A collection of stories/vignettes is connected by an amusing premise. When a traveller is stuck with a layover at an airport and experiences the unique state of boredom, they can quite literally "change planes" and visit other realms of existence.

One gets the feeling that LeGuin doesn't like modern travel much. Indeed, on her website, it says that the author is currently taking a sabbatical from any kind of book tours or speaking engagements.

Each section describes, from the visitor's perspective, a different "plane" and the people who live there. The segments are a bit too brief and lacking in full development for me to consider them full "stories". However, the writing is wonderful, and the book is just full of brilliantly insightful and amusing ideas. LeGuin apparently has many more flashes of creativity on a routine business trip than most authors do in a career. These are the ideas she hasn't fleshed out into full novels, but the book is still a rewarding experience. It is both funny and contains many serious-yet-wry observations about our own world as well as potential alien ways of life.

The concept of being able to visit other realms during an airport layover is truly imaginative. It allows readers to explore different cultures and ways of life through the eyes of the traveller. Although the stories may be short, they are packed with interesting ideas and vivid descriptions. LeGuin's writing style is engaging and makes the book a pleasure to read. Overall, this collection of stories offers a unique and entertaining reading experience.

In their world, you know, there are no animals but themselves.

Except for the little, harmless bees and flies that pollinate plants or break down dead matter.

All the plants are edible. The grass is a nourishing grain.

Five kinds of trees, all bearing fruit or nuts. One kind of evergreen, used for wood and also having edible nuts.

One ubiquitous shrub, a cotton bush which produces fiber to spin, edible roots, and leaves for tea.

Apart from the necessary bacteria, there aren't more than twenty or thirty species of animal or plant in the world.

All of them, including the bacteria, are "useful" and "harmless" to human beings.

Life there is a product of engineering. It was designed. Utopia indeed. Everything human beings need and nothing they don't need. Panthers, condors, manatees—who needs them?

Roman's Planary Guide says the Nna Mmoy are "degenerate remnants of a great ancient culture." But Roman has things backward.

What is degenerate on their plane is the web of life. The "great ancient culture" took a vast, rich, incalculably complex tapestry, like the life that clothes our world, and reduced it to a miserable scrap.

I am certain this terrible poverty dates from the age of the ruins. Their ancestors, with all the resources of science and all the best intentions, robbed them blind.

Our world is full of diseases, enemies, waste, and danger, those ancestors said. Hostile microbes and viruses infect us, noxious weeds grow thick about us while we starve, useless animals that carry plagues and poisons and compete with us for air and food and water.

This world is too hard for human beings to live in, too hard for our children, they said, but we know how to make it easy.

So they did. They eliminated everything that was not useful. They took a great complex pattern and simplified it to perfection. A nursery room safe for the children. A theme park where people have nothing to do but enjoy themselves.

But the Nna Mmoy outwitted their ancestors, at least in part. They've made the pattern back into something endlessly complicated, infinitely rich, and without any rational use. They do it with words.

They don't have any representative arts. They decorate their pottery and whatever else they make only with their beautiful writing.

The only way they imitate the world is by putting words together: that is, by letting words interrelate in a fertile, ever-changing complexity to form shapes and patterns that have never existed before, beautiful forms that exist briefly and create and give way to other forms.

Their language is their own exuberant, endlessly proliferating ecology. All the jungle they have, all the wilderness, is their poetry.

The Basics:
I've had a profound love for LeGuin's writing ever since my father first introduced me to the Wizard of Earthsea trilogy during my childhood. In fact, I was so enamored that I named one of my dogs after the main character of that trilogy. However, as my father was quick to point out, the dog had no wizardly abilities. I have yet to encounter a story of hers that I truly disliked. While some are undoubtedly better than others, I have a deep affection for all of them.

Changing Planes is a compilation of sixteen short stories centered around a unique concept. In a world closely resembling our own, it is possible to travel to other dimensions, but only if one becomes sufficiently frustrated, bored, and irritated while stuck in an airport for an extended period, to the point of willing oneself into another dimension. It's a clever little idea that mainly serves as a pretext for LeGuin to transport her narrator to a variety of different planes, allowing her to explore diverse ideas. As is her custom, most of the stories involve her delving into concepts of alternative social structures or ordinary people finding themselves in strange situations. Essentially, it's social-science fiction.

The Good:
I have a great admiration for Leguin's writing style. It is simple yet highly evocative. She has the remarkable ability to paint vivid pictures with words, and the narrative just flows effortlessly. There are very few writers who can captivate me to such an extent that I almost miss a T stop. LeGuin is undoubtedly one of them. The stories themselves are all rather interesting. I particularly relished "Porridge on Islac", not so much for the aspects related to genetic engineering but rather for the atmosphere it营造. "Woeful Tales from Mahigul" engages in some intriguing story-within-a-story techniques. "The Building" narrates a strange and somewhat haunting tale about a race of people who continuously construct an enormous building for no apparent reason. And "The Fliers of Gy" postulates a society where some individuals acquire wings, often with fatal consequences. Truly, all the stories are excellent, and I can't think of any that I didn't enjoy.

The Bad:
There isn't much to complain about, although some readers might be put off by the political/moral messages present in some of the stories. For instance, "Porridge on Islac" is quite clearly a parable about the perils of meddling with genetics. I have such a deep appreciation for LeGuin that I tend to enjoy her stories regardless of whether or not I concur with her political views (and I don't always). However, those who are more firmly committed to their own political stances might not find as much enjoyment in it.

The Ugly:
"The Immortals" is rather gruesome in a subtle way.

Overall, I had a considerable liking for this collection. It may not be my all-time favorite LeGuin collection (I believe that honor goes to Birthday of the World), but it is definitely worth reading.

I firmly stand by my disappointment regarding the lack of an overarching plot in this work.

Nonetheless, my favorite aspects were indeed those moments when the narrator engaged in actual interactions with the people and the diverse planes.

Moreover, I truly relished the more descriptive and historical segments.

Some of my favorites included "Feeling at Home with the Hennebet", "Seasons of the Ansarac", "The Nna Mmoy Language", and "The Island of the Immortals".

I also had an absolute adoration for the library setting presented in "Woeful Tales from Mahigul".

The detailed descriptions and the unique atmospheres created in these particular sections truly captured my imagination and made the reading experience all the more enjoyable.

Despite the absence of a unified plot, these individual elements managed to shine through and provide moments of great interest and entertainment.

This collection of short stories is unified by a single captivating idea: that when we find ourselves waiting in an airport, we have the possibility of slipping away to another dimension or 'plane'.

If you haven't yet heard of this phenomenon, I highly recommend Ursula Le Guin's travel memoir. Although it may be a bit outdated now, it serves as an excellent introduction to some of the planes that exist. Her selection of stories can sometimes seem pointed. For instance, in her discussions of the Holiday Plane, there is an inherent criticism of all things commercialized. However, the locals she converses with and the stories she uncovers are fascinating nevertheless.

I don't think I would desire to visit all of these planes, but the Library of Mahigul sounds truly enticing, and I would love to bring a DNA sequencer to Islac and attempt to figure out how they managed to get their genomes into such a chaotic state.

Of course, there are numerous other planes that Le Guin did not cover, and undoubtedly there are fascinating stories that she could have told but either didn't have the time or didn't want to. I'm certain there is a fair amount of utter tragedy and horror out there, but also beauty, and Le Guin discovers that even in some of the sadder places.

This is a recommended read, especially if you're going to be flying soon.

Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.

The premise connecting the stories is rather arbitrary, yet the stories themselves are truly interesting. They serve as nothing more than examinations of hypothetical societies, which makes them all the more captivating.

I have a particular fondness for “The Island of the Immortals”. The concept of a place where people can achieve immortality is both fascinating and thought-provoking. It makes one wonder about the consequences of such a thing.

Another story that caught my attention is “The Nna Mmoy Language”. The idea of a unique language with its own set of rules and characteristics is quite intriguing. It shows how language can be a powerful tool for creating a distinct culture and identity.

In addition to these two, there are quite a few other stories that I also enjoyed. Each one offers a different perspective on a hypothetical society, and together they form a rich and diverse collection.

Overall, these stories are a great source of entertainment and inspiration. They encourage us to think outside the box and imagine what could be possible in different worlds and situations.

My favorite way to read short stories is through interconnected vignettes that zero in on diverse explorations of the same concept. This style truly allows for a rich and multi-faceted reading experience. Ursula K. Le Guin, in particular, really shines when she delves deeply into the anthropological aspect of the planes in her works.

However, I also thoroughly enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek satire of The Holiday Plane™. It served as a wonderful reminder that I should pick up some of Frederik Pohl's works again at some point.

Interestingly, it was also very nice to start and partially complete reading these short stories while being on planes myself. There's something about the in-flight environment that seems to enhance the reading experience.

Though, next time, I hope I can actually read them at an airport, as was perhaps intended. It would add an extra layer of authenticity and connection to the stories.

I look forward to many more such reading adventures with interconnected vignettes, whether on a plane or at an airport.

This was truly, truly interesting! I have an intense need to read more of Le Guin's works now :~) I am simply in love with the wonderful combo of fantasy, philosophy, and anthropology.

There are so many aspects that I find fascinating. For instance, the concept of porridge on Islac sounds both unique and comforting. The seasons of the Ansarac must bring a whole new dimension to the story, with their own characteristics and implications. And the royals of Hegn, they surely add an element of mystery and power to the narrative.

Among all these, the great joy that Le Guin's writing brings is perhaps the most precious. It makes me eager to explore more of her fictional worlds and delve deeper into the profound ideas she presents. I can't wait to see what other treasures await me in her books.

Every year, I have the pleasure of reading "Changing Planes" with my Sci Fi and Fantasy class. It's always an exciting experience as we discover new things and explore new stories. What I really love about this book is that it functions as a short story collection centered around one solid idea. This makes it a great choice for our class as we can all read different parts and quickly get into and out of the stories.

The variety of stories within "Changing Planes" allows us to explore different themes and concepts within the realm of science fiction and fantasy. Some of the stories are thought-provoking, while others are simply entertaining. It's a great way to introduce students to different styles of writing and to get them thinking about the possibilities of the genre.

Overall, the yearly reading of "Changing Planes" is a highlight of my teaching experience. It allows me to engage with my students in a fun and meaningful way, while also exposing them to the wonderful world of science fiction and fantasy. I look forward to many more years of reading and discussing this amazing book with my classes.

This is definitely one of my favorite audiobooks.

The narrator has just such a conversational tone that is utterly pleasing and completely pulls you into a world where these discussions could be happening.

It's truly remarkable how the narrator's voice brings the stories to life.

Each world and culture that is explored in the audiobook is just so fascinating and so compelling.

You can't help but be drawn in and want to know more.

Part of me wants to hear more about each one, as there is so much depth and detail to uncover.

And yet, the amount we are given is the perfect amount as well.

It leaves you satisfied, but also hungry for more, which is the sign of a truly great audiobook.

I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who has an interest in different cultures and worlds.

It's a captivating and engaging listen that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Fictional anthropology offers a truly fascinating perspective through which we can examine our own behaviors and biologies. Ursula K. LeGuin, to her great credit, handles this with remarkable finesse. This collection is a masterfully allegorical series of excursions to other "planes." The nameless narrator is almost entirely removed from the story, allowing the focus to be solely on the societies and their habits.

Some of these tales were more captivating to me than others. I regarded this more as an exercise in speculative writing rather than anything else, and I believe it succeeds in both this regard and in posing some rather profound philosophical questions along the way. There is a wealth of "What if?" scenarios explored here, and they unfold seamlessly, with a sense of internal momentum in each story that kept me eager to turn the pages.

Overall, I felt that this collection was more of a curiosity, similar to a coffee table book that one could peruse at their leisure and always be certain to discover something intriguing. Since the "method" of changing planes in the narrative largely stems from the desire for escapism from boredom, this creates a neat little parallel.

I think its value, however, lies in the conversations that one can have with someone else who has read it. This would be an ideal book club selection, given the incredible breadth of themes and their proximity to our all-too-human lives.

Sidenote: it reminded me quite a bit of The Islanders by Christopher Priest, although that book has a more pronounced narrative and is far more surreal.

In a sense, Changing Planes is the perfect airport book: something to read and absorb as you wait for your connecting flight.

My next reading adventure was with Ursula K Le Guin. I had been eager to read some of her books for a while.

The introduction is great. It presents in a very innovative way a compilation of stories where it shows various planes that can be reached through a process that consists of going through a lot of stress at an airport. The beginning is very original as it evokes that imagination and makes it almost tangible with the title of interplanetary travels.

One of the things I am really enjoying about these stories is the novelty of never-before-seen worlds. There is a problem for each one, the consequences of bad decisions are shown, and many themes such as different customs, thoughts, ideas, and lifestyles are presented in an exquisite way.

The worlds are dreamlike and have a very charming way of being told. Besides, being so short, they give consistent stories with a starting point, an execution, and a result. I love how everything is well formulated and follows the same scheme.

In each of the stories, surprisingly, many lifestyles are exposed, from harvests, the role of both women and men varies, the customs of the community. Definitely, it is a set of stories carefully crafted in the details, as these characteristics appear in most of the stories and that gives it a lot of consistency.

-Conclusions-

Excellent compilation of stories. Each story is consistent, original, and narrated with great mastery.

Many things are dealt with, from customs and traditions, lifestyles, cultures, ideas, and more. Of a series of societies that, through a parody of humanity, present problems and human issues.

With a wonderfully portrayed environment, the author undoubtedly shows a great number of places outside this plane, with memorable landscapes and scenarios. Also, if the construction of the world, cultural, social, etc., is so wonderful that I am at a loss when trying to describe the background stories.

The constant protagonist of this story made me feel very identified in the last story and I really enjoyed her sense of humor.

In short, would I read any of these stories again? It is a definite yes. Would I read another work by this author? Yes, I am very curious about how her other works will be.

What does future Mariana think?

I am very delighted to get out of my comfort zone to discover little gems like this.