H.P. Lovecraft—his name alone conjures images of eldritch horrors, ancient gods, and mind-shattering encounters with the unknown. But while his stories of cosmic terror have cemented him as one of the most influential writers in horror and science fiction, there’s a shadow that looms over his legacy—one that goes beyond his chilling fiction and into the very heart of who he was as a man. Let’s not shy away from it: Lovecraft was a deeply controversial figure, a creator who crafted nightmares not only of monsters and dark gods but also of xenophobia, fear of the “Other,” and overt racism.

Ursula K. Le Guin was one of those rare writers who truly changed the game for science fiction and fantasy. Born in 1929 in Berkeley, California, she grew up surrounded by stories of different cultures and ways of thinking. Her father was an anthropologist, and her mother wrote about Native American life, so you can imagine how rich her dinner table conversations must have been. It’s no surprise that these influences crept into her writing, making her one of the most thought-provoking and genre-defying authors of her time.