# ID this short story (maybe not SF)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [October 29, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-short-story-maybe-not-sf/924218 "2020-10-29T15:23:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-short-story-maybe-not-sf/924218/1 "2020-10-29T15:23:26Z")
It’s a view of life, originally in the countryside, from the point of view of an oak tree (I think). The tree has no concept of movement, so when people go by on the country road, it looks like they are getting bigger and then getting smaller. At first this happens slowly, on foot or on horseback, then faster with horse-drawn vehicles, then much faster with cars. I think probably the area eventually gets built up, and maybe something happens to the tree in the end, I don’t really remember that part. I just remember the different point of view, of a being who has never moved from one spot so the world has to come to (and leave) it. This might have been in some SF collection I suppose, one edited by Harlan Ellison for example. I never read that many non-SF short stories. It’s been a very long time ago, so I don’t remember much about it. Countin’ on ya, Straight Dope, you can do it. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-short-story-maybe-not-sf/924218/2 "2020-10-30T00:55:07Z")
It’s by U.K. LeGuin, but I don’t recall the title. ETA: “Direction of the Road” ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-short-story-maybe-not-sf/924218/3 "2020-10-30T01:28:22Z")
Thank you so much, that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-short-story-maybe-not-sf/924218/4 "2020-10-30T01:42:13Z")
Oh, I need to read that. Thanks.