Toward the end of her life, groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy author Ursula Le Guin selected the best of her short fiction for this two-volume collection, which includes numerous award winners and stories connected with her most popular series, the books of Earthsea and the Hainish cycle.

The second volume showcases twenty stories of other worlds, including modern classics like the Hugo Award winner "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"; the Nebula Award nominee "Nine Lives"; the James Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award winner "The Matter of Seggri"; the Nebula winner "Solitude"; and the secret history "Sur," nominated for a Hugo and included in The Best American Short Stories.