The Farthest Shore

Ursula K. Le Guin

Illustrated by David Lupton

Earthsea’s hero Ged continues his story in the third part of Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic fantasy series. The Folio edition of The Farthest Shore features illustrations by David Lupton.

‘The deepest and smartest of writers. Her words are always with us. Some of them are written on my soul.’

Neil Gaiman

In the third spellbinding adventure of the Earthsea Cycle, Ursula K. Le Guin’s beloved mage must save a world that is losing its magic and falling to ruin. Produced in series with A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore features seven illustrations by artist David Lupton and an illustrated binding packed with drama, as well as endpapers printed with a newly drawn map. Once again Lupton worked with the author’s family to ensure that Le Guin’s unique creations were accurately depicted in each lush image, and the result is a spectacular collector's edition awash with the atmosphere of Earthsea. Le Guin was the Archmage of fantasy literature, and these timeless stories continue to weave their spells over readers old and new.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Bound in printed and blocked cloth

Set in Garamond with Dulcinea Serif as display

240 pages

7 full-page colour illustrations, one of which is a double-page spread

Printed map endpapers

Plain slipcase

9˝ x 5¾˝

THE WORLD IS LOSING ITS MAGIC

A terrible Unmaking has come to the lands and waters of Earthsea. The mages cannot remember their own spells, and the people are losing their way. The Words are being forgotten, and even the dragons, the oldest and wisest of all creatures, are losing their speech and falling to savagery. For Arren, a young prince of Enland, it is the honour of his life to accompany the Archmage Ged on a journey to uncover the heart of this mysterious affliction. But the road to the truth is a dangerous one and the two heroes face death itself, as well as a rebel wizard who has broken all natural laws to step beyond it. To heal Earthsea and restore balance to the world, they must travel beyond the Reach to the farthest shore, and there may be no coming back …

ONLY IN SILENCE THE WORD

‘Le Guin's words are magical. Drink this magic up. Drown in it. Dream it.’

David Mitchell

The Farthest Shore is, like the previous novels in the cycle, a coming-of-age story, but being Ursula K. Le Guin, this is so much more than that. Prince Arren must face a terrifying journey across a world thrown into chaos, whilst also coming to terms with life, death and his own uncertain destiny. Le Guin used fantasy to address social, ethical and metaphysical questions and The Farthest Shore asks some of the most challenging: what do we live for and can we ever – should we ever – outrun sorrow? Le Guin’s writing sings with meaning, and Lupton’s hauntingly beautiful illustrations carry those notes, depicting a complex fantasy world in emotive, storm-washed colours.

ABOUT URSULA K. LE GUIN

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) was born in Berkeley and lived in Portland, Oregon. She published 21 novels, 11 volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, 12 books for children, six volumes of poetry and four translated works, and received many honours and awards, including the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, a National Book Award and the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. A Wizard of Earthsea (1968; Folio Society 2015, 2022) is her best-known work; it is the first book of Earthsea, which includes The Tombs of Atuan (1971; Folio Society 2022), The Farthest Shore (1972; Folio Society 2022), Tehanu (1990), Tales from Earthsea (2001) and The Other Wind (2001). Her Hugo Award-winning novels, The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) and The Dispossessed (1974) are also available as Folio editions (2018). Her most recent publications were Finding My Elegy: New and Selected Poems, 1960–2010 (2012) and The Unreal and the Real: Selected Short Stories (2012). 

ABOUT DAVID LUPTON

David Lupton is a London-based illustrator. He studied Illustration at the University of Portsmouth before completing an MA in Sequential Illustration at the University of Brighton. His work is hand-drawn and painted with only the slightest digital enhancement. He has created work for many commercial briefs, including editorial illustration, children’s picture books, music video design and animation, and record cover artwork. Lupton has illustrated a number of books for Folio, including The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (2015). He worked closely with Ursula K. Le Guin to illustrate the Folio edition A Wizard of Earthsea (2015), and continued to realise the author’s vision after Le Guin passed away, illustrating The Left Hand of Darkness (2018), The Dispossessed (2019), The Tombs of Atuan (2022) and The Farthest Shore (2022).