Ursula K. Le Guin: Changing Planes

Changing Planes is a collection of stories. They are united by a silly backstory: while waiting in an airport while changing planes, a woman named Sita Dulip has invented a method of changing planes - that is, traveling between realities. Thus we get fifteen travel stories that describe strange, new worlds.

The idea is funny, but once you dig in to the stories, you'll find more proof of Le Guin's skills as an author. The worlds are fantastic. Some are relatively simple satires, others more subtle explorations of various themes, real social anthropology of the invented. The book is at the same time light and entertaining, yet deep and thoughtful.

There are many really excellent stories in the collection, but I think the one I enjoyed most was Seasons of Ansarac, which tells a story of a curious society of remarkably bird-like people. It's very Le Guin, indeed. Oh, and I must mention The Building, which is another real highlight, a wonderful and fascinating little story of a rather cryptic world. Le Guin's literary talent is something to envy. [ Changing Planes at Amazon.co.uk ] [ Changing Planes at LibraryThing ]