'Changing Planes: Armchair Travel for the Mind' by Ursula K. Le Guin is a collection of interconnected short stories that explore the concept of changing between different worlds or planes of existence while waiting in airports. The stories serve as travel reports from these alternate planes, offering insights into unique cultures, societies, and customs. Le Guin's writing style blends elements of satire, fantasy, and sociological commentary, creating a whimsical yet thought-provoking narrative that invites readers to explore the diverse and imaginative worlds she has crafted.

The book features a framing story that follows a narrator's adventures in discovering and exploring various planes of existence while stuck in airport terminals. Each story within the collection presents a different world with its own set of inhabitants, traditions, and challenges, offering readers a rich tapestry of alternate realities to immerse themselves in. Le Guin's ability to pack entertainment, deep critiques, and witty observations into these short stories makes 'Changing Planes' a captivating and engaging read that encourages readers to ponder the complexities of human society and existence.

Characters:

The characters represent diverse cultures and social structures, with a focus on their unique customs and interactions with the traveling narrator.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by clarity and intelligence, often resembling anthropological reports on fictional cultures, maintaining a straightforward yet insightful approach.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Sita Dulip's discovery of changing planes while at an airport, allowing her to explore various alternate worlds through a collection of interconnected stories.

Setting:

The setting shifts between airports and various fictional planes of existence, creating a whimsical backdrop for the stories.

Pacing:

The pacing is contemplative, focusing on sociological insights rather than fast-paced action, allowing for a reflective reading experience.

THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN when the miseries of air travel seemed to be entirely the doing of the corporations that ran the airports and the airlines, without any help from bigots with beards in caves. Spo...

Notes:

The book's premise involves changing planes of existence while waiting at an airport.

Sita Dulip discovers a method to slip into different realities during a layover.

Changing Planes is a collection of fifteen stories exploring different imaginary cultures.

The stories often include satirical commentary on human behavior and American culture.

Le Guin's writing style is straightforward and unpretentious, making complex ideas approachable.

The collection won the 2004 Locus Award for best story collection.

The stories cover themes from genetic engineering to communal dreaming and social identity.

While many stories are whimsical, they also explore deeper philosophical and societal issues.

Each story provides a glimpse into unique worlds with interesting characters and customs that reflect human nature.

The first story sets the tone by explaining how discomfort at airports leads to these alternate explorations.

From The Publisher:

Sita Dulip has missed her flight. But instead of listening to garbled announcements, she has found a method of bypassing the horrors of the airport. This method—changing planes—enables Sita to visit fifteen societies not found on Earth.

She will encounter cultures where the babble of children fades over time into the silence of adults; where whole towns exist solely for holiday shopping; where personalities are ruled by rage; where genetic experiments produce less than desirable results...

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About the Author:

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (US /ˈɜːrsələ ˈkroʊbər ləˈɡwɪn/; born October 21, 1929) is an American author of novels, children's books, and short stories, mainly in the genres of fantasy and science fiction.

She has also written poetry and essays. First published in the 1960s, her work has often depicted futuristic or imaginary alternative worlds in politics, the natural environment, gender, religion, sexuality and ethnography.

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Changing Planes: Armchair Travel for the Mind

Ursula K. Le Guin