Rating: 
Summary: Collection is mixed but last story is hauntingly beautiful
Review: Another varied collection fron UlK. Some of the stories are wistful, some silly and indulgent. The strength lies in the cluster of stories around the invention of instantaneous space travel - which is itself an extension of the ansible invented by Shevek in'The Dispossessed'. The last (and title) story is the very best of these and is as good as anything she has ever written. As ever with UlK, she has very little interest in the natural science, though she quickly paints a backdrop which is completely convincing. Instead, she is interested in the human effects. The story is about loss and regret and finding ones way, deciding what to do with one's life and having an opportunity to have part of one's life again. If you are tired of mile long star ships and ravening beams of death then this is the sort of story that you have been waiting for. And you will always remember it.
Rating:
Summary: Final story is far and away the best
Review: As noted in other reviews here, the collection is mixed. Some of the dabbling in fable styles and neo-primitivism (The Rock That Changed Things, for instance) left me cold. Ursula is an unabashed feminist, and more power to her; but she is at her best when she integrates her ethical and political ideas into her stories, rather than merely proselytizing.The last three stories, dealing with a bizarre faster-than-light travel method called "churten" (sort of a descendant of Le Guin's FTL communication device, the ansible) are collectively worth the price of the book. "The Shobies' Story" explores fractured views of reality, taking its cue from the uncertainties of quantum physics. "Dancing to Ganaam" is an enjoyable spoof of the smug Captain Kirk-style space hero -- I envision its hapless protagonist as a close cousin to Zap Brannigan in the "Futurama" TV show. The final story, "A Fisherman of the Inland Sea," works a strangely paradoxless time-travel thread into its exploration of science and human relations. The mild yet intense scientist-hero is reminiscent of Shevek from "The Dispossessed," and Le Guin's suggestion of a workable four-person marriage is quite intriguing. It rivals "Hernes" from "Searoad" as the best short story Le Guin ever wrote.
Rating:
Summary: Final story is far and away the best
Review: As noted in other reviews here, the collection is mixed. Some of the dabbling in fable styles and neo-primitivism (The Rock That Changed Things, for instance) left me cold. Ursula is an unabashed feminist, and more power to her; but she is at her best when she integrates her ethical and political ideas into her stories, rather than merely proselytizing. The last three stories, dealing with a bizarre faster-than-light travel method called "churten" (sort of a descendant of Le Guin's FTL communication device, the ansible) are collectively worth the price of the book. "The Shobies' Story" explores fractured views of reality, taking its cue from the uncertainties of quantum physics. "Dancing to Ganaam" is an enjoyable spoof of the smug Captain Kirk-style space hero -- I envision its hapless protagonist as a close cousin to Zap Brannigan in the "Futurama" TV show. The final story, "A Fisherman of the Inland Sea," works a strangely paradoxless time-travel thread into its exploration of science and human relations. The mild yet intense scientist-hero is reminiscent of Shevek from "The Dispossessed," and Le Guin's suggestion of a workable four-person marriage is quite intriguing. It rivals "Hernes" from "Searoad" as the best short story Le Guin ever wrote.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful surrealistic collection of short stories.
Review: I can't give enough praise for this book. It contains some of the best stories I have ever read, especially the last story, "The Fisherman of the Inland Sea." That story alone is worth the money of the book. LeGuin once again introduces complex and beautiful worlds that are wonderful as our own. Some of the other stories can be mischievous, fun, and are just stories to enjoyed. This isn't your usual LeGuin, but they are enjoyable nevertheless. But that last story! A Classic LeGuin.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful surrealistic collection of short stories.
Review: I can't give enough praise for this book. It contains some of the best stories I have ever read, especially the last story, "The Fisherman of the Inland Sea." That story alone is worth the money of the book. LeGuin once again introduces complex and beautiful worlds that are wonderful as our own. Some of the other stories can be mischievous, fun, and are just stories to enjoyed. This isn't your usual LeGuin, but they are enjoyable nevertheless. But that last story! A Classic LeGuin.
Rating:
Summary: Again and again
Review: I finally bought this book after I checked it out from the library about once a month just to read the last story again. It is my favorite story of all time. The one story is worth the money. The others are OK and a few are fun. I would like to have just the last story in a smaller version.
Rating:
Summary: Again and again
Review: I finally bought this book after I checked it out from the library about once a month just to read the last story again. It is my favorite story of all time. The one story is worth the money. The others are OK and a few are fun. I would like to have just the last story in a smaller version.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I love all of Le Guin's work, and this is one of my favorites. I really enjoy her short stories, because they contain so much meaning in only a few short pages.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I love all of Le Guin's work, and this is one of my favorites. I really enjoy her short stories, because they contain so much meaning in only a few short pages.
Rating:
Summary: Sumptuous!
Review: I picked this up at a bargain table at my college bookstore when I was just getting into Ms. Le Guin's work. What a talent! What skill! The stories range from "slap-you-upside-your-head" funny to hauntingly thought-provoking that you feel so deeply and disturbed. And the last gem: I have read and enjoyed many short stories but never one that was so sumptuous I could sink my teeth into it like a blueberry pie. Le Guin should become synonymous with "lyrical". She must compose her own music, or goes into a meditative state to create a prose that ebbs and flows like the sea, wraps you snug in warm familiarity, then pulls back a curtain to let in the light, thus waking you out of your complacency. I don't care what people (who think they know speculative fiction) say. Sure the genre has its space operas, slapstick, and other subcategories, but if you wish to go "deep", you MUST pick up "A Fisherman of the Inland Sea". Look, even the title shimmers as so many pearls!
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