It's fun to resurrect these old novels. The story CITY OF ILLUSIONS is misnamed; it should have been CITY OF LIES. The Shing aliens are the best liars ever and have the ability to mindlie telepathically to take control of earthlings minds. They meet their match, however in Falk-Ramarren, the split brained super hero who the story is all about. The females in the story are all pawns as are most of the other characters. However if the travails of one earthling's struggles to regain his lost mind is your cup of tea then this story is very engrossing.

The three stories are all tied together by small, small threads. Sometimes that was what made them so interesting to read -- finding how it all fit together. Not necessarily happy stories, but engaging with good characters.

With a unique style LeGuin was able to used a time tested theme and write a successfull story. Though it lacks an antagonist, which is one of the novels strengths, the story's focus on Falk's inner conflict and search for answers is quiet well writen. I recommend this novel specifically for young readers.

The title is something of a misnomer: while the stories do center around the ghosts and love theme, not one of them could be considered 'erotica'. There are some good stories though (some of them previously unpublished) -- LeGuin's "Unchosen Love"; Mary Rosenblum's "The Gardener"; Pat Cadigan's "She's Not There"; Maureen F. McHugh's funny and touching "In The Air"; and Michael Stanwick's "North of Diddy-Wah-Diddy", about a train ride to hell.

_Killing Me Softly_ edited by Gardner Dozois is a collection of short stories about love after death. Most of these stories are quite good - the adult equivalent of ghost stories with an erotic bent.

The authors represent a good cross-section of the fantasy, science fiction, and alternative fiction genres, and the collection sports some well-known names. Recommended for those who believe in the power of love after death and enjoy a good ghost story.

Killing Me Softly:Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love was the best book I have ever read. The author captured what true Love,Hate,Death and Life mean to people in every word that was written. This book captured my heart like no other in the world. It is truly a classic book of love stories.

This light, warm story has appeal especially to children and parents coping with separation. I hope it comes back into print!

This is a wonderful visual history of china in the late Qing dynasty. It represents a wonderful era that few western eyes have really ever seen. The text is informative, and the beautiful sepia toned photos are truly stunning. If your even vaguely interested in this era of China's history, snap up this book now.

Like her prose, Le Guin's poetry is thoughtful: every word is magical, reflecting the sort of dependency on words that exists in her Earthsea books. This belief in the primacy of language certainly makes her a better writer. I would never compare this poetry to any of the great "poets" (although her prose is a different matter), but there are in this book many beautiful nuggets that anyone could respect, not just someone who loves Le Guin like I do.

Magnolia LeGuin was a woman struggling to deal with daily life as it was post-bellum. This includes frequent childbirths, servant problems, and few if any modern conveniences. Yet it is also a testiment to the power of love between a husband and wife and a mother and her children. I found it far superior to many of the women's diaries put out for publication these days and would recommend it highly. -Marianna

The tombs of Atuan are as mysterious as they are deadly. From the room of chains to the treasury. This book is a little slow getting started but once you begin to understand the struggle between the powers of old and Artha's desire to do good you can't stop reading. the book really gets interesting with the introduction of Ged or Sparrowhawk a wizard seeking for the ring of a long dead wizard. The book twists and turns. It has an excellent ending however it is not as good as the first and third book in the triolgy.
Overall I strongly recomed this exceptional piece of literature

I believe that the ones who walk away from omelas take a look inside themselves and discover that their happiness is not worth sacrificing another human life. The event of the Festival of Summer is about a celebration of life and yet they are sacrificing one life for the happiness of the town.

Over the years I have always thought of Ursula Le Guin as a very brave and non-conforming sort of person. I have kept her photograph on my wall for the last 15 years. The reason for my admiration was that I felt (and feel) that she is a writer of major talent who decided to enter the field of science fiction and get labelled as a "sci-fi writer" when she could have won many honors and perhaps a more lasting place in history in mainstream literature. Her works do not cater to the broad popular tastes in fiction, but such novels as "The Left Hand of Darkness", "The Lathe of Heaven", "The Dispossessed" and "Always Coming Home" plus her works of juvenile fiction and collections of short stories add up to a body of spectacularly well-written material that is denied its place in the annals of American literature by the peculiar prejudice that segregates certain kinds of fiction into closed cells. I read most of Le Guin's books as soon as they hit the shelves, long ago, before science fiction became reality with the Internet and Amazon.com. For some reason, though I bought THE COMPASS ROSE fifteen years ago, I never got around to reading it till now. I must say that it was largely disappointing. There are some good stories in this collection, stories such as "The New Atlantis" and "The Diary of the Rose", also "The Pathways of Desire" which links exploration of space with dreams, but other stories seem hasty, 'cute' or aimed at the readers of airport fiction. In general, Le Guin is at her best when she creates new worlds or postulates possible futures. Her blend of anthropology and fiction has always thrilled me. As she moves away from that, into more general fiction on the contemporary world, unless she crafts the story carefully, as with "Two Delays on the Northern Line"--a real gem--she loses her edge. Her stories become filled with sunshine, conversing rocks, and whispering leaves, but without much punch. There are twenty stories in THE COMPASS ROSE. Half a dozen are up to her fine standard, others-perhaps the humorous pieces-may please many readers, but a few probably should have been kept in the drawer. (Though if I had written them, I would have been quite proud, no doubt. We are talking quality control here.) If you are wondering where to begin Le Guin, this is not the place. Put it last on your list. But begin, of course.

A good mix of 20 Ursula K. Le Guin short stories, composed of some great sci-fi, good modern fiction, humor, and quite a few UKL-style sureals (Buffalo Gals-style). The stories are all reprints from magazines and anthologies.

Some of the best are "Two Delays on the Northern Line" and "Malheur County", two haunting timeless pieces that talk of life and loneliness. "The Eye Altering" and "The Pathways of Desire" are excellent sci-fi shorts that question the nature of reality and perception. This compilation includes no stories from the Ekumen Cycle.

Although primarily a sci-fi reader, I believe that UKL's fiction including the shorts in The Compass Rose are some of the best pieces of contemporary fiction I know. The sci-fi in this book is a bit limited, but still excellent. All in all, a great way to get introduced to UKL's mainstream fiction, and satisfy your craving for quality sci-fi.

This is my favorite book. The stories are surprising and very enjoyable. Fresh thoughts accompany interesting stories.

Ursula K. Le Guin is my favorite writer. That is why I advise you: do not read this book. It is surely the worst of Le Guin's novels and I hope the author is ashamed of it and wants to forget that she ever wrote it. (But I am not sure if my hope is well located.)

I enjoyed this book. It showed inventive ideas and was very inspirational. I hope you will also read The Word For World is Forest, because it also shows hope for oppressed peoples. I have only read three of her books, but this was by far the best.

While this novel may not rise to the level of her very best work, prose-wise, it nonetheless is well-written--and its explorations of nonviolence, its challenges and the ways in which it can both succeed and fail, were highly influential on me, and have had a long term effect on how I view conflict. This one is well worth reading, and is as worthy of Le Guin's name as any of her better-known works.