Reviews

Changing Planes: Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin

heavenwallgate's review against another edition

I took this book out of the library almost a year ago now (shoutout to my local library for having no late fees) and it’s been sitting unread on my desk until today. how fitting that I happened to finally pick it up a few days before I fly across the country for a vacation! I’ll definitely be attempting some interplanar travel in the Pittsburgh airport.
I looked at some of the other reviews on here and found it funny that people were upset about the lack of plot and character development, and complained about it reading like an encyclopedia. those characteristics were actually what I loved most about it! no one creates a world like Le Guin, and I thoroughly enjoyed my brief visits to the worlds in this book :)

mkw1lson's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

internetegg's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

jocelyn_cole's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

ssmariof's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? No

4.0

evanlorant's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

the concept of this book is what stood out to me most. it’s so inventive and playful and that reads through the whole book. as with most short story collections, they were hit and miss, but the hits definitely made up for the misses. i’m really interested in what this book has to say about tourism culture in general, the americanness of travel and the cultural self centredness of  the implied american-as-earthling. my favourites were probably the introduction and the first story about genetic modification, the one about sleeplessness, and the one about the untranslatable language. 

danielardz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

pkiwi's review against another edition

5.0

A delightful, comprehensive collection of short stories about other planes of existence. You'd think a collection of what are basically the author's throwaway worldbuilding ideas would get boring, but the stories are shaped variously and there are enough evocative question marks and parallels to grasp the attention.

pristinesavant's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

crazyylizard's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

3.5