Scan barcode
sudden_zephyrs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
mrbear's review against another edition
5.0
Note: Primarily read on Cancun Trip, 2017-2018.
This was excellent. I'm going to talk through each story in turn.
Tower of Babylon - A compelling, if not perfect, introduction to the book. This story has absolutely nothing to do with/nothing in common with the math/science fiction theme of much of the rest of the book, but I still liked it. The story is well told and imaginative, and does build suspense (what is at the top of the tower?). That said, it doesn't make a ton of sense. Overall, not one of the better stories, but not bad by any stretch.
Understand - This was the first story in the turn to science fiction. The idea is pretty wild, and reminded me a lot of Flowers for Algernon. Aspects of the story were great, and the general progression of the character made it a unique story. A good conclusion, which is rare in this book, and a satisfying story length made this quite enjoyable.
Division by Zero - This was underwhelming, because the idea was sort of basic (at least to someone who has studied math), and there was basically no conclusion. This story was too long for the idea (what if one could prove that any number equaled another, without the need for a divide by zero trick?). The only interesting thing here was that it made the interesting point that something like this would make mathematics empirics. That's an interesting thought. Overall, not one of the better stories.
Story of Your Life - I liked this, and reading it made me want to see Arrival. That said, I was more interested in the stuff about the language than the link between the learning of alien language and the childhood aspect that the story actively intertwined. Perhaps that opinion would change as I age? Overall, I enjoyed this, but upon finishing the book I'd say I'm surprised that this is the story that inspired a movie - some of the later stories seem more naturally suited to it.
Seventy-Two Letters - This was one of the best stories for me. I liked the setting (industrial revolution times, with golems included), the characters are excellent (the guildmaster who is afraid that dexterous golems will steal sculptors' jobs, the kabbalist who is interested in the golems, but not necessarily for societal improvement or profit reasons, etc.), the idea of "naming" is well described and explored, and the meta-story was excellent. The best ideas here were 1. the lingering question of whether humanity created itself (or was created by another related race) 2. The idea that some combination of dexterity and reproduction are basically sufficient to emulate life.
The Evolution of Human Science - An interesting, but very small, idea. I'm not a fan of short-shorts of this kind, and in the context of the more developed and similar stories in the rest of the volume, I don't think this was needed.
Hell is the Absence of God - This was cool and different from the rest of the book. This felt more like fantasy, but as an idea really came through the page in an impressive way. The idea of angels' visitations was very easy to imagine, the characters were well developed, and the arc of the story was well developed. My favorite aspect of the story is that it unfolded in a way that made sense to me, without me guessing what would happen next. For instance, the fact that the setting would lead to the existence of blessing-seekers who are basically storm-chasers was internally consistent and clever. I liked it - one of my favorite stories.
Liking What You See: A Documentary - I liked this one a lot. The idea if excellent, and the perspectives are all really well written, and properly convey either 1) a perspective I may not have or think of 2) A perspective I agree with or 3) A perspective I could definitely imagine someone else having.. I loved the attempt to make a short story in documentary format. A great conclusion to the book.
Overall, in order, I liked from favorite to least favorite:
Seventy-Two Letters
Liking What You See: A Documentary and Hell is the Absence of God
Story of Your Life
Understand
Tower of Babylon
Division by Zero
The Evolution of Human Science
Chiang is an excellent writer, and that carries even the weaker stories and makes them sufficiently smooth to read. As someone who doesn't normally love short stories, my enjoyment of this book surprised me, and speaks to Chiang's mastery.
This was excellent. I'm going to talk through each story in turn.
Tower of Babylon - A compelling, if not perfect, introduction to the book. This story has absolutely nothing to do with/nothing in common with the math/science fiction theme of much of the rest of the book, but I still liked it. The story is well told and imaginative, and does build suspense (what is at the top of the tower?). That said, it doesn't make a ton of sense. Overall, not one of the better stories, but not bad by any stretch.
Understand - This was the first story in the turn to science fiction. The idea is pretty wild, and reminded me a lot of Flowers for Algernon. Aspects of the story were great, and the general progression of the character made it a unique story. A good conclusion, which is rare in this book, and a satisfying story length made this quite enjoyable.
Division by Zero - This was underwhelming, because the idea was sort of basic (at least to someone who has studied math), and there was basically no conclusion. This story was too long for the idea (what if one could prove that any number equaled another, without the need for a divide by zero trick?). The only interesting thing here was that it made the interesting point that something like this would make mathematics empirics. That's an interesting thought. Overall, not one of the better stories.
Story of Your Life - I liked this, and reading it made me want to see Arrival. That said, I was more interested in the stuff about the language than the link between the learning of alien language and the childhood aspect that the story actively intertwined. Perhaps that opinion would change as I age? Overall, I enjoyed this, but upon finishing the book I'd say I'm surprised that this is the story that inspired a movie - some of the later stories seem more naturally suited to it.
Seventy-Two Letters - This was one of the best stories for me. I liked the setting (industrial revolution times, with golems included), the characters are excellent (the guildmaster who is afraid that dexterous golems will steal sculptors' jobs, the kabbalist who is interested in the golems, but not necessarily for societal improvement or profit reasons, etc.), the idea of "naming" is well described and explored, and the meta-story was excellent. The best ideas here were 1. the lingering question of whether humanity created itself (or was created by another related race) 2. The idea that some combination of dexterity and reproduction are basically sufficient to emulate life.
The Evolution of Human Science - An interesting, but very small, idea. I'm not a fan of short-shorts of this kind, and in the context of the more developed and similar stories in the rest of the volume, I don't think this was needed.
Hell is the Absence of God - This was cool and different from the rest of the book. This felt more like fantasy, but as an idea really came through the page in an impressive way. The idea of angels' visitations was very easy to imagine, the characters were well developed, and the arc of the story was well developed. My favorite aspect of the story is that it unfolded in a way that made sense to me, without me guessing what would happen next. For instance, the fact that the setting would lead to the existence of blessing-seekers who are basically storm-chasers was internally consistent and clever. I liked it - one of my favorite stories.
Liking What You See: A Documentary - I liked this one a lot. The idea if excellent, and the perspectives are all really well written, and properly convey either 1) a perspective I may not have or think of 2) A perspective I agree with or 3) A perspective I could definitely imagine someone else having.. I loved the attempt to make a short story in documentary format. A great conclusion to the book.
Overall, in order, I liked from favorite to least favorite:
Seventy-Two Letters
Liking What You See: A Documentary and Hell is the Absence of God
Story of Your Life
Understand
Tower of Babylon
Division by Zero
The Evolution of Human Science
Chiang is an excellent writer, and that carries even the weaker stories and makes them sufficiently smooth to read. As someone who doesn't normally love short stories, my enjoyment of this book surprised me, and speaks to Chiang's mastery.
teddybo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Really thought-provoking sci-fi short stories. Lead to a lot of super interesting conversations at a book club. Highly recommend to anyone interested in sci-fi or science in general.
mollymisek's review
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Oh sweet Ted Chiang… I can’t help but love even the stories I don’t love. My favorite here was Hell is the Absence of God, great premise. Also Babylon: very Borges/Calvino/fantastical.
hexadonis's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.25
magdie's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
4.5
Amazing, some.of the short stories are better, or maybe I just can connect with them better. I like his treatment and turning of religious themes and future. I'll admit most of the math, physics and quantum stuff is a bit lost on me because if I jad bad teachers somewhere it was physics and all math above goniometry. So. But overall I really recommend if you like sf or philosophy or, preferably, both. Great book
whatulysses's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
phinesse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5