A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) Signed First Edition Reference

A Wizard of Earthsea was published by Parnassus Press in 1968, with illustrations by Ruth Robbins. The story of Ged — a young wizard who must confront the shadow he has unleashed — is one of the supreme achievements of fantasy literature, standing alongside Tolkien and Lewis while being fundamentally different from both. Le Guin’s Earthsea is a world of islands and sea, of magic grounded in language and true names, and of a protagonist who is brown-skinned in a genre that had been overwhelmingly white.

The Book

A Wizard of Earthsea operates as a coming-of-age story, a psychological allegory (the shadow is the dark side of Ged’s own nature), and a revolutionary act of fantasy fiction. By centering a non-white protagonist and drawing on Taoist rather than Christian symbolism, Le Guin expanded the genre’s possibilities in ways that are still being explored decades later. The prose is spare, precise, and rhythmic — every sentence exactly right.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Parnassus Press, Berkeley, California Publication date: 1968 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket, with Ruth Robbins illustrations

The Parnassus Press first edition is the true first — a small-press publication with a correspondingly small print run. The dust jacket features Ruth Robbins’ distinctive artwork. The Ace paperback followed, and subsequent hardcover editions from various publishers are not first editions.

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed Parnassus Press first edition, fine/fine: $5,000–$15,000+
• Inscribed Parnassus Press first edition: $8,000–$25,000+
• Unsigned Parnassus Press first edition, fine/fine: $1,000–$3,000

The Le Guin trophy. The Parnassus Press first edition is one of the great fantasy first editions — scarce, beautiful, and historically important. Signed copies are rare, as Le Guin was not a prominent signer in 1968.