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xtie's review against another edition
4.0
Its a Ted Chiang moment (for me!) think I liked Exhalation a little more for the more complex subject matter, but this one also slaps, no less for the titular story which I think we can agree outpaces the film in depth :)
nicholasw's review
emotional
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? No
4.0
anne__reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
klparmley's review
4.0
Interesting collection
The only thing these stories have in common is the author. They are very different in style and subject. And all good. I look forward to more of Chiang's work.
The only thing these stories have in common is the author. They are very different in style and subject. And all good. I look forward to more of Chiang's work.
filip_bachorz's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
adrianogelato's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.25
sdloomer's review against another edition
4.5
The way each of these stories is presented and told is nothing short of wonderful. I enjoyed every single one, and after I finished reading each one, I thought about it for the rest of the day and wondered some more.
wouterk's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful story collection. Where the short stories of Ken Liu that I read this year are highly emotional, the stories by Chiang lean more to the intellectual (although both collections have stories that evoke a lot of emotion and stories that evoke none). The intellectualism to me is also a reason for giving it a 4-star rating. While the stories are of impeccable quality and I really enjoyed reading this collection, I felt that I really needed my basic background in science and biology to understand several of the stories. I could follow it myself, but I generally feel objections when I notice that stories with a great message or story, are unnecessarily inaccessible.
That being said, it was a great experience reading this story collection. Chiang methodically explores futuristic scientific breakthroughs. In my experience the stories vary between those that are an awesome thought experiment and those that are meant to expose some human or contemporary mechanism by exploring it in a hypothetical situation, rather than the contemporary one. In this way we can more easily reflect without it becoming contaminated by our own personal experiences and opinions.
With a lot of nuance Chiang explores the positives and negatives of his hypothetical innovations. What does it do and what does it not do? For example in the story "understand" we dive into what might happen if we can make our brain function grow exponentially. It becomes a story about how values, regardless of brain function will dictate how this hyperfunction will be used. And also, how lonely and scary it is to function at such a high level compared to your surroundings.
My favorite entry was "The story of your life". It is a great story that flawlessly combines an answer to the thought experiments how we would communicate with aliens with very human experiences in parenting, mental health and relationships. As a parent I could not help but be emotional about this story. Especially the raw imperfectness of the situation.
In summary, not a bad word about this book and a minor remark about complexity. If you have affinity with Sci-fi and like to be challenged to rethink the world, I would really recommend this book to you.
That being said, it was a great experience reading this story collection. Chiang methodically explores futuristic scientific breakthroughs. In my experience the stories vary between those that are an awesome thought experiment and those that are meant to expose some human or contemporary mechanism by exploring it in a hypothetical situation, rather than the contemporary one. In this way we can more easily reflect without it becoming contaminated by our own personal experiences and opinions.
With a lot of nuance Chiang explores the positives and negatives of his hypothetical innovations. What does it do and what does it not do? For example in the story "understand" we dive into what might happen if we can make our brain function grow exponentially. It becomes a story about how values, regardless of brain function will dictate how this hyperfunction will be used. And also, how lonely and scary it is to function at such a high level compared to your surroundings.
My favorite entry was "The story of your life". It is a great story that flawlessly combines an answer to the thought experiments how we would communicate with aliens with very human experiences in parenting, mental health and relationships. As a parent I could not help but be emotional about this story. Especially the raw imperfectness of the situation.
In summary, not a bad word about this book and a minor remark about complexity. If you have affinity with Sci-fi and like to be challenged to rethink the world, I would really recommend this book to you.
melodys_library's review against another edition
3.0
I’m ending 2020 the same way I started it: By reading Ted Chiang short fiction. I discovered Ted Chiang this year, and will certainly pick up another one of his works without hesitation.
The scientific, technological and mathematical detail in “Stories of Your Life and Others” is impressive. While all descriptions were in-depth, I found some fascinating and others less intriguing. Some went so deep into the technical abyss that I struggled to climb back out of it. As is the case with many story and essay collections, some greatly outshine others. I particularly liked “Story of Your Life”, “Hell is the Absence of God,” and “Liking What You See: A Documentary.” The author’s Story Notes at the end were an added bonus to get into the creative mastermind!
For those who appreciate the true science and tech in their science fiction, this collection would most definitely be appreciated. However, if you’re looking for more balance in character development and world building, I would recommend Chiang’s collection “Exhalation: Stories.”
The scientific, technological and mathematical detail in “Stories of Your Life and Others” is impressive. While all descriptions were in-depth, I found some fascinating and others less intriguing. Some went so deep into the technical abyss that I struggled to climb back out of it. As is the case with many story and essay collections, some greatly outshine others. I particularly liked “Story of Your Life”, “Hell is the Absence of God,” and “Liking What You See: A Documentary.” The author’s Story Notes at the end were an added bonus to get into the creative mastermind!
For those who appreciate the true science and tech in their science fiction, this collection would most definitely be appreciated. However, if you’re looking for more balance in character development and world building, I would recommend Chiang’s collection “Exhalation: Stories.”
alexgf's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5