The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"
Short story by Ursula K. Le Guin
First book edition
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publication
Published inNew Dimensions 3
Publication typeAnthology
Media typePrint
Publication date1973

"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (/ˈməˌlɑːs/) is a 1973 short work of philosophical fiction by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin. With deliberately both vague and vivid descriptions, the narrator depicts a summer festival in the utopian city of Omelas, whose prosperity depends on the perpetual misery of a single child. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Short Fiction in 1974 and won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1974.