A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel, by Ursula K. Le Guin and Fred Fordham

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First page of third chapter:

1968 was a great year in literature – other books published then that I love include Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick; 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke; England Swings SF, ed. Judith Merrill; The Johnstown Flood, by David McCullough; Pavane, by Keith Roberts; The Salzburg Connection, by Helen MacInnes; The Iron Man / The Iron Giant, by Ted Hughes; The Mouse and His Child, by Russell Hoban; The Double Helix, by James D. Watson; and The Wombles, by Elisabeth Beresford. But I love A Wizard of Earthsea more than any of them, with a youthful passion, born of Nigel Terry telling it on Jackanory in 1974.

Rereading the entire series fifteen years ago, I was struck by how well A Wizard of Earthsea in particular holds up. I was a bit worried that the graphic novel adaptation by Fred Fordham might have lost the charm and passion of the original. But my concerns were unfounded. This is a gorgeous gorgeous book. Earthsea is quite a diverse place, with each island having its own characteristics and culture. Bits of the novel that I had completely forgotten are given new life by Fordham’s art. The climax is stark.

I don’t have any hesitation in voting for this for Best Graphic Story or Comic in this year’s Hugos. My votes overall are:

  1. A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel, written by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted and art by Fred Fordham
  2. The Space Cat, written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford
  3. The Invisible Parade, by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio
  4. Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon, written by Kelly Thompson, art by Hayden Sherman and Mattia de Iulis, coloring by Jordie Bellaire, lettering by Becca Carey
  5. A Girl and Her Fed, written by KB Spangler, art by Ale Presser
  6. The Power Fantasy Volume 1: The Superpowers, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Caspar Wijngaard, lettering by Clayton Cowles

(I have read both the excerpt from A Girl and her Fed provided in the voter packet, and the first fifty or so pages from the web comic. It is quirky but not really all that good.)

2026 Hugos: Novella | Novelette | Short Story | Dramatic Presentation, Short Form | Professional Artist | Poem | Astounding Award
Best Novel: The Incandescent | Shroud | The Raven Scholar | The Everlasting | Death of the Author | A Drop of Corruption, and my votes
Best Graphic Story or Comic: The Invisible Parade | three more finalists | A Wizard of Earthsea, and my votes
Best Related Work: Colourfields | The Cuddled Little Vice | Inventing the Renaissance | Positive Obsession, and my votes
Lodestar: Holy Terrors | Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe | Among Ghosts | They Bloom at Night | Oathbound | Sunrise on the Reaping, and my votes
Where to get them | Goodreads/Librarything/StoryGraph stats