“The best I can say, it's like this. A man's in his skin, see, like a nut in its shell ... It's hard and strong, that shell, and it's all full of him. Full of grand man-meat, man-self. And that's all. That's all there is.A woman's a different thing entirely. Who knows where a woman begins and ends? Listen mistress, I have roots, I have roots deeper than this island. Deeper than the sea, older than the raising of the lands. I go back into the dark ... I go back into the dark! Before the moon I am, what a woman is, a woman of power, a woman's power, deeper than the roots of trees, deeper than the roots of islands, older than the Making, older than the moon. Who dares ask questions of the dark? Who'll ask the dark its name?”

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About Ursula K. Le Guin

American science fiction and fantasy writer of the mid-to-late 20th century, Ursula K. Le Guin is best known for her groundbreaking novels like *The Left Hand of Darkness* and *The Dispossessed*, which explore complex political and philosophical themes through speculative fiction. Her work blends deep world-building with sharp social commentary, often questioning power structures and human nature.

More from Ursula K. Le Guin (290 quotes) →
"The best I can say, it's like this. A man's in his skin, see, like a…" — Ursula K. Le Guin | Daily Quotes