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Ursula LeGuin Trivia

Ursula LeGuin Trivia Quizzes

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Ursula K Le Guin is a leading author of speculative fiction, both science fiction and fantasy. Her best known works are those dealing with her Hainish universe (the first of which was 'The Left Hand of Darkness') and the 'Earthsea Fantasy cycle'.
7 Ursula LeGuin quizzes and 75 Ursula LeGuin trivia questions.
1.
  A Wizard of Earthsea    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz on the first book in the "Earthsea" trilogy by Ursula K LeGuin.
Average, 10 Qns, bookworm78, Dec 28 04
Average
bookworm78
905 plays
2.
  "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz on one of my favorite science fiction books, "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin.
Average, 10 Qns, celvet, Jun 11 18
Average
celvet
Jun 11 18
114 plays
3.
  Tombs of Atuan    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz on the second book in the "Earthsea" trilogy by Ursula K LeGuin.
Average, 10 Qns, bookworm78, Dec 28 04
Average
bookworm78
435 plays
4.
  The Farthest Shore    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz on the final book of the 'Earthsea' trilogy by Ursula K LeGuin.
Average, 10 Qns, bookworm78, Oct 02 21
Average
bookworm78
Oct 02 21
368 plays
5.
  Ursula K. LeGuin's Ekumen    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
This quiz is about LeGuin's science fiction universe, the Ekumen. Other works set elsewhere, or works whose setting is unknown or questionable, will not be included.
Average, 15 Qns, DanaanMI, Sep 10 10
Average
DanaanMI
153 plays
6.
  Earthsea Trivia    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There are two questions for each of the five main works in the Earthsea saga, written by Ursula LeGuin; "A Wizard of Earthsea", "The Tombs of Atuan", "The Farthest Shore", "Tehanu", and "The Other Wind".
Average, 10 Qns, nemesis, May 17 05
Average
nemesis
399 plays
7.
  The Other Wind    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about "The Other Wind", by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is set in the Earthsea universe.
Tough, 10 Qns, kirlin, Mar 22 10
Tough
kirlin
211 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What was the final fate of the Dyer of Lorbanery?

From Quiz "The Farthest Shore"




Related Topics
  Fantasy [Literature] (96 quizzes)


Ursula LeGuin Trivia Questions

1. What is the name of the planet on which the events in this book take place?

From Quiz
"The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin

Answer: Gethen or Winter

The events in this book take place on the planet Gethen, which was originally called Winter by its Hainish discoverers. Gethen is a cold planet (compared to Earth) and may be in the middle of an ice age (Chapter 7). Most of Genly Ai's complaints have to do with the colder than normal (for him) temperatures. The planet has earth normal air and gravity (at least Genly never remarks on either of these planetary attributes).

2. The novel "The Left Hand of Darkness", set on the planet Gethen, won both the Nebula (in 1969) and the Hugo (in 1970). It was not, however, the first time LeGuin had "visited" Gethen. Which earlier short story was also set there?

From Quiz Ursula K. LeGuin's Ekumen

Answer: Winter's King

"Winter's King" appears in the short story collection "The Wind's Twelve Quarters". "Winter" is another name for the planet Gethen, due to its extreme and very long winters. The other three titles are also stories from the collection, but which are not part of the Hainish Cycle. The most famous characteristic of the Gethenians, the fact that they are fully androgynous 26 days out of every month, is not evident in "Winter's King", though it becomes important in "The Left Hand of Darkness". Gethen is also the setting for the short story "Coming of Age in Karhide", which appears in the collection "The Birthday of the World".

3. Where did Arren and Ged first meet?

From Quiz The Farthest Shore

Answer: the Court of the Fountain

This is the same place Ged first met Archmage Nemmerle and was hailed as "Archmage" by the crow. There is a rowan tree next to it.

4. What does Arha mean?

From Quiz Tombs of Atuan

Answer: The Eaten One

The Nameless Ones eat away the person to be their priestess so that she is commited to them. That is why she is called The Eaten One.

5. What was Ged's usename as a boy?

From Quiz A Wizard of Earthsea

Answer: Duny

It was the only thing his mother gave him besides life, for she died before he was a year old. Ged, of course is his truename, given at age 13 and Sparrowhawk is his use name. Frodo, well, he's from "Lord of the Rings," of course.

6. What is Alder's true name?

From Quiz The Other Wind

Answer: Hara

Alder is a village sorcerer from the island of Taon. He has the talent of mending.

7. Genly Ai is known by what title on Gethen?

From Quiz "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin

Answer: The Envoy

Genly Ai is the representative of the Ekumen on Gethen, a confederacy of worlds. He has come to Gethen alone in order to show that his mission is peaceful. During all of his travels, he is called the Envoy, rather than the ambassador - as is made plain in chapter 8.

8. Where is Arren from?

From Quiz The Farthest Shore

Answer: Enlad

Arren is, of course, the Prince of Enlad. Iffish is the home of Vetch (Ged's friend), Havnor is the capital island and Roke is the isle of the wizards.

9. Who is Arha's only friend among the girls?

From Quiz Tombs of Atuan

Answer: Penthe

Kossil is the Overpriestess of the Godking's Temple and Thar is the Overpriestess of the Twin Gods Temple. Manan is Arha's servant.

10. Who gave Ged his truename?

From Quiz A Wizard of Earthsea

Answer: Ogion

After the "battle" with the Kargs, Ogion healed the boy Duny and promised to return to give him his truename and take him as an apprentice. Nemmerle was the Archmage on Roke and Gandalf is also from "Lord of the Rings."

11. Who is called the Woman of Gont?

From Quiz The Other Wind

Answer: Tehanu

Tehanu is sometimes called the Woman of Gont, because some people are uneasy that she bears her name openly.

12. The main narrator of this book, Genly Ai states that this story is not all his. To which other character is he referring?

From Quiz "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin

Answer: Therem Harth ir Estraven

Estraven is the other main character in this book and plays a large part in Genly Ai's survival and the success of his mission on Gethen. We first meet Estraven in Chapter 1. King Argaven is the king of Karhide. Faxe the Weaver is a member of the foretelling group to which Genly asks a question in Chapter 5. Uth Shusgis is a commissioner in the Orgoreyn government.

13. From what kind of ship did Ged rescue Arren?

From Quiz The Farthest Shore

Answer: slave ship

Arren was taken by slavers when they were in Hort Town. He had run to try to lead the thieves away from Ged and was captured by the slavers.

14. Who is Arha's personal servant?

From Quiz Tombs of Atuan

Answer: Manan

Duby and Uahto are Kossil's servants. Atwah is one of the Twin Gods. The other is Wuluah.

15. How many Masters are on the Isle of Roke?

From Quiz A Wizard of Earthsea

Answer: 9

Master Changer, Master Doorkeeper, Master Namer, Master Herbal, Master Patterner, Master Windkey, Master Hand, Master Chanter and Master Summoner. There is also the Archmage, but he is not counted as one of the Masters.

16. To which two nations do Genly's travels take him?

From Quiz "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin

Answer: Karhide and Orgoreyn

Karhide is the first nation that Genly visits. It is a monarchy. Orgoreyn is somewhat socialist and is run by commissioners. Genly crosses into Orgoreyn and doesn't understand how much danger he is in. Estraven tries to warn him, but Genly does not listen. Genly does travel to Otherhord but it is in Karhide. Sith is another continent that we really don't hear about in this book. Perunter is mentioned as having people "who are not only bearded, but hairy all over" (Chapter 5).

17. The 1974 novel "The Dispossessed" concerns a colony of people who follow an anarchic, revolutionary philosophy that puts them at odds with their planet of origin. What is this philosophy called?

From Quiz Ursula K. LeGuin's Ekumen

Answer: Odonianism

Odonianism is named after its founder, Laia Odo, who died several hundred years before the story begins (Odo does, however, appear in a short story "The Day Before the Revolution"). Pravic is the language spoken on Anarres. There are no such things as Cetianism and Anarres-anarchy, though the twin planets on which the story takes places, Anarres and Urras, are collectively known as Tau Ceti, making the inhabitants of both planet Cetians. "The Dispossessed" also won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards in 1974 and 1975.

18. In "The Farthest Shore", Sparrowhawk and Arren come across one of the great Mage-kings of old, long perished and sadly brought back to the world of the living by a dark magic. Which personage appeared to them?

From Quiz Earthsea Trivia

Answer: Erreth-Akbe

"The Lord of the Two Lands" was actually one of the titles of the person responsible for bringing Erreth-Akbe back into life, the Pelnish sorcerer known commonly as Cob.

19. What did Ged tell the people of Lorbanery he was looking for?

From Quiz The Farthest Shore

Answer: emmelstone

We know Ged was really trying to find out why the spells were not working. He posed as an emmelstone merchant so he could work undercover.

20. What is the name of the large underground cavern?

From Quiz Tombs of Atuan

Answer: The Undertomb

Aptly named, The Undertomb is literally beneath the tombs above. It is forbidden for light to be there, but twice Arha sees the beauty of the caves, once when she first sees Ged and once when she sees Kossil looking in the grave.

21. Who was Ged's only friend among the other students on Roke?

From Quiz A Wizard of Earthsea

Answer: Vetch

Ged's usename is Sparrowhawk. Jasper was his rival. Yarrow is Vetch's sister.

22. What are the Hardic people known as to the Kargs?

From Quiz The Other Wind

Answer: Accursed-sorcerers

The Kargs believe the Hardic people to be cursed because they aren't reborn.

23. How is the population of Gethen different from all other humans in the Ekumen Universe?

From Quiz "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin

Answer: They are androgenous except at certain times when they reproduce.

All humans on Gethen are androgenous except when they go into "Kemmer", the sexual portion of their reproductive cycle. If a child is conceived during kemmer, the feminine person stays female until approximately a year after the birth (for lactation). Genly suffers at several points in the story because Gethanans think that he is a "pervert" - that is, that he is continuously in kemmer. This is explained as a report inserted into Genly's story (report) from one of the first investigators (Chapter 7).

24. What was the final fate of the Dyer of Lorbanery?

From Quiz The Farthest Shore

Answer: jumped into the water

Sopli (that's the dyer's name) was afraid and jumped into the water, even though he could not swim. He really wanted to get to land. It is assumed he drowned. Ged was hit by a spear.

25. After Arha told Kossil about the man below, where did she eventually find him?

From Quiz Tombs of Atuan

Answer: by the river

She found the man in a place she remembered where she could hear water. He had broken his knife trying to get to the water. Arha called to him from above through a spyhole.

26. What was Irian called as a child?

From Quiz The Other Wind

Answer: Dragonfly

Irian is from the island of Way. There is a novella about her in the anthology "Legends".

27. Genly travels to Otherhord where the Handarra have an unusual method for fortelling the future involving several people. How many people are involved in answering Genly's question about the future?

From Quiz "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin

Answer: Nine

There is one weaver, two zanies, one pervert (continually in kemmer), and five foretellers. They answer Genly's question definitely with no hedging, telling him that Gethen will be a member of the Ekumen in five years. The question to be asked must not be open ended, as that can cause the foretelling to go haywire. It is interesting that Genly finds it difficult to accept foretelling as he can bespeak people (telepathy) and there are hints that hainish culture gives training in other talents that are similar (Chapter 10).

28. The planet O appears in only three short stories, and is characterized by what unusual social practice?

From Quiz Ursula K. LeGuin's Ekumen

Answer: A marriage system in which four people are married to each other

This marriage system, called a sedoretu, is a prominent feature of ki'O (as people from O are known) society, as they are quite difficult to arrange successfully. The stories "A Fisherman of the Inland Sea", "Unchosen Love" and "Mountain Ways" all discuss the challenges posed by these four-person marriages. The "almost total lack of social structure" would fairly accurately describe the planet Eleven-Soro, where society collapsed due to extreme overpopulation. The "communal living" is a feature of life on Anarres, and the economy based on slavery is a description of the twin planets Werel and Yeowe.

29. In which room did Arha imprison the man?

From Quiz Tombs of Atuan

Answer: The Painted Room

Manan insisted he be chained and brought a chain and lock from the Room of Chains. Arha chose the Painted Room because it had a door that could lock.

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