Sonderbooks Book Review of Changing Planes

Reviewed September 2, 2003.
Harcourt, Orlando, 2003. 246 pages.
A Sonderbooks’ Stand-out of 2003: #4, Short Story Collections

I think of this book as brain candy, a series of entertaining, thought-provoking, and curious stories about life on other planes.

According to the book, a woman named Sita Dulip was the one who discovered that an airport is the perfect place for changing planes—planes of reality, that is. After all, you’re already between planes.

The rest of the book is filled with stories of the author’s travels in other planes and their interesting inhabitants. The tone is intellectual, the voice of a curious observer interested in people, but not terribly emotionally attached.

I liked the plane where everyone dreams each other’s dreams. Another interesting one is where genetic engineering has gone awry. Unfortunately, there’s discrimination against those who are less than 99.44% human.

Another plane has been taken over by an American corporation to offer tourists Christmas Island, Easter Island, and the like. On another plane, everyone has feathers, but only some grow wings.

This is a fascinating book by a writer with a truly amazing imagination. I’m not a big fan of short stories, but these are fun to dip into and enjoy in small doses. I especially recommend it for reading at an airport!

Other books by Ursula K. LeGuin:
The Earthsea series
The Other Wind
Gifts

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

****Changing Planes*

by Ursula K. LeGuin