Úrsula K Le Guin is a writer with an abundance of imagination, and this is evident in these stories. Each one exudes a unique and particular atmosphere. However, the problem I have noticed in this book is that it is merely a collection of curious stories, anecdotal in nature, lacking in greater depth than simply leaving the reader with a half-smile due to the curiosities they present. It is ideal for relaxing the mind if you come from a dense book, but not very suitable if what you are seeking is a story that will fill you.

Le Guin's creativity shines through in the diverse settings and characters she creates. The stories transport the reader to different worlds and situations, captivating their attention. Yet, upon closer inspection, some may find that the narratives do not explore deeper themes or emotions. This does not mean that the book is without value. It can still provide entertainment and a brief escape from reality.

Overall, while this collection of stories may not offer the profound impact that some readers desire, it does have its charm. It is a light read that can be enjoyed for its curious and imaginative nature. Whether or not it is the right book for you depends on your personal preferences and what you are looking for in a literary work.

As a younger reader, I had thoroughly enjoyed a plethora of her earlier works.

After hearing of her passing, I felt compelled to explore something more contemporary by this remarkable author.

I delved into "Changing Planes" and was truly delighted. I am deeply grateful to have rekindled my familiarity with her literary genius.

Each chapter within this book presents a captivating story of life and love on diverse extraterrestrial planes.

Moreover, each narrative serves as a mirror, reflecting back on our own culture and providing profound insights.

This work is the epitome of Ursula Le Guin's talent, showcasing her unique ability to transport readers to otherworldly realms while simultaneously making them reflect on the human experience.

It is a testament to her enduring legacy and the impact she has had on the world of literature.

I am so glad I took the opportunity to read this book and rediscover the magic of Ursula Le Guin's writing.

In recent times, the author who passed away had long reached the pinnacle of his profession.

In this book, I felt that the author said, "I'm not afraid of the exhaustion of my imagination or the end of my ideas."

Our character, who travels between different dimensions, takes us to completely different worlds. We witness the astonishingly changing and continuously changing social deformations brought about by technology.

What impressed me the most was that people could produce things other than humans (such as fish, corn, trees) by playing with their genes. Yes, I'm talking about what children do.

It was a good book decorated with interesting details and finally made you ask the question "How?"

I thought that reading Ursula after "The Sea" might be boring, but on the contrary, it was quite entertaining.

Changing Planes commences with a captivating tale of how Sita Dulip uncovered a means of transporting herself to another plane of reality while patiently waiting for her delayed flight at the airport. This is then followed by a succession of short stories that detail one person's voyages and experiences in these alternate planes.

Among these, my favorites were:

Seasons of the Ansarac: It is about a semi-nomadic race inhabiting a world where there are four seasons, yet each season endures for a remarkable six years. Their way of life remains firmly set by the seasons. Every twelve years, the entire race migrates between two continents, and every 'year' (which is actually 24 years) witnesses a mating season.

Porridge on Islac: This is a world where the populace freely experiments with genetic modification, resulting in almost none of the human population being entirely human anymore. Some people are, in fact, part vegetable,赋予了“you are what you eat”全新的含义.

Although I did have a penchant for most of the stories, I couldn't list them all. Suffice it to say that they were all highly innovative and thought-provoking concepts. However, I could discern that each 'plane' had certain flaws in its world-building. One could see that if LeGuin had endeavored to embellish any further on them, they would encounter significant problems of physics or metaphysics, or some plot hole that would require overly crafty explaining. This makes me think that this book was LeGuin's repository for ideas that were never going to materialize as full-fledged novels. It's a rather nifty idea really, and kudos to her for not allowing an interesting idea to go to waste!

Several of the stories, I felt, were attempting to impose a certain moral on the reader, which at times made me feel a bit uncomfortable. It's somewhat difficult to explain, but there was a great deal related to governments or authorities and oppression, or people attempting to meddle with another people's way of life. It had a very Star Trek: The Next Gen feel to it, if anyone understands what I mean by that! :)

But of course, I did like the book, and I would most definitely recommend it.

This book is the third one that I have read and liked, which proves that Ursula K. Le Guin has become a haven for me, just like Stephen King and Bukowski.

In this book, she creates worlds... It warmly attracts the readers and leaves them to their own devices, allowing them to travel to other worlds. It is a small book that gives you the opportunity to enjoy more when its short stories are left in your mind for a long time. But from the perspective of holding up a mirror to our world, it is also a great book.

It is a successful Le Guin book on dreams, which revisits the dystopias written by old writers with their concerns about the future of the world, the utopias imagined in dreams, and the pleasant themes of the present.

This is a remarkable collection of sketches that delve into alternate universe worlds.

LeGuin employs these diverse settings to offer captivating insights into the nature of beings, not just humans.

Each of these worlds is connected to our own, yet the people and their lifestyles vary in ways that provide fascinating commentary on our reality.

Imagine a world devoid of language or one where we share our dreams with our neighbors every night.

Each story within the collection features a distinct character, and while some are more lighthearted and whimsical, others carry a deeper, more poignant message.

Overall, the collection works cohesively to offer a thought-provoking read that isn't overly burdensome.

It encourages readers to reflect on the possibilities and peculiarities of different existences, expanding our perspectives and sparking our imaginations.

Whether you're a fan of science fiction or simply enjoy exploring new ideas, this collection is sure to engage and delight.

Overall, I truly relished this book. It has been constantly lingering in my mind, and these are my initial, disorganized thoughts. To be honest, I might completely change my stance on some of these points later, so please bear with me if I seem way off base.

I adored the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist themes. The stories of Porridge on Islac and Great Joy were outstanding. Moreover, the former gave me a bit of a gay vibe. However, there were moments when her portrayal of extraplanar cultures seemed strangely colonialist. She drew from assumptions about "primitive" and "advanced" cultures, which she both criticized and reaffirmed in different instances. This might be more related to the narrator's attitudes, but I'm still not sure.

Also, I kind of wish she had taken a more critical look at gender. Although this book was written some time ago, so it didn't bother me too much. I appreciate that she depicted cultures and planes with different gender systems, but there was some strange recurring essentialism, probably influenced by the narrator. And the instances of rape and such were rather concerning. In particular, when describing the incestuous rape in The Royals of Hegn, the narrator's comment that the girl was milking the tragedy for her own gain didn't seem to be questioned.

That being said, her experimentation with language was truly remarkable. The Silence of the Asonu had a profound impact on me. Also, the way she dealt with death, as in Seasons of the Ansarac and Feeling at Home with the Hennebet, interweaving language, death, and everything, was just amazing. I can't really express it coherently.

I thought the structure was really innovative and interesting. However, to be completely honest, I found myself longing for a more cohesive storyline. I know it's a bit reactionary of me, but I missed the forward momentum and the possibility of overarching growth and change that comes with a more unified narrative. The descriptions sometimes became overwhelming and slowed me down, but that's probably because I have a short attention span. Nevertheless, I knew what I was getting into, and I think the format suits her content well.

Oh, and the concept itself is just brilliant! I don't have much more to say about it except that I loved it and wish I had thought of it myself. All in all, this book is really thought-provoking and I would definitely recommend it!

Le Guin may not be at the absolute pinnacle of her form with this work, but even second-rank Le Guin is far superior to the best efforts of many other authors. And unfortunately, there won't be any more like it in the future.

The cover art on the newest edition is truly captivating. The one I read was also very good. The concept of changing planes of existence while being stuck on a layover at the airport is quite ingenious. It is highly recommended for her fans. However, I don't recall the exact reason why I gave it only 3 stars. Perhaps it was due to some minor flaws that I can't quite put my finger on now. But overall, it is still a worthwhile read that showcases Le Guin's unique storytelling abilities.

This is an extremely interesting book.

It is more like a compilation of short stories that share a common theme. What makes it truly unique is that it masquerades as a travel book while actually belonging to the fantasy/sci-fi genre.

This aspect alone makes it fascinating, and Le Guin's writing further enhances its allure. Her political and social commentary is evident throughout, especially in "Porridge on Islac", yet it is also deeply touching.

Take, for example, the passage where the narrator says, "My daughter lives in the North Sea. On raw fish. She's very beautiful. Dark and silky and beautiful. But -- I had to take her to the sea-coast when she was two years old. I had to put her in that cold water, those big waves. I had to let her swim away, let her go be what she is. But she is human too! She is, she is human too!"

These words evoke a powerful mix of emotions, making the reader empathize with the narrator's struggle and the complex nature of the situation.

Overall, this book is a captivating read that combines elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and social commentary in a truly engaging way.

For the first few chapters, "Changing Planes" gives the impression of being a book that is uncharacteristic of Le Guin. I have delved into her entire Earthsea cycle and several of her science fiction works. Never before have I witnessed her being so blatantly humorous and even contemporary. This perception is shaken a few more chapters in, as her writing reverts to its customary style of nature and cultural examination. It is the kind of prose that weaves together everything in the world, highlighting simple, albeit sometimes unpleasant, truths.

Not every chapter is equally rewarding, but most of them offer something of value in some way. Le Guin maintains the interest of the premise by presenting each chapter as a distinct story, all revolving around a single idea: what if one could transport oneself to a different plane of reality while被困 at an airport? Evidently, the concept stems from the desire to escape the often miserable and boring experience of flying. And much of the author's aforementioned humor can be found in her exploration of this.

Despite some minor issues and stylistic inconsistencies, I highly recommend "Changing Planes" to anyone who is a fan of Le Guin or enjoys short stories about fantastical or futuristic societies. It is not overly long and is highly enjoyable. It doesn't attempt to be more than it is. Plain and simple, the book is about going places. It doesn't claim to be anything more than that, a quality that initially endeared me to much of Le Guin's writing.

Airports are truly dreadful places. There are the tedious waits, the chaotic and noisy rush, the germ-infested and stale air, the unattractive and utilitarian décor, and the unappetizing food.

However, all of this changed for Sita Dulip. While waiting for her delayed flight from Chicago to Denver and observing that "the airport offers nothing to any human being except access to the interval between planes," she developed a remarkable technique. She discovered that in the airport, the traveler is already in a state of discomfort, displacement, and between planes, making it possible to easily slip into other planes of existence while waiting for a flight.

Sita Dulip's technique has now been made public, and travelers around the world are using it to relieve airport boredom. "Changing Planes" is a collection of fifteen of their stories. Some of the stories are mainly anthropological or linguistic explorations of imaginary cultures. But for readers familiar with Ursula Le Guin, it comes as no surprise that many of the stories offer satirical commentary on human behavior, particularly American culture. Even the short introduction manages to take a jab at conservative politicians, bestselling authors, and, of course, the corporations that operate airlines.

Le Guin's method of using multiple different worlds to highlight the problems (or potential future problems) in our own, along with the social satire, gives "Changing Planes" a feel somewhat similar to Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," which I thoroughly enjoyed many years ago. Almost all of the stories in "Changing Planes" are deeply poignant, and some will stay with me for a long time. My personal favorites include:

* "Porridge on Islac" - In an attempt to genetically engineer superior species of humans, animals, and plants, the Islacs have ended up with a very strange society. The cover art for the first edition is derived from this story.

* "The Silence of the Asonu" - Adults on Asonu don't speak much, leading people from other planes to believe they are hiding a sacred secret. Everyone is desperate to find out what it is.

* "Feeling at Home with the Hennebet" - The people of Hennebet have strange yet charming ideas about self-identity and time perception.

* "Social Dreaming of the Frin" - In Frin, dreams are not private. Every night, the Frins dream communally.

* "The Royals of Hegn" - In Hegn, everyone is descended from royalty, except for one family. This humorous social satire pokes fun at our obsession with celebrities.

* "Woeful Tales from Mahigul" - The four very short tales in this mini-collection were read by a traveler sitting in the beautiful outdoor library of Mahigul. I wish I could visit there!

* "Wake Island" - Genetic engineering is once again the theme. This terrifying story is about a group of youngsters who were engineered to require no sleep. Scientists hoped they would be geniuses, but things didn't quite turn out that way.

* "The Island of the Immortals" - On this plane, diamonds are worthless and immortality is a disease.

Each of these stories is, of course, written in Le Guin's straightforward, unpretentious, intelligent, and lovely style. The audiobook version is narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir, whose appealing voice is a perfect match for this style. Whenever I review an audiobook, I also like to obtain a print copy from the library to ensure I'm not missing anything. Sure enough, if I hadn't looked at the print version, I would have missed the delightful black and white illustrations by Eric Beddows. I especially loved the picture of the communal dream in "Social Dreaming of the Frin."

"Changing Planes" won the 2004 Locus Award for best story collection. Many of the stories had been previously published over several years before being combined to form this themed collection, but they work beautifully together. All of them offer short escapes into fascinating new planes of existence. "Changing Planes" would be the ideal book to read the next time you're waiting for a flight!

Ever the ethnologist, Ms. Le Guin presents us with a remarkable and diverse array of people and cultures. Her work not only showcases the rich tapestry of human existence but also offers some veiled commentary on our own world, humanity, and the moments when it seems to be lacking. The story is documented in the first person, perhaps by a tourist or a travel writer. It begins when a bored traveler realizes that the often miserable conditions of airports can serve as the perfect lever to escape into other planes of existence. This discovery leads the narrator on a journey that is both fascinating and thought-provoking, as they encounter different cultures and ways of life. Through their experiences, we are able to gain a deeper understanding of the human condition and the many possibilities that exist beyond our own familiar world.