Ursula Le Guin: Short Stories Lesson Plan

“The Word of Unbinding” and “The Rule of Names” are both fantasy stories. What elements of the fantasy genre do you notice in these stories?

For this question, students should understand that science fiction and fantasy are two different, though connected, genres. While many of the other stories students will read will be hard science-fiction, these stories are more magical and set in traditional fantasy settings (students may feel reminded of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings). Both stories center the stories of wizards. In “The Word of Unbinding,” the main character enters the world of death in order to defeat the antagonist. Mr. Underhill in “The Rule of Names” turns...