The Rule of Names

"The Rule of Names"
Short story by Ursula K. Le Guin
CountryUnited States
Genre(s)Fantasy
Publication
Published inFantastic
Publication typeMagazine
Media typePrint
Publication date1964
Chronology
SeriesEarthsea
 
The Word of Unbinding
 
A Wizard of Earthsea

"The Rule of Names" is a short story by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in the April 1964 issue of Fantastic and reprinted in collections such as The Wind's Twelve Quarters.[1] This story and "The Word of Unbinding" convey Le Guin's initial concepts for the Earthsea realm, including its places and physical manifestation. Most of the characters from the novels do not make an appearance, with the exception of the dragon Yevaud.[2] Both stories help explain the foundations of the Earthsea realm, in particular the importance of true names to magic.[3]

  1. ^ "The Rule of Names". Internet Book List. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10.
  2. ^ Le Guin, Ursula, The Wind's Twelve Quarters, (New York, Harper & Row, October 1975), foreword.
  3. ^ Le Guin, Ursula, The Wind's Twelve Quarters, (New York, Harper & Row, October 1975), page 65.