Reviews

The Unreal and the Real Volume Two: Outer Space, Inner Lands by Ursula K. Le Guin

mmmichelle's review against another edition

It's a collection of short stories, i'm not gonna read it all at once. But if i may say it... Storygraph needs a "Paused" or "Short Story Collection" section for situations like these...

caitsidhe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

No-one did it like LeGuin. A stellar writer and an original thinker.

towercity's review against another edition

I am fascinated by Le Guin's ability to frame stories as though they were anthropological investigations: she can take what, at first glance, appears as little more than description of some alien species and imbue it with something I'm tempted to call a quiet humanity, although of course she is not describing humanity, but quite literally inhuman creatures. In its way, this involves a mundane acceptance of the inhuman. This is very nice.

ruth_rb's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

rosiemc's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

 The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (1973) - 4.5/5 stars
Semley’s Necklace (1964, 1975, Hainish Cycle) - 4.25/5 stars
Nine Lives (1969, 1997) - 3/5 stars
Mazes (1975, 2003) - 3/5 stars
The First Contact with the Gorgonids (1991) - 4/5 stars
The Shobies’ Story (1990, Hainish Cycle) - 2.5/5 stars
Betrayals (1994, Hainish Cycle) - 4.5/5 stars
The Matter of Seggri (1994, Hainish Cycle) - 4.25/5 stars
Solitude (1994, Hainish Cycle) - 4.75/5 stars
The Wild Girls (1994) - 2.5/5 stars
The Fliers of Gy (2000) - 4.5/5 stars
The Silence of the Asonu (2000) - 4.5/5 stars
The Ascent of the North Face (1983) - 3/5 stars
The Author of the Acacia Seeds (1974) - 4.25/5 stars
The Wife’s Story (1982) - 4.5/5 stars
The Rule of Names (1964, Earthsea) - 4.5/5 stars
Small Change (1981) - 2.5/5 stars
The Poacher (1992) - 3.25/5 stars
Sur (1982) - 3.25/5 stars
She Unnames Them (1985) - 3.75/5 stars 

ann17young's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

mrolph's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Enjoyed this read till about halfway through. Obviously Omelas is a top-tier story but I did enjoy some in this volume. I think the sci-fi stuff unfortunately went a little over my head, it was hard to focus on a lot of them. 
Favorites:
"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"
"The Matter of Seggri"
"The Wild Girls"
"The Fliers of Gy"
"The Silence of the Asonu"
"The Rule of Names"
"The Poacher"
"She Unnames Them"

madbarron's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

lillibooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0