Interesting to see we have had paralell experiences with fantasy authors Carl. The only difference is that I was originally inspired to world creation by Tolkien's Middle Earth rather than Ursula's Earthsea. I remember my fascination had no bounds when I first started playing D+D and then later creating my own settings as a DM. It was definitely the act of sub-creation through D+D that sparked my creative drive in regards to writing. Well, that's my first memory of getting that spark of creativity anyway.

I first discovered the Earthsea Trilogy in my mothers book collection. It was one of only 3 fantasy/SciFi books she owned and I pulled it off the shelf one day fully expecting it to be rubbish. I was in that phase of adolecent where anything to do with parents had to be completely uncool. Anyway, I was sat on the living room floor for hours and devoured 2 or 3 chapters before being snapped out of my reverie by the call to dinner. After reading all three of the Earthsea trilogy in a row, Ursula K. Le Guin became my favorite Fantasy author alongside Tolkien, equally as important and magical in influence on my young life. I always loved fantasy literature for the true escape from reality it offered. Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin both are masters of this textured world creation that is the essence of fantasy. The story of a young Ged learning the art of magic, and Le Guin's concept of a magic system is truly awesome. In the idea of spells being realized in the true naming of a thing/place/person, she draws so subtly from various mythologies, while making it pure earthsea at the same time. This news was the first thing I woke up to on my facebook feed this morning and it saddened me greatly. Too many of my favorite authors have died in recent years, Ian Banks, Terry Pratchett and now Ursula K. Le Guin. RIP