As a general rule, I like science fiction. Really. So I was quite excited to read an Ursula Le Guin book for the first selection in our book group. And I wasn’t (entirely) disappointed. The premise is great: you’re sitting in an airport, bored stiff (the first chapter about time in airports is great. There’s this wonderful line: “In this, probably its true aspect, the airport is not a prelude to travel, not a place of transition: it is a stop. A blockage.” So true.) and you realize that you can slip to another plane and visit other worlds. Wow. Fascinating. Fabulous.

But from there, the book isn’t consistent. It’s a series of short stories from the various planes the “author” visits, or has had friends visit. Some — like “The Silence of the Asonu” (a planet where the adults never speak); “Seasons of the Ansarac” (a bird-people who used to migrate north in the winter, but technology introduced convinced them to stop for a time); “Great Joy” (about the exploitation of a plane for the use of Americans as a permanent Christmas Island — great holiday descriptions!); and “The Fliers of Gy” (bird-people, again, this time some who grow wings and either choose to fly or choose to stay grounded) are wonderful. Others are just plain weird. Some, because I think I was trying to hard to “get” the social commentary (especially in “Woeful Tales from Mahigul” — a series of depressing tales from a land that has seen much violence and conquering and “The Building” — a people who travel for days to build a building they don’t ever plan on living in). Others I didn’t like because I just didn’t like the story all that much (“Wake Island” — they breed people who don’t sleep, much too disturbing; and “The Royals of Hegn” — everyone’s royalty and they’re obsessed with the one non-royal family the way we’re obsessed with celebrity. Got the point, but it was a bit crass for my taste) And I just didn’t get the last story “Confusions of Uni” at all. Where was it trying to go?? If someone could explain it to me, I’d appreciate it.

I’ve had a bumpy “relationship” with Le Guin, liking some of her works, and disliking others. She never does write what I “expect” as a reader, but then perhaps that’s why she’s considered a great writer. Otherwise, she’d be predictable and boring.

Sorry this is longer than usual; the book group doesn’t meet until October 20th, and I want to remember what I thought. 🙂