The essays discuss various aspects of the science fiction and fantasy genres, as well as Le Guin's own writing process.

Well known as a fantasy and science fiction author by 1979, Le Guin's criticism was relatively difficult to find prior to the publication of this collection.

However, some critics noted that the selections in The Language of the Night vary in significance, with "both substantial and slender contributions to science-fiction journals and symposiums.

"[2] In the September–October 1989 edition of Games International (Issue #9), Paul Mason called this "a classic book that should be on every fantasy gamer's shelves.

"[3] Patrick Curry, in the 2014 A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien, wrote that Le Guin's reflections in the essays "remain[ed] evergreen", handling contentious issues such as whether fantasy is escapist, the subtlety of the character portraits in The Lord of the Rings, and that work's handling of the nature of evil.