Dispatches from Anarres: Tales in Tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin

Dispatches From Anarres is why I read. This remarkable anthology of short stories in tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin is filled with thoughtful, heartbreaking, funny tales. Some will remind you of Le Guin and others of her spirit. I found myself pausing to think and breathe after many of the stories. This book is both readable and deep. Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com

Named for the anarchist utopia in Ursula K. Le Guin's science fiction classic The Dispossessed, Dispatches from Anarres embodies the anarchic spirit of Le Guin's hometown of Portland, Oregon, while paying tribute to her enduring vision.

In stories that range from fantasy to sci fi to realism, some of Portland's most vital voices have come together to celebrate Le Guin's lasting legacy and influence on that most subversive of human faculties: the imagination. Fonda Lee's "Old Souls" explores the role of violence and redemption across time and space; Rachael K. Jones's "The Night Bazaar for Women Turning into Reptiles" touches on gender oppression and a woman's right to choose; Molly Gloss's "Wenonah's Gift" imagines coming-of-age in a post-collapse culture determined to avoid past wrongs; and Lidia Yuknavitch's "Neuron" reveals that fairy tales may, in fact, be the best way to understand the paradoxes of science. Other contributors include Curtis Chen, Kesha Ajọsẹ-Fisher, Juhea Kim, Tina Connolly, David D. Levine, Leni Zumas, Rene Denfeld, and Michelle Ruiz Keil, with a foreword by David Naimon, co-author (with Le Guin) of Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing.

Full contributor list:
TJ Acena, Kesha Ajọsẹ-Fisher, Stevan Allred, Jason Arias, Stewart C. Baker, Jonah Barrett, Curtis Chen, Tina Connolly, Mo Daviau, Rene Denfeld, Molly Gloss, Rachael K. Jones, Michelle Ruiz Keil, Juhea Kim, Jessie Kwak, Jason LaPier, Fonda Lee, David D. Levine, Gigi Little, Sonia Orin Lyris, Tracy Manaster, James Mapes, C.A. McDonald, David Naimon (foreword), Tim O’Leary, Ben Parzybok, Nicole Rosevear, Arwen Spicer, Lidia Yuknavitch, and Leni Zumas.

“DeFreitas (Hot Season) collects 31 impressive stories to honor Ursula K. Le Guin’s legacy….Speculative fiction readers will find much to enjoy in this well-crafted celebration.” Publishers Weekly

"Dispatches from Anarres is what happens when a bunch of brilliant writers come together to pay tribute to a singular literary giant. This polyphony of voices from real and imagined worlds is thrilling, affecting, and, like Le Guin herself, appropriately confrontational when necessary—it’s an anthology that is timely, audacious, and teeming with style." Kimberley King Parsons, author of Blacklight

“Ursula K. Le Guin never inspired others to write like her; she inspired them to find their own imaginative powers. These deeply original stories are the result: magical, moral, wise, beautiful, and full of surprises.” Julie Phillips, author of The Baby on the Fire Escape: Motherhood, Creativity, and the Mind-Baby Problem, and of a forthcoming biography of Le Guin

"I’ll be recommending this book forever." Joe Sacksteder, author of The Driftless Quintet

“For reader who cannot get Le Guin's seminal works out of their heads, Dispatches from Anarres offers further exploration of her most hardcore themes: gender, inequality, and the limits of the human imagination. Packed with talent like Rachael K. Jones, Fonda Lee, and Stewart C. Baker, this anthology lights many fires from the brightly burning torch of Le Guin's timeless science fiction.” Meg Elison, author of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife

“Dispatches from Anarres is a beautiful homage to the late Ursula K. Le Guin. It’s also a tribute to her beloved city of Portland and the surrounding earth and water. Each story is its own magnificent offering to be scooped up and savored by readers.” Annie Carl, bookseller, The Neverending Bookshop

Watch the Powell’s virtual event with Susan DeFreitas, David D. Levine, Leni Zumas & Curtis C. Chen!

Susan DeFreitas is the author of the novel Hot Season, which won a Gold IPPY Award. Her work has been featured in the Writer's Chronicle, the Huffington Post, the Utne Reader, Story magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Portland Monthly, and High Desert Journal, along with many other journals and anthologies. An American of Indo-Guyanese descent, she divides her time between Portland, Oregon, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has served as a freelance editor and book coach since 2009.