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Ursula K. Le Guin należy do tych twórców, którzy stworzyli własną wersję przyszłej historii. Znaczy to, że jej powieści i część opowiadań, choć dzieją się w różnych miejscach i czasach, umieszczone są w pewnej wyimaginowanej wersji historii. jest to ciekawa metoda, dzięki której poszczególne utwory zyskują dodatkową perspektywę i jakby uprawdopodobniają się nawzajem w świadomości czytelnika.
344 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1975
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11099 people want to read
About the author
Ursula K. Le Guin
1,046 books30.4k followersUrsula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. She lived in Portland, Oregon.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
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July 21, 2017
This collection of stories is a chronological assortment of published work during the first ten years of Le Guin in publication; it is hard to believe she wasn't published until 32, but her enormous talent makes one feel like all those years leading up to the first story were spent in a literary chrysalis. Le Guin is a master author, and whether or not sci-fi is a reader's preferred genre, her works are important enough to be read by lovers of the written word.
Many of the stories in this collection are part of the Hainish cycle, giving great background and flushing out the edges for fans of the series. "Semley's Necklace" bore the novel Rocanon's World, and "Winter's King" (one of the best in the collection) informs the novel The Left Hand of Darkness.
This is a great place to start for ULG initiates, a tremendous path through the works of one of the world's best writers.
Many of the stories in this collection are part of the Hainish cycle, giving great background and flushing out the edges for fans of the series. "Semley's Necklace" bore the novel Rocanon's World, and "Winter's King" (one of the best in the collection) informs the novel The Left Hand of Darkness.
This is a great place to start for ULG initiates, a tremendous path through the works of one of the world's best writers.
February 24, 2017
Short stories 'The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas' and 'The Day Before the Revolution' elevate this collection of what is already an impeccable achievement of intelligent imagination, to a work of immense wisdom.
March 11, 2019
Note, March 11, 2019: I've just edited this review to correct two minor typos.
The 17 stories collected here all appeared (in a couple of cases, under different titles) in various magazines, mostly geared to SF or speculative fiction, from 1960 to 1974. So chronologically, they directly precede those in the later collection The Compass Rose (which I reviewed last week), and if memory serves, I also read this book first. It's a similar mix of genres, but overall, I considered the quality of most the selections here somewhat superior to that of the other book. It also has proportionately less surrealism and New Wave influence, or at least that was the impression that it left me with. (Again, several of the stories didn't leave a lasting impression on my memories.) The order is, as the author says, "roughly" chronological.
Some of the stories here have also been included in other books, and been discussed already in my reviews of those anthologies. My favorite story here, "Semley's Necklace" appears in The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories; and "Nine Lives" (which, as the author notes, comes as close as she ever does to "hard" SF) is in Science Fiction: The Science Fiction Research Association Anthology. I'd actually read "The Rule of Names," a fantasy tale set in the author's invented world of Earthsea (but otherwise distinct from her A Wizard of Earthsea) in A Treasury of Fantasy: Heroic Adventures in Imaginary Lands before I encountered it here. All three of these are excellent, and among Le Guin's best works, IMO.
According to the author's Preface, the latter story, along with "The Word of Unbinding," were the genesis of what later became the Earthsea trilogy, while "Semley's Necklace" provided the inspiration for her novel Rocannon's World (which I have not read). "Winter's King," set on the planet Gethen (a.k.a. Winter) similarly gave the impetus to The Left Hand of Darkness --although in her original conception, the inhabitants of that planet weren't ambisexual; she went back and edited the original story for its publication here. To my mind, the relationship is less successful here than it is with the other three stories; this one comes across as something of a Left Hand of Darkness out-take, even though it isn't. (Perhaps this is because I don't find Gethen as interesting a world as the other two, and find the characters harder to relate to; they come across to me as message-driven stick figures created to make a point.) On the other hand, "The Day Before the Revolution" (dedicated to anarchist philosopher Paul Goodman) is set on the same world as Le Guin's pro-anarchy novel The Dispossessed, but was written after it and presupposes it. It would probably appeal most to those who read the book (which I haven't), and who liked and agreed with it. Contrary to the claim Le Guin makes here (in the introductory note to the story), The Dispossessed was NOT the first novel to provide an embodied description of an anarchist society; William Morris did it in News from Nowhere, published in 1890.
A couple of other stories deserving special mention are "April in Paris," which is a rather whimsical time-travel story (the basis for the time travel is dubious, but the story succeeds because the characters are so likable and the tone and story arc upbeat) and "The Stars Below." The Preface states that only stories that are fantasy or science fiction are included; but the latter story actually reads like historical fiction, with an indeterminate 16th or 17th-century setting, and I'm still inclined to consider it as such. Finally, the penultimate selection, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," is a strange story, or more of a parable, with no obvious direct analogues in the real world (Le Guin ascribed the inspiration to a hypothetical reference in one of the writings of William James), and impossible to describe or analyze without a spoiler.
The author provides introductory notes for all of the stories here (a feature the later collection doesn't have). These aren't always illuminating (they may even be the opposite), and sometimes strain to be "cute," but they also often have worthwhile insights and interesting factoids. Her collection title comes from some lines of poetry in A. E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad, which serves as an epigraph.
The 17 stories collected here all appeared (in a couple of cases, under different titles) in various magazines, mostly geared to SF or speculative fiction, from 1960 to 1974. So chronologically, they directly precede those in the later collection The Compass Rose (which I reviewed last week), and if memory serves, I also read this book first. It's a similar mix of genres, but overall, I considered the quality of most the selections here somewhat superior to that of the other book. It also has proportionately less surrealism and New Wave influence, or at least that was the impression that it left me with. (Again, several of the stories didn't leave a lasting impression on my memories.) The order is, as the author says, "roughly" chronological.
Some of the stories here have also been included in other books, and been discussed already in my reviews of those anthologies. My favorite story here, "Semley's Necklace" appears in The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories; and "Nine Lives" (which, as the author notes, comes as close as she ever does to "hard" SF) is in Science Fiction: The Science Fiction Research Association Anthology. I'd actually read "The Rule of Names," a fantasy tale set in the author's invented world of Earthsea (but otherwise distinct from her A Wizard of Earthsea) in A Treasury of Fantasy: Heroic Adventures in Imaginary Lands before I encountered it here. All three of these are excellent, and among Le Guin's best works, IMO.
According to the author's Preface, the latter story, along with "The Word of Unbinding," were the genesis of what later became the Earthsea trilogy, while "Semley's Necklace" provided the inspiration for her novel Rocannon's World (which I have not read). "Winter's King," set on the planet Gethen (a.k.a. Winter) similarly gave the impetus to The Left Hand of Darkness --although in her original conception, the inhabitants of that planet weren't ambisexual; she went back and edited the original story for its publication here. To my mind, the relationship is less successful here than it is with the other three stories; this one comes across as something of a Left Hand of Darkness out-take, even though it isn't. (Perhaps this is because I don't find Gethen as interesting a world as the other two, and find the characters harder to relate to; they come across to me as message-driven stick figures created to make a point.) On the other hand, "The Day Before the Revolution" (dedicated to anarchist philosopher Paul Goodman) is set on the same world as Le Guin's pro-anarchy novel The Dispossessed, but was written after it and presupposes it. It would probably appeal most to those who read the book (which I haven't), and who liked and agreed with it. Contrary to the claim Le Guin makes here (in the introductory note to the story), The Dispossessed was NOT the first novel to provide an embodied description of an anarchist society; William Morris did it in News from Nowhere, published in 1890.
A couple of other stories deserving special mention are "April in Paris," which is a rather whimsical time-travel story (the basis for the time travel is dubious, but the story succeeds because the characters are so likable and the tone and story arc upbeat) and "The Stars Below." The Preface states that only stories that are fantasy or science fiction are included; but the latter story actually reads like historical fiction, with an indeterminate 16th or 17th-century setting, and I'm still inclined to consider it as such. Finally, the penultimate selection, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," is a strange story, or more of a parable, with no obvious direct analogues in the real world (Le Guin ascribed the inspiration to a hypothetical reference in one of the writings of William James), and impossible to describe or analyze without a spoiler.
The author provides introductory notes for all of the stories here (a feature the later collection doesn't have). These aren't always illuminating (they may even be the opposite), and sometimes strain to be "cute," but they also often have worthwhile insights and interesting factoids. Her collection title comes from some lines of poetry in A. E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad, which serves as an epigraph.
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February 18, 2016Kitap için yorum yapmayacağım. Çünkü elimde daha iyisi var. Size tek bir soru soracağım ve sorunun cevabını yine ben vereceğim.
Neden bu kitabı okumalısınız?
1. Rocannon'un Dünyası'nı okuduysanız, onun öncesinde geçen ve bu kitapta yer alan Semley'in Kolyesi hikayesini görmek isteyebilirsiniz.
2. Karanlığın Sol Eli'ne aşık olduysanız, bu muazzam eserin temelleri olan Kış Kralı'nı bu kitapta okuyabilirsiniz. Sonrasında bu hikayenin nasıl Karanlığın Sol Eli'ne dönüştüğünü varın siz düşünün.
3. Mülksüzler'i şaheser olarak kabul ediyorsanız Omelas'ı Bırakıp Gidenler öyküsü size Mülksüzler'e giden yolun başlangıcını işaret edebilir.
4. Yine Mülksüzler ile devam edelim. Kitap boyunca adı geçen Odo'yu gözlerinizle görmek isterseniz Devrimden Önceki Gün öyküsü sizin için sürprizler barındırıyor.
Evet, bu kitap tanıtımında da söylendiği gibi Le Guin'in ustalık öncesi öykülerinden oluşuyor. İşte o öykülerden daha sonra nasıl bir görkem yükseleceğini ve şaheser diyeceğimiz eserlere dönüşeceğini bu kitapta görüyoruz.
Karşımızda gencecik ve usta olmaktan uzak bir Le Guin var. Alıştığımız gibi değil, çünkü henüz tanıdığımız kişiye dönüşmemiz. Biz onu hep kraliçeliğiyle tanıdık. Şimdi kökleri görme vakti.
Neden bu kitabı okumalısınız?
1. Rocannon'un Dünyası'nı okuduysanız, onun öncesinde geçen ve bu kitapta yer alan Semley'in Kolyesi hikayesini görmek isteyebilirsiniz.
2. Karanlığın Sol Eli'ne aşık olduysanız, bu muazzam eserin temelleri olan Kış Kralı'nı bu kitapta okuyabilirsiniz. Sonrasında bu hikayenin nasıl Karanlığın Sol Eli'ne dönüştüğünü varın siz düşünün.
3. Mülksüzler'i şaheser olarak kabul ediyorsanız Omelas'ı Bırakıp Gidenler öyküsü size Mülksüzler'e giden yolun başlangıcını işaret edebilir.
4. Yine Mülksüzler ile devam edelim. Kitap boyunca adı geçen Odo'yu gözlerinizle görmek isterseniz Devrimden Önceki Gün öyküsü sizin için sürprizler barındırıyor.
Evet, bu kitap tanıtımında da söylendiği gibi Le Guin'in ustalık öncesi öykülerinden oluşuyor. İşte o öykülerden daha sonra nasıl bir görkem yükseleceğini ve şaheser diyeceğimiz eserlere dönüşeceğini bu kitapta görüyoruz.
Karşımızda gencecik ve usta olmaktan uzak bir Le Guin var. Alıştığımız gibi değil, çünkü henüz tanıdığımız kişiye dönüşmemiz. Biz onu hep kraliçeliğiyle tanıdık. Şimdi kökleri görme vakti.
November 11, 2022
3,5 estrellas en realidad.
Libro de relatos de Úrsula K. Le Guin que pese a tener una buena pluma me ha dejado un tanto indiferente.
Acá tenemos una colección de 18 relatos que a la autora le sirvieron de base para novelas posteriores las cuales abarcan toda una década de trabajo.
Tras leer algo del mundo de Terramar y descubrir la buena pluma de Le Guin sin duda sentí plena confianza al encontrarme este libro en la librería, la edición en tapa dura es bellísima y alguien que hubiera escrito una saga tan buena como Terramar no podía fallar, más descubrí que estaba equivocado... Y es que de los 18 relatos solo puedo destacar cuatro, tal vez cinco.
-El collar de Semley: Una mujer hace un viaje nocturno que la llevara a enfrentar diferencias en el espacio-tiempo.
-Nueve vidas: Un par de trabajadores con un grupo de clones masculinos y femeninos deben extraer recursos de un planeta distante.Tal vez para mí el mejor de todos, este cuento al menos me hizo sentir que la lectura valió la pena.
-Más vasto que los imperios y más lento: Una tripulación investiga un planeta junto a un "émpata", un humano capaz de sentir las emociones de los que lo rodean.
-Los que se alejan de Omelas: Rivaliza con "Nueve vidas" como el mejor relato de la colección. Acá se nos presenta una especie de debate moral en una ciudad donde todo es aparentemente perfecto.
-El poder de los nombres: Entretenida, no de las mejores, pero sirve de base para la saga de Terramar y eso hace que valga la pena.
Del resto no hay mucho que decir, totalmente olvidables y otros derechamente aburridos; El rey de invierno, insufrible; La caja de la oscuridad, no se entiende que cuenta; Dirección de la carretera, ¿Te has imaginado que se sentiría ser un árbol? Bueno, este relato tal vez te ayude; El día de la revolución, tan aburrido que ya ni recuerdo que sucedía.
En fin, un libro de cuentos irregular. Si eres fanático de Le Guin dale una oportunidad, tal vez te sorprenda. En cuanto a mí, en general fue poco memorable.
Libro de relatos de Úrsula K. Le Guin que pese a tener una buena pluma me ha dejado un tanto indiferente.
Acá tenemos una colección de 18 relatos que a la autora le sirvieron de base para novelas posteriores las cuales abarcan toda una década de trabajo.
Tras leer algo del mundo de Terramar y descubrir la buena pluma de Le Guin sin duda sentí plena confianza al encontrarme este libro en la librería, la edición en tapa dura es bellísima y alguien que hubiera escrito una saga tan buena como Terramar no podía fallar, más descubrí que estaba equivocado... Y es que de los 18 relatos solo puedo destacar cuatro, tal vez cinco.
-El collar de Semley: Una mujer hace un viaje nocturno que la llevara a enfrentar diferencias en el espacio-tiempo.
-Nueve vidas: Un par de trabajadores con un grupo de clones masculinos y femeninos deben extraer recursos de un planeta distante.Tal vez para mí el mejor de todos, este cuento al menos me hizo sentir que la lectura valió la pena.
-Más vasto que los imperios y más lento: Una tripulación investiga un planeta junto a un "émpata", un humano capaz de sentir las emociones de los que lo rodean.
-Los que se alejan de Omelas: Rivaliza con "Nueve vidas" como el mejor relato de la colección. Acá se nos presenta una especie de debate moral en una ciudad donde todo es aparentemente perfecto.
-El poder de los nombres: Entretenida, no de las mejores, pero sirve de base para la saga de Terramar y eso hace que valga la pena.
Del resto no hay mucho que decir, totalmente olvidables y otros derechamente aburridos; El rey de invierno, insufrible; La caja de la oscuridad, no se entiende que cuenta; Dirección de la carretera, ¿Te has imaginado que se sentiría ser un árbol? Bueno, este relato tal vez te ayude; El día de la revolución, tan aburrido que ya ni recuerdo que sucedía.
En fin, un libro de cuentos irregular. Si eres fanático de Le Guin dale una oportunidad, tal vez te sorprenda. En cuanto a mí, en general fue poco memorable.
February 1, 2021
A pesar de que Ursula K. Le Guin es una de mis escritoras favoritas de ciencia ficción, los cuentos de esta antología me han dejado más bien fría e imagino que por eso es que he tardado tanto en terminarla.
Creo que se debe a que al ser relatos tan cortos (17 en total para 340 páginas), Le Guin no alcanza a desplegar esa visión sociológica y antropológica que materializa en culturas extraterrestres y que permite reflexionar, a su vez, sobre nuestra propia sociedad. Eso es lo que tanto me gusta de sus novelas.
En general, cada uno de estos relatos se centra en algún hecho, acción o consecuencia muy puntual que, en algunos casos, para la fecha en que fueron escritos pudo haber sido muy impactante o sorprendente, pero que en la actualidad no asombran mucho.
Por lo anterior, no recomiendo este libro a aquellos que estén buscando a la autora reflexiva, que desarrolla personajes profundamente humanos, a pesar que hayan nacido en otro planeta y, en aquellos relatos que lo logra, es el argumento el que no alcanza a arrancar o se cierra abruptamente. Por otra parte, como la mayoría de los cuentos está asociado de alguna u otra manera a sus novelas, quizá mi experiencia hubiera sido diferente de haberlas leído antes.
Obviamente están las excepciones y de esta antología destaco especialmente los relatos Nueve vidas, Más vasto que los Imperios y más lento y El campo de visión. Por otra parte, me conmovió mucho el cuento Cosas y, a pesar de ser más fantasía que ciencia ficción y para un público más juvenil, me sorprendió mucho El poder de los nombres.
Reto #27 PopSugar 2018: Un libro ambientado en otro planeta
Creo que se debe a que al ser relatos tan cortos (17 en total para 340 páginas), Le Guin no alcanza a desplegar esa visión sociológica y antropológica que materializa en culturas extraterrestres y que permite reflexionar, a su vez, sobre nuestra propia sociedad. Eso es lo que tanto me gusta de sus novelas.
En general, cada uno de estos relatos se centra en algún hecho, acción o consecuencia muy puntual que, en algunos casos, para la fecha en que fueron escritos pudo haber sido muy impactante o sorprendente, pero que en la actualidad no asombran mucho.
Por lo anterior, no recomiendo este libro a aquellos que estén buscando a la autora reflexiva, que desarrolla personajes profundamente humanos, a pesar que hayan nacido en otro planeta y, en aquellos relatos que lo logra, es el argumento el que no alcanza a arrancar o se cierra abruptamente. Por otra parte, como la mayoría de los cuentos está asociado de alguna u otra manera a sus novelas, quizá mi experiencia hubiera sido diferente de haberlas leído antes.
Obviamente están las excepciones y de esta antología destaco especialmente los relatos Nueve vidas, Más vasto que los Imperios y más lento y El campo de visión. Por otra parte, me conmovió mucho el cuento Cosas y, a pesar de ser más fantasía que ciencia ficción y para un público más juvenil, me sorprendió mucho El poder de los nombres.
Reto #27 PopSugar 2018: Un libro ambientado en otro planeta
October 31, 2010
Unlike Four Ways to Forgiveness, this is an uneven collection, a mixed bag of Le Guin's early short stories.
My favorite are definitely the sci-fi stories: from Hainish cycle - Winter's King (a prequel to The Left Hand of Darkness), The Day Before the Revolution (a prequel to The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia), Vaster than Empires and More Slow (humans try to communicate with a different type of intelligence, reminiscent of Solaris); and independent - Nine Lives (about cloning) and The Field of Vision (explores mysterious structures on Mars).
A couple of Earthsea shorts are great too - The Word of Unbinding and The Rule of Names. I wasn't sure I wanted to try Le Guin's fantasy before, but now I am certain I will, her magic system is quite interesting.
The worst for me are the psychomyth category of stories (very much like Margo Lanagan's writing) and the acid-trippy ones. They are just weird and most of the time I didn't even understand them. The best in this bunch are - The Masters and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, hard to explain what they are about though...
Almost forgot, another good thing about the collection is that all stories are preceded by the author's introductions. Interesting to learn about Le Guin's creative process. She is a very smart woman.
P.S. I would really appreciate if someone could explain Darkness Box to me. It seems to be a favorite of many readers, but I have absolutely no idea what happened in it.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - Hugo (short story 1973)
The Day Before the Revolution - Nebula (short story 1974)
My favorite are definitely the sci-fi stories: from Hainish cycle - Winter's King (a prequel to The Left Hand of Darkness), The Day Before the Revolution (a prequel to The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia), Vaster than Empires and More Slow (humans try to communicate with a different type of intelligence, reminiscent of Solaris); and independent - Nine Lives (about cloning) and The Field of Vision (explores mysterious structures on Mars).
A couple of Earthsea shorts are great too - The Word of Unbinding and The Rule of Names. I wasn't sure I wanted to try Le Guin's fantasy before, but now I am certain I will, her magic system is quite interesting.
The worst for me are the psychomyth category of stories (very much like Margo Lanagan's writing) and the acid-trippy ones. They are just weird and most of the time I didn't even understand them. The best in this bunch are - The Masters and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, hard to explain what they are about though...
Almost forgot, another good thing about the collection is that all stories are preceded by the author's introductions. Interesting to learn about Le Guin's creative process. She is a very smart woman.
P.S. I would really appreciate if someone could explain Darkness Box to me. It seems to be a favorite of many readers, but I have absolutely no idea what happened in it.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - Hugo (short story 1973)
The Day Before the Revolution - Nebula (short story 1974)
January 21, 2023
This book was a lovely birthday gift from my husband, who wisely knew that he couldn't go wrong with anything by Ursula Le Guin; the real trouble was finding a book of hers that I did not already have!
This is a lovely collection of various short stories, organized in chronological order. Some revisit famous settings of Le Guin's work, such as Earthsea or Gethen, others explore new worlds. What is constant is the gentle luminosity of her prose, and the profound humanity of her characters. In fact, it struck me while reading this that Le Guin might have been the most human sci-fi writer to ever put pen to paper, and that no matter where her stories are set, what strange planet they explore or amazing creatures we encounter in them, they truly are about the most human part of every one of us.
A little treasure to be added to my shelf of her other works. I especially loved the stories "Nine Lives", "Vaster than Empires and More Slow" (which reminded me of Silverberg's "The Man in the Maze" only better - sorry, Robert!), and I shall be forever haunted by the idea of "Darkness Box".
This is a lovely collection of various short stories, organized in chronological order. Some revisit famous settings of Le Guin's work, such as Earthsea or Gethen, others explore new worlds. What is constant is the gentle luminosity of her prose, and the profound humanity of her characters. In fact, it struck me while reading this that Le Guin might have been the most human sci-fi writer to ever put pen to paper, and that no matter where her stories are set, what strange planet they explore or amazing creatures we encounter in them, they truly are about the most human part of every one of us.
A little treasure to be added to my shelf of her other works. I especially loved the stories "Nine Lives", "Vaster than Empires and More Slow" (which reminded me of Silverberg's "The Man in the Maze" only better - sorry, Robert!), and I shall be forever haunted by the idea of "Darkness Box".
October 7, 2021
"La vida adora el conocerse hasta sus más lejanos límites; se deleita comprendiendo lo que es complicado. Nuestra diferencia es nuestra belleza."
–El rey de invierno
3.5 ★
Las doces moradas del viento nos presenta en orden cronológico diecisiete de los mejores relatos de Ursula K. Le Guin, una de las más grandes figuras de la literatura fantástica.
En esta antología se encuentran relatos de fantasía, ciencia ficción y ficción realista, la mayoría de ellos con ese toque filosófico característico de Le Guin. A través de los cuentos se puede apreciar su crecimiento como escritora, el pulido de su estilo, y la influencia que tuvo de otros autores y el taoísmo.
«Hay estrellas en la Tierra —pensaba—. Solo habría que saber verlas».
–Las estrellas en la roca
En esta oportunidad, los escritos se enfocan en el fenómeno de las emociones, de conocerse a uno mismo. Es decir, que se puede apreciar a Le Guin en estado puro. En cada relato también se puede encontrar un breve comentario en el que la autora explica cómo surgió la idea principal del cuento, permitiéndonos conocerla un poco mejor. Y a mí me fascina eso de Le Guin, que incluso con sus introducciones consigue atraparme.
"Tal vez este relato no habla de la ciencia, ni del arte, sino de la mente, de mi mente, de cualquier mente que se vuelve hacia sí misma."
–Ursula K. Le Guin sobre "Las estrellas en la roca"
Algunos de los relatos están ambientados en mundos que la autora ha creado para sus novelas (como Terramar) y los protagonistas son otros personajes que, como la misma Le Guin expresa, le han susurrado al oído para que cuente también sus historias.
Entre los relatos que más me gustaron se encuentran "El poder de los nombres", "El rey de invierno", "Nueve vidas", "Cosas", "Las estrellas en la roca", "La dirección de la carretera" y otros dos que puedo decir han sido mis favoritos (porque incluso los releí): "Más vasto que los imperios, y más lento" y "Los que se van de Omelas". Definitivamente, Ursula K. Le Guin es una autora a la que seguiré recurriendo, ya sea con una de sus novela o una antología de cuentos, quizás hasta me aventure con algún poemario.
October 30, 2022
These are stories from the start of Le Guin’s career. Uneven, sometimes a little rough in structure or in the sudden introducing of a new element at the end. But still wonderful.
February 10, 2019
The specialty of this collection is the chronological order of the stories. They encompass a decade after Ursula K. Le Guin's first publishing, and are an interesting witness of her evolution as a writer. There is no bummer among them, yet in terms of how I could emotionally connected to the stories there was a clear linearity.
The four stories that impressed me the most are all in the last quarter of the book:
- The Stars Below
- Direction of the Road
- The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
- The Day Before the Revolution
I especially digged the fact that there are some stories that are progenitors to the Hainish Cycle and the Earthsea series. To see how she developed her ideas is precious.
One advice: the short forewords for the respective stories should perhaps be read after the stories themselves. Some of them are a bit spoilery.
The four stories that impressed me the most are all in the last quarter of the book:
- The Stars Below
- Direction of the Road
- The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
- The Day Before the Revolution
I especially digged the fact that there are some stories that are progenitors to the Hainish Cycle and the Earthsea series. To see how she developed her ideas is precious.
One advice: the short forewords for the respective stories should perhaps be read after the stories themselves. Some of them are a bit spoilery.
July 12, 2020
I have to trust an author a lot to pick up a collection of short stories. Generally, I'm not much for them. Ursula K. Le Guin is one of my favorite authors, so I bought this book at a used bookstore without even reading the description. The name of the author was all I went on, and it proved to be a wise choice. As there's no real overarching theme, I've decided to review the short stories separately.
Semley's Necklace
The only story I had already read before starting this novel. It was put in the beginning of Rocannon's World, probably her weakest novel I've read but not a bad read. Like the book it was placed in, this story is fun and inventive. It's a neat mix of Fantasy and Science Fiction concepts and an entertaining although not worthwhile read.
April in Paris
Cute and endearing, not really something I would have expected from Le Guin, but it's a pleasant story. There's a bit of romanticism in many of her works I've read, but it's never been this blatant. It's about loneliness and finding happiness in a place you'd have never expected.
The Masters
A dystopian tale where something unexpected is the subject of a society's disdain. Computations are taboo and punishable by death. While this didn't immediately inspire the same fear in me that let's say books being outlawed would have, it's interesting to think about what could be made unavailable to keep a society stagnant.
Darkness Box
Haunting and straight forward, the passing of time is the subject here and whether or not we'd be better off without it.
The Word of Unbinding
A trip to Earthsea and an exploration of aspects of it's magic. I adore the world of Earthsea, and it's always nice to have a visit, even if it's not a particularly memorable one.
The Rule of Names
Now this is better, a proper trip to Earthsea. A remote island, a battle of wizards, and a tale of ancient civilizations and dragons. That's what I signed up for when I want to go the this fantastical archipelago.
Winter's King
A lot of thought provoking concepts are thrown around in this novel that takes place in one of her most original worlds. Somewhat genre bending, it adds a good deal of depth to the world of The Left Hand of Darkness, generally considered one of her best novels. It doesn't broach the same topics, but it's got the same feel of being completely original.
The Good Trip
Honestly, kind of a miss for me, the weakest story in here by far. I understood what she was trying to do here, and she did it well. It just didn't hold much interest for me, and I found myself skimming even though it was one of the shorter stories.
Nine Lives
The first short story in here that really wowed me. Concepts of cloning and an almost hive mind like state of being are taken apart and shown in a harsh light. She takes a popular science fiction concept and gives it her own unique twist.
Things
About how we all try to survive in our own way, this story accurately weighs the kindness and selfishness of humanity.
A Trip to the Head
A bit esoteric, we are made to think about the meaning of consciousness and how it affects our views of reality.
Vaster than Empires and More Slow
Now we're cooking with butter, this is a jaw dropping story about how we perceive the alien both in others and in an unknown environment. How you need to take a step back and try your best to put yourself in someone(or something) else's shoes before you jump to your natural fear and anger at the unknowable. While we may never be able to fully understand the alien, it's the trying that matters.
The Stars Below
An interesting history lesson and look at how one can find beauty in even the most unexpected places.
The Field of Vision
If not for the story after next, this would be the best story in this collection. Three men are made to face the vastness of reality and are given their own unique and complete window into the complete truth of the universe. The way each of them reacts and how this shapes them as humans takes us through a wild ride and makes us wonder if we'd really want to know everything.
Direction of the Road
Ever driven past a tree and wondered what it would be like to experience life as that tree? Well, Ursula K. Le Guin did and wrote a short story about it.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
In the little foreword she wrote for this short story, Le Guin credits William James for the concept, and she mentions that a lot of readers wonder why she didn't credit Dostoevsky. I must admit that after reading the story, I'd have done the same without the foreword to explain why to me. The most thought provoking question for me posed by The Brother's Karamazov is seemingly ripped right out of it's pages and given a new life here.
She accurately and completely asks the one question that haunts me more than any other I've read, even better than Dostoevsky himself did. This may be the best short story I've ever read. I've never experienced a story as impactful as this one in so few pages. Even though I've already been asked the question once before, this story makes it twist it's way deeper into my soul and realize more how I may already have answered the question.
The Day Before the Revolution
An old revolutionary grows old and reflects on her life and life in general. How she is no longer thought of as a person but a figure, a concept. A bit of backstory for The Dispossessed, another of her all time greats.
Okay so how does one rate a collection of short stories? Do I give it five stars for giving me three of the best Science Fiction short stories I've ever read? Perhaps it's the weakest link that defines it, and two stars is all it deserves? I've decided to use a mean average and round it up to the nearest star, so here we have a four star read. Although, I still feel like it's as worthwhile as many five star reads.
Semley's Necklace
The only story I had already read before starting this novel. It was put in the beginning of Rocannon's World, probably her weakest novel I've read but not a bad read. Like the book it was placed in, this story is fun and inventive. It's a neat mix of Fantasy and Science Fiction concepts and an entertaining although not worthwhile read.
April in Paris
Cute and endearing, not really something I would have expected from Le Guin, but it's a pleasant story. There's a bit of romanticism in many of her works I've read, but it's never been this blatant. It's about loneliness and finding happiness in a place you'd have never expected.
The Masters
A dystopian tale where something unexpected is the subject of a society's disdain. Computations are taboo and punishable by death. While this didn't immediately inspire the same fear in me that let's say books being outlawed would have, it's interesting to think about what could be made unavailable to keep a society stagnant.
Darkness Box
Haunting and straight forward, the passing of time is the subject here and whether or not we'd be better off without it.
The Word of Unbinding
A trip to Earthsea and an exploration of aspects of it's magic. I adore the world of Earthsea, and it's always nice to have a visit, even if it's not a particularly memorable one.
The Rule of Names
Now this is better, a proper trip to Earthsea. A remote island, a battle of wizards, and a tale of ancient civilizations and dragons. That's what I signed up for when I want to go the this fantastical archipelago.
Winter's King
A lot of thought provoking concepts are thrown around in this novel that takes place in one of her most original worlds. Somewhat genre bending, it adds a good deal of depth to the world of The Left Hand of Darkness, generally considered one of her best novels. It doesn't broach the same topics, but it's got the same feel of being completely original.
The Good Trip
Honestly, kind of a miss for me, the weakest story in here by far. I understood what she was trying to do here, and she did it well. It just didn't hold much interest for me, and I found myself skimming even though it was one of the shorter stories.
Nine Lives
The first short story in here that really wowed me. Concepts of cloning and an almost hive mind like state of being are taken apart and shown in a harsh light. She takes a popular science fiction concept and gives it her own unique twist.
Things
About how we all try to survive in our own way, this story accurately weighs the kindness and selfishness of humanity.
A Trip to the Head
A bit esoteric, we are made to think about the meaning of consciousness and how it affects our views of reality.
Vaster than Empires and More Slow
Now we're cooking with butter, this is a jaw dropping story about how we perceive the alien both in others and in an unknown environment. How you need to take a step back and try your best to put yourself in someone(or something) else's shoes before you jump to your natural fear and anger at the unknowable. While we may never be able to fully understand the alien, it's the trying that matters.
The Stars Below
An interesting history lesson and look at how one can find beauty in even the most unexpected places.
The Field of Vision
If not for the story after next, this would be the best story in this collection. Three men are made to face the vastness of reality and are given their own unique and complete window into the complete truth of the universe. The way each of them reacts and how this shapes them as humans takes us through a wild ride and makes us wonder if we'd really want to know everything.
Direction of the Road
Ever driven past a tree and wondered what it would be like to experience life as that tree? Well, Ursula K. Le Guin did and wrote a short story about it.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
In the little foreword she wrote for this short story, Le Guin credits William James for the concept, and she mentions that a lot of readers wonder why she didn't credit Dostoevsky. I must admit that after reading the story, I'd have done the same without the foreword to explain why to me. The most thought provoking question for me posed by The Brother's Karamazov is seemingly ripped right out of it's pages and given a new life here.
She accurately and completely asks the one question that haunts me more than any other I've read, even better than Dostoevsky himself did. This may be the best short story I've ever read. I've never experienced a story as impactful as this one in so few pages. Even though I've already been asked the question once before, this story makes it twist it's way deeper into my soul and realize more how I may already have answered the question.
The Day Before the Revolution
An old revolutionary grows old and reflects on her life and life in general. How she is no longer thought of as a person but a figure, a concept. A bit of backstory for The Dispossessed, another of her all time greats.
Okay so how does one rate a collection of short stories? Do I give it five stars for giving me three of the best Science Fiction short stories I've ever read? Perhaps it's the weakest link that defines it, and two stars is all it deserves? I've decided to use a mean average and round it up to the nearest star, so here we have a four star read. Although, I still feel like it's as worthwhile as many five star reads.
October 26, 2023
“Life loves to know itself, out to its furthest limits; to embrace complexity is its delight. Our difference is our beauty. All these worlds and the various forms and ways of the minds and lives and bodies on them – together they would make a splendid harmony.”
Ursula K Le Guin is not about to hide her romanticism or to denounce her earlier efforts in the field of speculative fiction. Instead, she wears it like a pride flag and moves on to become the amazing writer that captured our hearts and our imagination well beyond the limits and expectations of genre literature.
This collection of short stories is deliberately chronological, from her debut to the 1970s, and its purpose is to map her amazing journey to the top of her profession.
The progress of my style has been away from romanticism, slowly and steadily, from this story to the last one in the volume, written in 1972. It has been a progress. I am still a romantic, no doubt about that, and glad of it, but the candor and simplicity of ”Semley’s Necklace” have gradually become something harder, stronger, and more complex.
The author’s introductions to each story selected for the volume are as important to me, familiar as I am with most of her prize-winning novels, as the actual stories. They help with context, with the pitfalls of misreading the author’s intentions, with the sources of inspiration and with the recurring themes that define the style of this engaging and militant artist.
One of these important observations is the way Le Guin distinguishes between fantasy, hard-science and psychology: they are all part of the same human experience. She describes most of her later work as explorations of psychomyths : more or less surrealistic tales, which share with fantasy the quality of taking place outside any history, outside of time, in that region of the living mind which – without invoking any consideration of immortality – seems to be without spatial or temporal limits at all.
The author also makes the distinction between science-fiction as escapism and science-fiction as a tool to understand the human mind. I love her quote because it aligns well with my dislike for current trends in Hollywood action and superhero productions:
Unless physical action reflects psychic action, unless the deeds express the person, I get very bored with adventure stories; often it seems that the more action there is, the less happens.
In the same vein, the author draws attention to our sick fascination with professional killers, evil masterminds and generally bad boys with bad attitudes – another pervasive trend in Hollywood and literature:
The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain.
On a more practical level, the various stories will take the seasoned reader to well known destinations, more or less anchored in the shared Hainish universe imagined by le Guin: a multitude of worlds scattered to the far corners of the galaxy, brought together by a communication device known as an ansible , one that can bypass the limitations of the speed of light.
The importance of this ansible is revealed in one of the quotes about light and darkness, one that originates probably the author’s interests in Oriental philosophies, like Tao, Confucianism or Yin-Yang dualities. It might also be read in today’s context of the spread of misinformation through social media, something the author surely couldn’t know about in 1975. Yet this is what a science-fiction author does, according to Ray Bradbury: sees the signs of illness, and rings the alarm bells:
Unreason darkens that gap of time bridged by our lightspeed ships, and in the darkness uncertainty and disproportion grow like weeds.
Each story here merits its own individual review but, since it’s been a few weeks after I finished the lecture, I will only mention that I had a chance to visit Rocannon’s world, Earthsea, the planets Winter from The Left Hand of Darkness and Odo from The Dispossessed plus several other locations less obvious to the Hainish tourist.
The Word for World is Forest is not included in the collection, but the later title can be predicted from such stories as The Word of Unbinding and Vaster Than Empires and More Slow , places where the forest in the outer world mirrors forests of the mind, as le Guin so aptly describes in one of her introductions:
We all have forests in our minds. Forests unexplored, unending. Each of us gets lost in the forest, every night, alone.
This is something that resonates strongly with my own city-bred experiences: the surest way to get my psychic batteries re-charged is to escape from the asphalt jungle to the peace and silence of the forest.
Lately, in these lone years in the middle of his life, he had been burdened with a sense of waste, of unspent strength; so, needing to learn patience, he had left the villages and gone to converse with trees, especially oaks, chestnuts, and the grey alders whose roots are in profound communication with running water.
The forest is both a powerful physical presence, a thing of endless beauty and a political manifesto – an alternative to our toxic, world destroying consumerism. Knowing how much le Guin loves the forest, it should not be a surprise that her poetic ear and her mind latched onto a couple of lines from Marvell’s famous appeal to embrace life and love:
My vegetable Love should grow
Vaster than Empires, and more slow.
In the story inspired by the poem, humans set out on suicidal, one-way missions to the farthest unexplored corners of the universe, in search of answers to questions that haven’t even been asked yet. These transcendental mysteries find expression in a world where intelligence developed in unexpected directions.
Nobody here ate anybody else. All life-forms were photosynthesizing or saprophagous, living off light or death, not off life. Plants: infinite plants, not one species known to the visitors from the house of Man. Infinite shades and intensities of green, violet, purple, brown, red. Infinite silences.
Trying to comprehend the strangeness of this universe can lead to madness. Indeed, the author argues that only a madman would embark on such a spiritual journey:
No normal human being who had experienced time-slippage of even a few decades between League worlds would volunteer for a round trip of centuries. The Surveyors were escapists, misfits. They were nuts.
This reminds me of the Beatles song about the fool on the hill who sees the worlds spinning round and round and round. What do they have that we have misplaced on never paid attention to? Le Guin argues that it is ‘empathy’, the key ingredient to understand and accept the concept of Stranger. This is something central to many of Le Guin’s stories, but in particular to ‘Winter’s King’ and ‘Nine Lives’
It is hard to meet a stranger. Even the greatest extravert meeting even the meekest stranger knows a certain dread, though he may not know he knows it. Will he make a fool of me wreck my image of myself invade me destroy me change me? Will he be different from me? Yes, that he will. There’s the terrible thing: the strangeness of the stranger.
While the theme was greatly expanded in the novel ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’, the impact and the relevance of the original short story is painfully brought to bear by current events in which we willfully refuse to acknowledge the humanity and the rights of the Stranger, preferring to consider them a threat to be eliminated [they are rejected based on skin colour, religion, economic status, political preferences, sexual orientation, etc].
Nevertheless, the distance between the concept of Stranger and plot execution made ‘Nine Lives’ the only story in the collection I struggled with. Le Guin postulates the use of clones as a more practical alternative to exploration crews. She argues that a multiple organism that can share one mind, one purpose can function better than a bunch of individuals with conflicting personalities: They were all him, he is all them.
I don’t buy into this theory since I’m half of a pair of identical twins and our personalities and our purposes were never identical, regardless of our shared growing up experience. Having identical physiological features is no guarantee of identical minds. Even the science quoted by le Guin seems highly suspicious [bogey] to me:
It’s true that identical twins tend to die at about the same time, even when they have never seen each other. Identity and death, it is very strange ... ???
The later stories in the collection show not only the growing mastery of language from le Guin, but also her engagement with the issues she considers important. Scientists remain her favorite protagonists for their dedication to enlightenment that often puts them in the crosshairs of dictators and bigots. It is the case of The Stars Below , one of my top picks from the volume, the story of an astronomer that is hunted down like Giordano Bruno by the local Inquisition for daring to look up at the stars. He is forced to hide underground, in near total darkness, alone and afraid yet undefeated.
We must go farther, we must look farther! There is light if we will see it. Not with eyes alone, but with the skill of the hands and the knowledge of the mind and the heart’s faith in the unseen revealed, and the hidden made plain. And all the dark earth shines like a sleeping star.
The most important, the most philosophical and the most influential of the stories in this collection is actually the shortest : The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
It is what le Guin defines as a psychomyth, a fundamental building block of our moral compass and of the way we engage with the world and with the Stranger. Others, like Dostoyevsky and William James, both acknowledged as sources of inspiration by le Guin, have tackled the issue, but I admire her effort best for the clarity of the presentation and for the provocation to the reader to take a stand, one way or another.
The core of the debate is the question of Utopian societies, and of what are we prepared to do in order to live in one of them. Put in another way, what moral compromises are you ready to accept in order to live your life comfortably? Many critics have seen this as a direct critic of American jingoism or exceptionalism and of the crimes committed in its name. Or, as Howard Zinn put it: there is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.
To those readers who point out that the story apparently recommends disengaging with the issue and walking away, Le Guin wrote her answer in another fundamental story in her fictional universe, one that deals with her political stance in support of the often misunderstood anarchism movement:
Anarchism’s principal target is the authoritarian State (capitalist or socialist); its principal moral – practical theme – is cooperation (solidarity, mutual aid). It is the most idealistic, and to me the most interesting, of all political theories.
Because: This story is about one of the ones who walked away from Omelas.]
I’m talking about The Day Before the Revolution , the story that militantly ends the volume with a call to arms, promising that Utopias are accessible to those who look inside and take responsibility for themselves, instead of blaming others or the system or secret cabals engaged in conspiracy theories.
“What is an anarchist? One who, choosing, accepts the responsibility of choice.”
Ursula K le Guin has no desire to become the prophet of a new world order. She is a romantic and a humanist who believes in our better nature and who believes in knowledge and in self examination as the path forward. She is the teacher who pushes the younglings out of the nest in order to teach them to fly:
They were awed, adoring. She snarled at them: Think your own thoughts! That’s not anarchism, that’s mere obscurantism.
Le Guin’s literary journey doesn’t come to a stop in 1975, the year the retrospective collection was written. I look forward to the next voyage of discovery in the company of her stories and novels.
December 26, 2018
Le Guin's first short story collection, which includes:
Semley's Necklace: A Story - 4/5 - prologue to Rocannon's World works just fine as a stand alone story
April in Paris - 4/5 - Two frustrated writers in Paris sharing the same room, separated by a few hundred years...until they aren't
The Masters: A Story - 2/5 - II + II = 4
Darkness Box - 3/5 - I know it's up for me, if you steal my sunshine
The Word of Unbinding - 4/5 - OK on its own as a story of a good wizard who is imprisoned by a powerful evil wizard, but most readers will find it primarily interesting as Le Guin's first story in her Earthsea world
The Rule of Names - 5/5 - another early Earthsea story, this one with a clever sense of humor and a strong Tolkien flavor
The Winter's King - 2/5 - short story related to The Left Hand of Darkness
The Good Trip: A Story - 2/5 - what a long strange trip it's been
Nine Lives - 3/5 - ten heads are better than one
Things: A Story - 4/5 - this story is heavy as bricks
A Trip to the Head: A Story - 3/5 - another long strange trip
Vaster Than Empires and More Slow - 4/5 - Hainish story about an empath on an iong-term exploration mission
The Stars Below - 4/5 - when astronomers go underground
Field of Vision - 4/5 - one of the nine billion names
Direction of the Road - 2/5 - so...trees?
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - 3/5 - less a story and more of a disquieting moral/philosophical conundrum
The Day Before the Revolution - 2/5 - prequel to The Dispossessed in which not much happens
Semley's Necklace: A Story - 4/5 - prologue to Rocannon's World works just fine as a stand alone story
April in Paris - 4/5 - Two frustrated writers in Paris sharing the same room, separated by a few hundred years...until they aren't
The Masters: A Story - 2/5 - II + II = 4
Darkness Box - 3/5 - I know it's up for me, if you steal my sunshine
The Word of Unbinding - 4/5 - OK on its own as a story of a good wizard who is imprisoned by a powerful evil wizard, but most readers will find it primarily interesting as Le Guin's first story in her Earthsea world
The Rule of Names - 5/5 - another early Earthsea story, this one with a clever sense of humor and a strong Tolkien flavor
The Winter's King - 2/5 - short story related to The Left Hand of Darkness
The Good Trip: A Story - 2/5 - what a long strange trip it's been
Nine Lives - 3/5 - ten heads are better than one
Things: A Story - 4/5 - this story is heavy as bricks
A Trip to the Head: A Story - 3/5 - another long strange trip
Vaster Than Empires and More Slow - 4/5 - Hainish story about an empath on an iong-term exploration mission
The Stars Below - 4/5 - when astronomers go underground
Field of Vision - 4/5 - one of the nine billion names
Direction of the Road - 2/5 - so...trees?
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - 3/5 - less a story and more of a disquieting moral/philosophical conundrum
The Day Before the Revolution - 2/5 - prequel to The Dispossessed in which not much happens
January 2, 2023
Una recopilació complexa, que toca tots els pals. Per mí, Le Guin brilla en la ciència
-ficció i l'especulació, però aquí trobem bons exemples de com de bé es mou en fantasia, realisme màgic, humor, política...
Per destacar un parell de relats, triaria Els que se'n van d'Omelas, La paraula d'alliberament i Més vast que els imperis i més lent.
En fi, és Le Guin ❤️
-ficció i l'especulació, però aquí trobem bons exemples de com de bé es mou en fantasia, realisme màgic, humor, política...
Per destacar un parell de relats, triaria Els que se'n van d'Omelas, La paraula d'alliberament i Més vast que els imperis i més lent.
En fi, és Le Guin ❤️
November 17, 2024
I chipped away at this short story collection, slowly, over about 4 months. It definitely didn't grab me as strongly as the previous Le Guin story collection I read years ago (Five Ways to Forgiveness). But what I liked about this one is that each story contains a short preface by the author, and they are arranged in chronological publication order, and span about 10 years of Le Guin's writing career (from 1963-1972). So the volume serves somewhat as a retrospective. The stories that stood out to me here include "Semley's Necklace", "April in Paris", "Winter's King" (set in the same world as The Left Hand of Darkness), "Nine Lives", and "The Stars Below". I'm always interested in what shorter ideas novelists play around with, and I also plan to work my way through Le Guin's entire body of work eventually so I'm glad to have read this one.
November 10, 2020
Where do you get your ideas from, Ms Le Guin?' From forgetting Dostoyevsky and reading road signs backwards, naturally. Where else?
Life appears better this morning, but this baggy collection isn't the cause of such. Many of these stories were interesting but all appeared a little glib, even fun when the thematics regarded colonialism or anti-intellectualism. I can understand her light approach but it did give me pause. I also liked her idea of electro-chemical fear being emitted by forest. There's time-travel and a pondering of gender. There's also a rethinking of William James and what it means to say no to power. I thought that last bit would be a bit more resonant than it proved, but again I have had a rough time these last few days.
Life appears better this morning, but this baggy collection isn't the cause of such. Many of these stories were interesting but all appeared a little glib, even fun when the thematics regarded colonialism or anti-intellectualism. I can understand her light approach but it did give me pause. I also liked her idea of electro-chemical fear being emitted by forest. There's time-travel and a pondering of gender. There's also a rethinking of William James and what it means to say no to power. I thought that last bit would be a bit more resonant than it proved, but again I have had a rough time these last few days.
November 13, 2021
Her first collection (1975). Currently rereading ( 9/18/17). Opens with "Semley's Necklace", one of her 2 best shorts. And includes "Nine Lives," which I reviewed recently, and I expect you could find, since it's already late.... Oh, OK: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... My full remarks are there, if scattered. The Playboy story is priceless!
I own a well-read copy of the The Wind's Twelve Quarters
Full TOC right up above you, or Google for story notes @ISFDB.
Very nice cover art, uncredited, probably by Pauline Ellison:
http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/0/08...
I own a well-read copy of the The Wind's Twelve Quarters
Full TOC right up above you, or Google for story notes @ISFDB.
Very nice cover art, uncredited, probably by Pauline Ellison:
http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/0/08...
October 18, 2020
second read – 17 October 2020 - ****. I re-read this collection because it contains more than one story mentioned in the video lectures Great Utopian and Dystopian Works of Literature. In the years since my original read, I have of course seen some of these stories anthologized elsewhere, and I do not doubt I own many copies of a few. Some of the stories are masterpieces of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction, and perhaps a few are humdrum, but altogether my re-read reminded me of why Ursula K. Le Guin was such a big deal in SF a decade after she first began being published. In here, there are award winners, and the collection itself is winner of the 1976 Locus Aware for single author collection. Below are my comments on the individual stories.
“Semley's Necklace”, originally published as “The Dowry of Angyar” in the September 1964 issue of Amazing Stories. Later expanded into Le Guin’s first novel, Rocannon's World in 1966. An evocative story hinging on time dilation, told with the power of myth. *****
“April in Paris”, originally published in the September 1962 issue of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. A scientist, in desperation, evokes magic. ***
“The Masters”, originally published in the February 1963 issue of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. The spirit of a young mathematician is crushed by life in his post-holocaust anti-science community. ****
“Darkness Box”, originally published in the November 1963 issue of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. A witch’s small boy finds a box containing darkness, that has meaning for the upcoming battle. ***
“The Word of Unbinding”, originally published in the January 1964 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination. In this proto-Earthsea story, Festin is trapped and can find only one way out. A vignette more than a story. Her novel A Wizard of Earthsea was published 4 years later in 1968. **
“The Rule of Names”, originally published in the April 1964 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination. This is another proto-Earthsea story. On an island of the Outer Reach lives an inept wizard who is actually other than he is known to be. The villagers haven’t really done anything to deserve the ending; this piece is more a set-up to a later important storyline of the Earthsea cycle. ***
“Winter's King”, originally published in Damon Knight’s Orbit 5 anthology in 1969. It was a nominee for the 1970 Hugo Award for short story, and this version was revised to use “she” pronouns for the androgynous Gethenians. It is a proto-The Left Hand of Darkness story, again illustrating human consequences of time dilation in the Hainish universe. ****
“The Good Trip”, originally published in the August 1970 issue of Fantastic. A young man experiences hallucination without actually taking LSD. **
“Nine Lives”, originally published in the November 1969 issue of Playboy. It was a nominee for the 1970 Nebula for novelette, and this version is as she originally intended before the magazine editors modified it slightly. Set on a lifeless mining planet and written with technological realism, I think it could be considered hard-sf - unusual for Le Guin. Thematically, it uses human cloning to evoke the human condition of separateness. *****
“Things”, originally published as “The End” in Damon Knight’s Orbit 6 anthology in 1970. It concerns an iconoclastic brickmaker whose community is facing an unexplained end. A statement on how humans handle the unhandleable. ****
“A Trip to the Head”, originally published in Samuel Delany’s Quark 1 anthology in 1970. Either I am not smart enough to understand this story, or it actually is just gobbledygook. *
“Vaster than Empires and More Slow”, originally published in Robert Silverberg’s New Dimensions 1 anthology in 1971. It was a nominee for the 1972 Hugo for short story. An interplanetary party of ten mildly psychologically disturbed explorers lands on World 4470. The empath among them has been nearly dysfunctional in their presence, but his condition becomes much worse on the planet. The relationship of humans with a planet-spanning semi-awareness is similar to themes in Le Guin’s The Word for World is Forest (1972). ****
“The Stars Below”, originally published in Damon Knight’s Orbit 14 anthology in 1974. An astronomer driven underground, literally. Science as metaphor for the human spirit. ****
“The Field of Vision”, originally published in the October 1973 issue of Galaxy. Astronauts return from Mars after a profound transformative experience. ***
“Direction of the Road”, originally published in Damon Knight’s Orbit 12 anthology in 1973. Another vignette, told from the point of view of an oak tree. ***
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, originally published in Robert Silverberg’s New Dimensions 3 anthology in 1973. Le Guin describes a utopian town; it’s not important the details of how it is a utopia, just what is the price. Can it even be a utopia, knowing that price? Simply stated, this is a short outstanding work of literature, possibly the best thing Le Guin ever wrote. It’s also winner of 1974 Hugo for short story. *****
“The Day Before the Revolution”, originally published in the August 1974 issue of Galaxy. Near the end of her life, in a body that fails her mind, Laia see the final culmination of her life’s work. This is a prequel to Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. It is also winner of the 1975 Nebula for short story, and winner of the 1975 Locus for short story, and a nominee for the 1975 Hugo for short story. *****
first read - 1 October 1976 ****. - I bought my copy of this while I was a college student, as soon as it was released into paperback. I read it immediately, as I had recently discovered that I really liked Le Guin's writing. It is a collection of her short stories from the prior decade. Most of them had been published while I was a teenager in a small town where the only SF resources were a small corner of the public library and my subscription to Analog. This was my first read of almost all the stories.
“Semley's Necklace”, originally published as “The Dowry of Angyar” in the September 1964 issue of Amazing Stories. Later expanded into Le Guin’s first novel, Rocannon's World in 1966. An evocative story hinging on time dilation, told with the power of myth. *****
“April in Paris”, originally published in the September 1962 issue of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. A scientist, in desperation, evokes magic. ***
“The Masters”, originally published in the February 1963 issue of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. The spirit of a young mathematician is crushed by life in his post-holocaust anti-science community. ****
“Darkness Box”, originally published in the November 1963 issue of Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. A witch’s small boy finds a box containing darkness, that has meaning for the upcoming battle. ***
“The Word of Unbinding”, originally published in the January 1964 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination. In this proto-Earthsea story, Festin is trapped and can find only one way out. A vignette more than a story. Her novel A Wizard of Earthsea was published 4 years later in 1968. **
“The Rule of Names”, originally published in the April 1964 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination. This is another proto-Earthsea story. On an island of the Outer Reach lives an inept wizard who is actually other than he is known to be. The villagers haven’t really done anything to deserve the ending; this piece is more a set-up to a later important storyline of the Earthsea cycle. ***
“Winter's King”, originally published in Damon Knight’s Orbit 5 anthology in 1969. It was a nominee for the 1970 Hugo Award for short story, and this version was revised to use “she” pronouns for the androgynous Gethenians. It is a proto-The Left Hand of Darkness story, again illustrating human consequences of time dilation in the Hainish universe. ****
“The Good Trip”, originally published in the August 1970 issue of Fantastic. A young man experiences hallucination without actually taking LSD. **
“Nine Lives”, originally published in the November 1969 issue of Playboy. It was a nominee for the 1970 Nebula for novelette, and this version is as she originally intended before the magazine editors modified it slightly. Set on a lifeless mining planet and written with technological realism, I think it could be considered hard-sf - unusual for Le Guin. Thematically, it uses human cloning to evoke the human condition of separateness. *****
“Things”, originally published as “The End” in Damon Knight’s Orbit 6 anthology in 1970. It concerns an iconoclastic brickmaker whose community is facing an unexplained end. A statement on how humans handle the unhandleable. ****
“A Trip to the Head”, originally published in Samuel Delany’s Quark 1 anthology in 1970. Either I am not smart enough to understand this story, or it actually is just gobbledygook. *
“Vaster than Empires and More Slow”, originally published in Robert Silverberg’s New Dimensions 1 anthology in 1971. It was a nominee for the 1972 Hugo for short story. An interplanetary party of ten mildly psychologically disturbed explorers lands on World 4470. The empath among them has been nearly dysfunctional in their presence, but his condition becomes much worse on the planet. The relationship of humans with a planet-spanning semi-awareness is similar to themes in Le Guin’s The Word for World is Forest (1972). ****
“The Stars Below”, originally published in Damon Knight’s Orbit 14 anthology in 1974. An astronomer driven underground, literally. Science as metaphor for the human spirit. ****
“The Field of Vision”, originally published in the October 1973 issue of Galaxy. Astronauts return from Mars after a profound transformative experience. ***
“Direction of the Road”, originally published in Damon Knight’s Orbit 12 anthology in 1973. Another vignette, told from the point of view of an oak tree. ***
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, originally published in Robert Silverberg’s New Dimensions 3 anthology in 1973. Le Guin describes a utopian town; it’s not important the details of how it is a utopia, just what is the price. Can it even be a utopia, knowing that price? Simply stated, this is a short outstanding work of literature, possibly the best thing Le Guin ever wrote. It’s also winner of 1974 Hugo for short story. *****
“The Day Before the Revolution”, originally published in the August 1974 issue of Galaxy. Near the end of her life, in a body that fails her mind, Laia see the final culmination of her life’s work. This is a prequel to Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. It is also winner of the 1975 Nebula for short story, and winner of the 1975 Locus for short story, and a nominee for the 1975 Hugo for short story. *****
first read - 1 October 1976 ****. - I bought my copy of this while I was a college student, as soon as it was released into paperback. I read it immediately, as I had recently discovered that I really liked Le Guin's writing. It is a collection of her short stories from the prior decade. Most of them had been published while I was a teenager in a small town where the only SF resources were a small corner of the public library and my subscription to Analog. This was my first read of almost all the stories.
March 29, 2024
Getting out of my comfort zone here! Excellent collection of short stories. I'm excited to read more of her work.
October 13, 2018
I am a huge fan of UKL, especially her early work, so this was a real treat. Generally, I found this collection of some of her very first stories a bit rough around the edges at times, though with glimmers of the greatness evident in her best work. As with her work generally, these stories are often metaphors for something deeper, something real and meaningful, often some aspect of society or human relationships. Sometimes it's something buried just beneath surface, sometimes perhaps something not so obvious. Highlights for me in this collection are The Rule of Names, The Good Trip, Things, and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.
Semley's Necklace 3/5
April in Paris 4/5
The Masters 2/5
Darkness Box 2/5
The Word of Unbinding 4/5
The Rule of Names 5/5
Winter's King 3/5
The Good Trip 5/5
Nine Lives 3/5
Things 5/5
A Trip to the Head 3/5
Vaster than Empires and More Slow 3/5
The Stars Below 3/5
The Field of Vision 2/5
Direction of the Road 2/5
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas 5/5
The Day Before the Revolution 4/5
Semley's Necklace 3/5
April in Paris 4/5
The Masters 2/5
Darkness Box 2/5
The Word of Unbinding 4/5
The Rule of Names 5/5
Winter's King 3/5
The Good Trip 5/5
Nine Lives 3/5
Things 5/5
A Trip to the Head 3/5
Vaster than Empires and More Slow 3/5
The Stars Below 3/5
The Field of Vision 2/5
Direction of the Road 2/5
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas 5/5
The Day Before the Revolution 4/5
February 28, 2023
Öncelikle bu beş puan cok kişisel. Beni en çok ihtiyacım olan zamanda alıp yıldızlara, olmayan gezegenlere, zihin üstü yolculuklara çıkardığı için Ursula K. Le Guin'e bundan çok daha fazlasını borçluyum. Tüm bilgeliği ile bana bir kez daha insanın aç gözlülüğünü, doğanın ve ağaçların erdemini, zamanın göreceliğini anlattı. Hâlâ okuyacağım eserleri olduğu için kendimi şanslı hissediyorum. İyi ki yaşamış ve yazmış. ♥️ Bir meşe ağacının ağzından yazılan Yolun Yönü öyküsü favorim olarak kalacak hep.
"Hepimizin zihninde ormanlar var. Keşfedilmemiş uçsuz bucaksız ormanlar. Her birimiz her gece bu ormanlarda kayboluyoruz, bir başımıza kalıyoruz."
"Hepimizin zihninde ormanlar var. Keşfedilmemiş uçsuz bucaksız ormanlar. Her birimiz her gece bu ormanlarda kayboluyoruz, bir başımıza kalıyoruz."
December 14, 2020
7/10. Media de los 23 libros leídos de la autora : 7/105/10 en 2012. Lo mismo se podía quedar en dos estrellas.
Los libros de Terramar de Ursula K Leguin siempre han sido una fuente de diversión para los aficionados a la CF la fantasía, y la serie de Terramar es un claro ejemplo. Historias entretenidas, con humor, imaginación, magia, originalidad, acción ... todo lo que podemos pedir a un buen libro de fantasía. Valga este comentario para lo que yo tengo etiquetado como “Un Mago De Terramar / las tumbas de Atuan / La Costa Mas Lejana / Tehanu / En el otro viento”
Peeeero acabo de leer el volumen titulado “Terramar 6– Las 12 moradas de viento” y decir que son historias muy muy cortas que no me han gustado apenas. No es que sean malas, pero esperaba más.
Por cierto, que estos libros de Terramar se han publicado bajo distintas denominaciones, recopilaciones, agrupaciones, editoriales, etc y es casi imposible al ver el título de un libro de Terramar decir si lo has leído ya o no.
Los libros de Terramar de Ursula K Leguin siempre han sido una fuente de diversión para los aficionados a la CF la fantasía, y la serie de Terramar es un claro ejemplo. Historias entretenidas, con humor, imaginación, magia, originalidad, acción ... todo lo que podemos pedir a un buen libro de fantasía. Valga este comentario para lo que yo tengo etiquetado como “Un Mago De Terramar / las tumbas de Atuan / La Costa Mas Lejana / Tehanu / En el otro viento”
Peeeero acabo de leer el volumen titulado “Terramar 6– Las 12 moradas de viento” y decir que son historias muy muy cortas que no me han gustado apenas. No es que sean malas, pero esperaba más.
Por cierto, que estos libros de Terramar se han publicado bajo distintas denominaciones, recopilaciones, agrupaciones, editoriales, etc y es casi imposible al ver el título de un libro de Terramar decir si lo has leído ya o no.
September 12, 2011
I've only read one other Ursula Le Guin book (The Left Hand of Darkness, which I loved for making me think so hard), so it was a treat to get a range of her short stories. Collections like these aren't necessarily an author's greatest hits. But after reading The Wind's Twelve Quarters, I feel like I know Le Guin much better and consequently, got a good insight in her creative process. I now conclude that Le Guin is an awesome, awesome lady. I would love to have a drink with her. She's just so smart and thoughtful and self-aware, and she does such a wonderful job incorporating sophisticated ideas--whether that's social theory or scientific speculation--into her writing.
Le Guin also proves that genre and great writing aren't mutually exclusive (hey, I love my genre, but it's so rare that I love a sci-fi or fantasy book as much for its writing as I do for its story or world). Her sentences are perfect. The stories also show Le Guin's impressive range--sentient trees, aliens, winter planets, time-travel, myth or however you want to categorize Omelas--arranged roughly in chronological order. She explains that she was a Romantic at the beginning, less so at the end. I don't know if I feel a fervent attachment to any of them, but I certainly liked and admired them all. Except for Winter's King, though. I loved Winter's King so much, especially the bit about abdegnation.
Le Guin also proves that genre and great writing aren't mutually exclusive (hey, I love my genre, but it's so rare that I love a sci-fi or fantasy book as much for its writing as I do for its story or world). Her sentences are perfect. The stories also show Le Guin's impressive range--sentient trees, aliens, winter planets, time-travel, myth or however you want to categorize Omelas--arranged roughly in chronological order. She explains that she was a Romantic at the beginning, less so at the end. I don't know if I feel a fervent attachment to any of them, but I certainly liked and admired them all. Except for Winter's King, though. I loved Winter's King so much, especially the bit about abdegnation.
December 10, 2025
Questa raccolta comprende sia racconti di fantascienza che racconti più stile fantasy, che lei chiama psicomito. Io prediligo di gran lunga i primi. I racconti di Ursula Le Guin sono soprattutto psicologici, la fantascienza è un pretesto per esplorare l’animo umano. La mente è lo spazio profondo, territorio inesplorato. Di questa raccolta fanno parte Quelli che si allontanano da Omelas, splendido racconto filosofico sul capro espiatorio, Nove vite, incentrato sui cloni e su cos’è l’identità, Il campo di visione, sulla ricerca di Dio e dell’ignoto, e Più vasto degli imperi e più lento, sulla diversità. Questi per me valgono cinque stelle. Quelli dello “psicomito” sono un po’ meno interessanti.
June 7, 2018
There are stars in the earth, he thought, if one knew how to see them.
How can one come up with worlds so diverse and so convincing, when one must unfold their story in such short space and time?
Reading Ursula K. Le Guin post mortem –for the first time, mind you- was a rather interesting and emotionally diverse experience for a variety of reasons.
I was rather skeptical at first: I am not particularly familiar with short stories (Poe’s excluded) and The Wind’s Twelve Quarters was entrusted to me by my wi- *ahem* best friend as something dearly precious. I wanted to love Le Guin’s stories, before I read them. Inevitably, I ended up enjoying some less than the rest. I am not a huge fan of Sci-Fi –so don’t go grabbing your rakes and torches. Squeak as I may every time I hear a Sonic Screwdriver’s buzz or the first chords from SW’s soundtrack, exploring the galaxy through books is not really my thing. Sprinkling Sci-Fi themes with things that traditionally belong in fantasy founded an environment that to me, before Le Guin, was entirely unfamiliar.
It took time to feel comfortable in her works -I believe, in fact, that it have never taken me this long to finish another story. At first, though I admired the simplicity of the prose, I fell repelled by setting an aesthetic. Once, however, I was accustomed to her worlds, I was able to see the things that in fact make her writing precious. The recurring themes, the existential dilemmas, the psychological detail of her characters as well as a somewhat “meta” approach in her work propose a challenge –an invitation, not only to her fellow (aspiring) writers, but also to every reader as a Human.
Nine Lives, The Stars Bellow, Direction of the Road, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, The Day Before the Revolution –those where the ones I enjoyed the most. I would, though, suggest to the interested reader not to skip or change the intended arrangement of her work. Thus was the author’s intention –every short story is accompanied by a delicious personal note- and thus one can truly appreciate her progress –skillwise and thoughtwise, alike.
The themes, the prose, the meaning brought me to tears more than once. I don’t think that would have been the case, had I read the book backwards. Reading Le Guin… well, I don’t think I can express it in any other way other than say that it felt as though one hops up the shoulders of a giant. You don’t see a different world –though her worlds are very innovative- but rather you review the one (inside and outside) you are familiar with with a fresher pair of eyes. The psychological detail (I know I’ve mentioned this before) left me at awe. Her thoughts over science and despair irked me and left me sleepless. Her development as an artist scared me, but also gave me a little bit of hope. It was amazing.
The Wind’s Twelve Quarters –truly, how beautiful is this poem?- is a collection of seventeen (if I am not mistaken) short stories. Though fragmental, they are complete and and the end of the day they serve what, in my opinion, every piece of art needs to encourage: feeling thinking, and then maybe change for the best one day –maybe be like Odo and the citizens of Omealas. Maybe, one day, walk away.
How can one come up with worlds so diverse and so convincing, when one must unfold their story in such short space and time?
Reading Ursula K. Le Guin post mortem –for the first time, mind you- was a rather interesting and emotionally diverse experience for a variety of reasons.
I was rather skeptical at first: I am not particularly familiar with short stories (Poe’s excluded) and The Wind’s Twelve Quarters was entrusted to me by my wi- *ahem* best friend as something dearly precious. I wanted to love Le Guin’s stories, before I read them. Inevitably, I ended up enjoying some less than the rest. I am not a huge fan of Sci-Fi –so don’t go grabbing your rakes and torches. Squeak as I may every time I hear a Sonic Screwdriver’s buzz or the first chords from SW’s soundtrack, exploring the galaxy through books is not really my thing. Sprinkling Sci-Fi themes with things that traditionally belong in fantasy founded an environment that to me, before Le Guin, was entirely unfamiliar.
It took time to feel comfortable in her works -I believe, in fact, that it have never taken me this long to finish another story. At first, though I admired the simplicity of the prose, I fell repelled by setting an aesthetic. Once, however, I was accustomed to her worlds, I was able to see the things that in fact make her writing precious. The recurring themes, the existential dilemmas, the psychological detail of her characters as well as a somewhat “meta” approach in her work propose a challenge –an invitation, not only to her fellow (aspiring) writers, but also to every reader as a Human.
Nine Lives, The Stars Bellow, Direction of the Road, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, The Day Before the Revolution –those where the ones I enjoyed the most. I would, though, suggest to the interested reader not to skip or change the intended arrangement of her work. Thus was the author’s intention –every short story is accompanied by a delicious personal note- and thus one can truly appreciate her progress –skillwise and thoughtwise, alike.
The themes, the prose, the meaning brought me to tears more than once. I don’t think that would have been the case, had I read the book backwards. Reading Le Guin… well, I don’t think I can express it in any other way other than say that it felt as though one hops up the shoulders of a giant. You don’t see a different world –though her worlds are very innovative- but rather you review the one (inside and outside) you are familiar with with a fresher pair of eyes. The psychological detail (I know I’ve mentioned this before) left me at awe. Her thoughts over science and despair irked me and left me sleepless. Her development as an artist scared me, but also gave me a little bit of hope. It was amazing.
The Wind’s Twelve Quarters –truly, how beautiful is this poem?- is a collection of seventeen (if I am not mistaken) short stories. Though fragmental, they are complete and and the end of the day they serve what, in my opinion, every piece of art needs to encourage: feeling thinking, and then maybe change for the best one day –maybe be like Odo and the citizens of Omealas. Maybe, one day, walk away.
January 30, 2020
Una muy buena antología que recomiendo tanto a los fans de Ursula como a los que se quieran adentrar en su universo, ya que pueden probar de manera dosificada cada una de los géneros en donde incursiona y se destaca la autora.
Los cuentos fueron publicados en el corrrer de 1962 a 1974, por lo que queda patente como varía la calidad literaria de Ursula a la hora de exponer y desarrollar sus ideas. Esto desbalancea la antología en cuestión de calidad, ya que no todos los cuentos son obras maestras, sino más bien pinceladas de los juegos y experimentos literarios de la autora.
Las grandes características de Ursula están presentes: su preocupación ecológica y política, el predominio de la visión antropológica y psicológica. También es destacado que hay cuentos de diversos géneros, si bien predomina la ciencia ficción, está presente la fantasía y algunos de carácter contemporáneo.
Si quieren leer más sobre la antología les dejo el link a mi blog con la reseña y los cuentos que me parecieron más destacados.
https://leerporpurovicio.blogspot.com...
Los cuentos fueron publicados en el corrrer de 1962 a 1974, por lo que queda patente como varía la calidad literaria de Ursula a la hora de exponer y desarrollar sus ideas. Esto desbalancea la antología en cuestión de calidad, ya que no todos los cuentos son obras maestras, sino más bien pinceladas de los juegos y experimentos literarios de la autora.
Las grandes características de Ursula están presentes: su preocupación ecológica y política, el predominio de la visión antropológica y psicológica. También es destacado que hay cuentos de diversos géneros, si bien predomina la ciencia ficción, está presente la fantasía y algunos de carácter contemporáneo.
Si quieren leer más sobre la antología les dejo el link a mi blog con la reseña y los cuentos que me parecieron más destacados.
https://leerporpurovicio.blogspot.com...
April 8, 2018
I enjoyed this overall and quite liked a number of the stories. I didn't particularly like how curated this collection is by Le Guin. Each story has a small introduction from her that I found to be too influential in my reading of the stories. Eventually, I'd read the story first and go back to her comments. But it made the whole collection seem less about the stories and more about the author. I was surprised that two of my favorite stories are set in the Earthsea world, as I really didn't like The Wizard of Earthsea. The stories I enjoyed were: The Word of Unbinding, The Rule of Names, Winter's King, Vaster than Empires and More Slow, The Stars Below, The Field of Vision and The Day Before the Revolution.
January 15, 2022
He leído muy poco a la autora, el primero de Terramar y La mano izquierda de la oscuridad, con ambos sentí que eran el inicio de algo más grande que no alcanzaba a vislumbrar todavía. Sin embargo, fue con esta antología de relatos que me enamoré de ella. Si bien partí bien tibia, los últimos me parecieron preciosos. Dejé comentarios cortos de los cuentos en mis avances de lectura, así que solo hablaré de los que más me gustaron aquí.
Más vasto que los imperios, y más lento: un relato de un grupo de científicos que llegan a explorar un planeta que no cuenta con vida animal ni humana, solo vegetal. Sin embargo, la soledad y continua convivencia empieza a pasarles la cuenta, en especial con uno de ellos que era empático y ponía en peligro toda la dinámica grupal. Me pareció precioso, desde la prosa hasta el tema de las emociones y cómo no solo esta persona las sentía sino que respondía a ellas, la percepción de las otras personas como entes ajenos y el cómo estamos más interconectados de lo que pensamos. Mi favorito.
Nueve vidas: dos mineros trabajan junto a un grupo de diez clones como preparación en una misión, no obstante, un accidente acaba con nueve de esos diez clones. Este relato se centra en la autopercepción de nosotros como individuos y nuestras dinámicas con los demás, en el cómo una persona puede solo necesitarse a sí misma y así excluye por completo al resto del mundo. Toda la lucha mental del clon que queda para volver a definirse como individuo fue muy interesante.
El campo de visión: tres hombres vuelven de una misión en Marte, sin embargo, uno de ellos muere, el otro parece mentalmente incapacitado y otro, ciego. Es la historia de cómo van descubriendo qué fue lo que les sucedió y el propósito detrás. A diferencia de los otros dos que se centraban más en el tema mental y psicológico de los personajes, acá el foco está en la filosofía, en ese algo más grande y en la verdad absoluta. La locura que precede a las convicciones que cambian el mundo.
El viaje: un hombre consume unas drogas para iniciar un viaje, pero luego intenta hacerlo por sí mismo para así poder alcanzar a su mujer esquizofrénica. Creo que este fue el más emotivo de todos, la lucha de un hombre por forzarse a hacer un viaje por su mente para poder volver a hablar con una esposa ya inalcanzable (espiritualmente). Una historia triste, aunque muy romántica.
Los que se van de Omelas: una ciudad perfecta mantiene su felicidad a costa del tormento infinito de un solo niño. No es una idea original de Ursula, de hecho, menciona de dónde viene la idea al inicio. Este probablemente sea el que menos me gustó de esta pequeña lista, pero es por un tema de la prosa. Los otros tenían una prosa tan cuidada y bella, que el solo leerlos me encantaba. Este relato me parece una historia muy potente, es fuerte lo que dice porque lleva al cuestionamiento moral de qué haría una en esa situación (y lo sé muy bien). Sin embargo, está contado de una forma tan lineal y directa que no logró llegarme como pensé que lo haría, aun así es un gran relato.
Nuevamente leer relatos de un autor me confirma que es una gran forma de conocerlos, a veces, incluso más que lo que logran con las novelas como tal (pues estas toman más tiempo). Admito que releyendo mis comentarios relato por relato no fueron tantos los que me fascinaron, pero los que lo hicieron, me parecieron perfectos. Tanto así que quiero leer más relatos de la autora si o si.
Las doce moradas del viento presenta una recopilación de 17 cuentos tanto de fantasía como ciencia ficción de la autora, siempre con un enfoque en la psicología de sus personajes o sus emociones, más que en el contexto de estos. Hay dos relatos que conectan con novelas y mundos más grandes que se pueden entender bien sin leerlos.
"Había estado intentando medir la distancia que hay entre la tierra y Dios"
Más vasto que los imperios, y más lento: un relato de un grupo de científicos que llegan a explorar un planeta que no cuenta con vida animal ni humana, solo vegetal. Sin embargo, la soledad y continua convivencia empieza a pasarles la cuenta, en especial con uno de ellos que era empático y ponía en peligro toda la dinámica grupal. Me pareció precioso, desde la prosa hasta el tema de las emociones y cómo no solo esta persona las sentía sino que respondía a ellas, la percepción de las otras personas como entes ajenos y el cómo estamos más interconectados de lo que pensamos. Mi favorito.
"Estaba tumbada, escuchando la sangre de sus arterias, la respiración de los que dormían, el sonido del viento, la oscura corriente de las venas, los sueños que avanzaban, la inmesa estática de las estrellas que aumentaba a medida que el Universo moría lentamente, el sonido de la muerte al caminar"
Nueve vidas: dos mineros trabajan junto a un grupo de diez clones como preparación en una misión, no obstante, un accidente acaba con nueve de esos diez clones. Este relato se centra en la autopercepción de nosotros como individuos y nuestras dinámicas con los demás, en el cómo una persona puede solo necesitarse a sí misma y así excluye por completo al resto del mundo. Toda la lucha mental del clon que queda para volver a definirse como individuo fue muy interesante.
"La simpatía es una de las cosas que se dan porque necesitamos que nos la devuelvan"
El campo de visión: tres hombres vuelven de una misión en Marte, sin embargo, uno de ellos muere, el otro parece mentalmente incapacitado y otro, ciego. Es la historia de cómo van descubriendo qué fue lo que les sucedió y el propósito detrás. A diferencia de los otros dos que se centraban más en el tema mental y psicológico de los personajes, acá el foco está en la filosofía, en ese algo más grande y en la verdad absoluta. La locura que precede a las convicciones que cambian el mundo.
"He aprendido a ver a Dios. Todo lo que tengo que hacer es abrir los ojos y veo el Rostro de Dios. Y daría mi vida entera únicamente por volver a ver un rostro humano, por ver un árbol, un solo árbol, una silla, una silla de madera, normal y corriente. Puede quedarse con su Dios, pueden quedarse con su Luz. Yo quiero que me devuelvan mi Mundo. Quiero preguntas, no respuesta. Quiero que me devuelvan mi propia vida, y mi propia muerte"
El viaje: un hombre consume unas drogas para iniciar un viaje, pero luego intenta hacerlo por sí mismo para así poder alcanzar a su mujer esquizofrénica. Creo que este fue el más emotivo de todos, la lucha de un hombre por forzarse a hacer un viaje por su mente para poder volver a hablar con una esposa ya inalcanzable (espiritualmente). Una historia triste, aunque muy romántica.
"La vida adora el conocerse hasta sus más lejanos límites; se deleita comprendiendo lo que es complicado"
Los que se van de Omelas: una ciudad perfecta mantiene su felicidad a costa del tormento infinito de un solo niño. No es una idea original de Ursula, de hecho, menciona de dónde viene la idea al inicio. Este probablemente sea el que menos me gustó de esta pequeña lista, pero es por un tema de la prosa. Los otros tenían una prosa tan cuidada y bella, que el solo leerlos me encantaba. Este relato me parece una historia muy potente, es fuerte lo que dice porque lleva al cuestionamiento moral de qué haría una en esa situación (y lo sé muy bien). Sin embargo, está contado de una forma tan lineal y directa que no logró llegarme como pensé que lo haría, aun así es un gran relato.
"Cada uno de nosotros estamos solos, desde luego. ¿Qué puede hacer uno excepto extender la mano en la oscuridad"
Nuevamente leer relatos de un autor me confirma que es una gran forma de conocerlos, a veces, incluso más que lo que logran con las novelas como tal (pues estas toman más tiempo). Admito que releyendo mis comentarios relato por relato no fueron tantos los que me fascinaron, pero los que lo hicieron, me parecieron perfectos. Tanto así que quiero leer más relatos de la autora si o si.
"¿Pero qué era el coraje? No había logrado imaginarlo jamás. Los otros decían: jamás tienes miedo. Otros aún: tienes miedo pero sin embargo continúas. ¿Pero qué otra cosa se podría haber hecho sino continuar? ¿Existía una verdadera posibilidad de elección? Morir significaba solamente continuar en una dirección diferente"
Las doce moradas del viento presenta una recopilación de 17 cuentos tanto de fantasía como ciencia ficción de la autora, siempre con un enfoque en la psicología de sus personajes o sus emociones, más que en el contexto de estos. Hay dos relatos que conectan con novelas y mundos más grandes que se pueden entender bien sin leerlos.
January 2, 2024
El collar de Semley: 5/5
Abril en Paris: 3/5
Los maestros: 3/5
La caja de la oscuridad: 3.5/5
La palabra que desliga: 5/5
El rey de invierno: 3.5/5
El viaje: 3/5
Nueve vidas: 4.5/5
Cosas: 3/5
Un viaje a la cabeza: 3/5
Más vasto que los imperios y más lento: 4/5
Las estrellas en la roca: 3.5/5
El campo de visión: 3/5
Direccion de la carretera: 3/5
Los que se marchan de Omelas: 5/5
El día anterior a la revolución: 4/5
Abril en Paris: 3/5
Los maestros: 3/5
La caja de la oscuridad: 3.5/5
La palabra que desliga: 5/5
El rey de invierno: 3.5/5
El viaje: 3/5
Nueve vidas: 4.5/5
Cosas: 3/5
Un viaje a la cabeza: 3/5
Más vasto que los imperios y más lento: 4/5
Las estrellas en la roca: 3.5/5
El campo de visión: 3/5
Direccion de la carretera: 3/5
Los que se marchan de Omelas: 5/5
El día anterior a la revolución: 4/5
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