Ursula K. Le Guin’s timeless classic A Wizard of Earthsea is reimagined in a richly expansive graphic novel by artist Fred Fordham, creator of stunning adaptations of To Kill a Mockingbird and Brave New World.
We’re thrilled to share the cover of A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel—publishing March 11, 2025 with Clarion Books.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea is a literary phenomenon, hugely popular among fantasy readers—young and older—since publication of the first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, in 1968. The books of Earthsea have received a Newbery Honor Medal, National Book Award, and the Nebula, Hugo, Locus and World Fantasy Awards. Le Guin, described by Margaret Atwood as one of the literary greats of the 20th century and by Stephen King as a literary icon, redefined fantasy in her story of Ged, a young sorcerer whose hunger for power looses a terrible shadow upon the world.
Now, for the first time, A Wizard of Earthsea has been adapted as a graphic novel. Working closely with Le Guin’s estate, artist Fred Fordham imagined Earthsea as an expansive, stunning visual odyssey. Fordham’s process is rooted in the original text, taking great care in its interpretation of the tale of a young man’s testing: how Ged masters the mighty words of power, bests an ancient dragon, and crosses death’s threshold to restore balance in the world.
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and unleashed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.
Experience the bestselling first adventure of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle as a masterly crafted graphic novel. Fred Fordham brings new life to Le Guin’s iconic fantasy classic with his breathtaking illustrations and thoughtful text adaptation.
From artist Fred Fordham:
“For all its influence, A Wizard of Earthsea still feels unique to me. It’s the most poignantly written and mysterious portrayal of magic and personal development that I’ve encountered in a fantasy story. It’s been great working with Theo Downes-Le Guin to try to faithfully adapt such beautiful words into a new medium. Daunting, but great.”
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A Wizard of Earthsea
Adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) was a celebrated author whose body of work includes twenty-three novels, twelve volumes of short stories, eleven volumes of poetry, thirteen children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation. The breadth and imagination of her work earned her six Nebula Awards, seven Hugo Awards, and SFWA’s Grand Master, along with a PEN/Malamud Award and many others. In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2016, she joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetimes by the Library of America.
Fred Fordham is an artist and author of multiple acclaimed graphic novels. He most recently adapted and illustrated the graphic novel versions of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (“Brilliant. A book that will keep your bedside light burning long into the night.” —Guardian) and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (“Gorgeously rendered.” —USA Today). He has also designed and drawn several other comics and produced illustrations for The Phoenix, the Guardian, Aces Weekly, Delcourt, and others. He currently resides in London. Find Fred online at fredfordham.com.
