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A review by billd
Changing Planes: Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Ursula K. Le Guin is one of my favorite authors. She writes poetry, fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, etc. She writes with imagination and intelligence. Le Guin lived from 1929 - 2018 and over the course of her life, she had published more than 20 novels and over 100 short stories, plus sundry other works. Her Hainish and Earthsea series are two of my favorite Sci - Fi / Fantasy series.
Changing Planes: Stories was originally published in 2002. It makes me think of Gulliver's Travels (in fact the book is mentioned in one of the short stories). It also makes me think of the non-fiction work of Bill Bryson where each book covers a variety of themes.
I have a feeling that Changing Planes was written after Ursula had a bad experience waiting for a flight at an airport. The basic theme of the short stories are that at airports around the world (I assume every airport) you can go to the Interplanary Bureau and while you're waiting for your flight, visit worlds in different planes. In each chapter, Ursula or a friend visits a different world and we get experience the world and her thoughts on it.
You can see situations in our world that she is describing. I found one made me think of the wars between the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. Thoughts on religion, immortality, etc. There was a fascinating story about the language on one world, The Nno Mmoy Language. The thoughts on it and the explanations were so wonderfully and thoughtfully presented. There was humor, The Royals of Hegn, a surrealistic ending with the Confusions of Uni.
It was just a neat journey with lovely drawings (In this version anyway) in each chapter. Le Guin knows how to craft a story, to draw you in and hold your interest. I can't say there was a lot of action in this collection but the stories just presented neat ideas, neat worlds, neat people and was a pleasure to read. Thank you, Ursula K. Le Guin (3.5 stars)
Changing Planes: Stories was originally published in 2002. It makes me think of Gulliver's Travels (in fact the book is mentioned in one of the short stories). It also makes me think of the non-fiction work of Bill Bryson where each book covers a variety of themes.
I have a feeling that Changing Planes was written after Ursula had a bad experience waiting for a flight at an airport. The basic theme of the short stories are that at airports around the world (I assume every airport) you can go to the Interplanary Bureau and while you're waiting for your flight, visit worlds in different planes. In each chapter, Ursula or a friend visits a different world and we get experience the world and her thoughts on it.
You can see situations in our world that she is describing. I found one made me think of the wars between the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. Thoughts on religion, immortality, etc. There was a fascinating story about the language on one world, The Nno Mmoy Language. The thoughts on it and the explanations were so wonderfully and thoughtfully presented. There was humor, The Royals of Hegn, a surrealistic ending with the Confusions of Uni.
It was just a neat journey with lovely drawings (In this version anyway) in each chapter. Le Guin knows how to craft a story, to draw you in and hold your interest. I can't say there was a lot of action in this collection but the stories just presented neat ideas, neat worlds, neat people and was a pleasure to read. Thank you, Ursula K. Le Guin (3.5 stars)