Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

6 reviews

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Body horror, Racism, Xenophobia, War, Gun violence, Gore, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Grief

Moderate: Genocide, Animal death, Slavery, Bullying, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Child death

Minor: Infidelity, Excrement, Sexual content, Alcohol, Cancer, and Suicide

Surveillance ("The Perfect Match"). Eye trauma/gore, violence against sex workers ("The Regular").

clarehiyama's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I love speculative fiction short stories, and this was a really great collection. Very creative but grounded, it was mostly low fantasy/soft sci-fi set in a fictional version of our world (with a couple fun exceptions of evolutionary sci-fi where Liu describes the cultures and physiology of alien species). I appreciated Liu’s expertise/apparently very detailed research on both history and science/technology. Any tech/science seems very realistic (to my non-expert mind, at least), and I really appreciated his explorations of the mark our histories, both personal and collective, make on the present. I also learned some really important history of my own heritage, which was about Imperial Japan’s Unit 731, which tortured and experimented on their imperial subjects in China during WWII, and whose scientists were not punished by the US/Allies because they wanted the use of their research. It’s a shameful and disgusting chapter of history, but written about really thoughtfully and creatively by Liu, who brings to life imagined debates about what it would mean to go back in time to be able to witness historic tragedies. Interesting ethical and philosophical questions (and definitely the only story with serious need for content warnings— it’s quite graphic). Anyway, I loved this book and will be reading more of his work! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Slavery, Rape, Torture, Sexual violence, and War

fluffballpanda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Finally finished it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Slavery, Genocide, Rape, War, and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia, Suicide, Torture, Genocide, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Kidnapping and Death of parent

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Colonisation, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Death of parent, Racism, Suicide, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Rape, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Police brutality, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Dementia and Sexual content

kalira's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Ken Lie has a brilliant approach to weaving together history and realism with fantastical/speculative fiction elements, drawing it all into poignant and deeply emotional relief.

It took me a long time to read this anthology, largely because the stories are very good . . . and sometimes, so painful and heavy and immediate that upon finishing I needed to set the book aside and take some time. Both to process the story and to give myself a little emotional space to breathe.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Child death, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Gore, Trafficking, Vomit, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Death, War, Alcohol, Colonisation, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Chronic illness, and Grief

konfx's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Torture, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Genocide, Grief, Murder, and Racism