Continuing our theme on the women who write and influence fantasy fiction, this week we will be looking at authors Ursula K. LeGuin and C.J. Cherryh (pronounced “cherry,” the h is silent). Ursula Kroeber LeGuin (1929 – ), the daughter of noted Anthropologist Alfred Kroeber and the writer Theodora Krober, is the author of seven books of poetry, twenty-two novels, over one hundred short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children and four volumes of translation. She is best known for the six books in the Books of Earthsea series among fantasy fans, though she also received critical acclaim for her major work in science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness. C.J. Cherryh, another prominent science fiction/fantasy author, has written over sixty books as well as short story compilations. In fantasy fiction, she is best known for her Fortress series (Fortress in the Eye of Time, Fortress of Eagles, Fortress of Owls, Fortress of Dragons, Fortress of Ice), but is also the author of the Ealdwood Stories, The Russian Stories and Heroes in Hell as well as numerous short fiction pieces.