Ursula Kroeber Le Guin ( /ˈɜrsələ ˈkroʊbər ləˈɡwɪn/; born October 21, 1929) is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction. First published in the 1960s, her works explore Taoist, anarchist, ethnographic, feminist, psychological and sociological themes..