Kevin's Watch

Once Man and Dragon were one.
Man chose Land and Sea,
Dragon chose Wind and Fire.

www.ghibli.jp/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_Earthsea_%28anime%29

Studio Ghibli, the anime masters who brought us Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, are turning their attention to the Earthsea Cycle. Looks like I picked a good time to start reading the books!

Goro Miyazaki is directing, which kinda disappointed me (I was hoping for Hiyao, of course). But gotta pass the torch, I spose. Hopefully, Hiyao will do at least one more project before retiring again. He's just too good!

Someone mentioned this at the Hangar. And while I'm terrified, I'm comforted by the thought that it can't conceivably be worse than the sci-fi piece of @#$%.


And I'm glad you're reading the books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell me about the Earthsea Cycle. I don't recall ever hearing about it.

Here's a thread for the author:
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8642

Earthsea is a fantasy archipelago. The first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, introduces us to the cycle's main character: Ged. He's a little boy who demonstrates tremendous magical ability, and goes to Roke, the school for wizardry. (All resemblances to Harry Potter end there. And this was written in 1968.)

Earthsea is primarily inhabited by people of various races, and dragons. Just my opinion, but these dragons are so much cooler than any other dragons! The magic of Earthsea is based on knowing the true names of things, from the true speech. Knowing something's true name gives you power over that thing. Wizards spend their lives trying to learn the true names of things. But the True Speech is the dragons' native tongue.

Earthsea is also a fantasy lesson in taoism. I read Earthsea many years ago, and loved it! Years later, I read the Tao Te Ching, and immediately recognized its role in the creation of Earthsea. Come to find out Le Guin grew up reading the TTC, because her father loved it, and has even written a translation, of sorts, of it herself. ("Of sorts," because she says she doesn't know any Chinese, but based her version on her understanding of the many translations she's read.) As I always say, Earthsea is filled with the calm, deep wisdom of taoism.

Thanks Fisty! I'll have to look for it!