that Le Guin’s work should be read as a dynamic, ever-evolving network, inviting a more plural and less fragmented critical engagement with her texts.