Ursula K. Le Guin has signed a deal with the Simon & Schuster science-fiction/fantasy imprint, Saga Press. This contract allows for the publication of three books which includes an Earthsea omnibus which contains illustrations by Charles Vess.
The Found and The Lost, a group of novellas, and The Unreal and The Real, a short story collection, will both be released in October 2016. The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, a compilation of all of Le Guin’s Earthsea novels and short stories, will follow in October 2018. In addition to the original Earthsea stories, The Books of Earthsea will also feature an introduction by Le Guin, an essay called “Earthsea Revisioned,” and a new Earthsea story entitled “The Daughter of Odren.”
Le Guin gave this statement in the press release: “It took me thirty-two years to write Earthsea and then sixteen more years to get it published as what it is, a single story from beginning to end. Authors and wizards learn to be patient while the magic works. An author knows it’s working when it leads to collaboration with a wizard like Charles Vess.”