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jayisreading's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This collection was definitely a mixed bag, with either me enjoying the short story or caring very little about it (if at all). Without a doubt, though, Chiang really knows how to craft a world and situation; even for the short stories I struggled with due to disinterest, I was still impressed with the way he wove everything together. Furthermore, each story posed such interesting questions and challenges to reflect on, whether it be the unreliability of mathematics as we know it, reckoning with the undeniable presence of God and His angels, or reconfiguring one’s reality through language. Perhaps not surprisingly, the gem of this collection is “Story of Your Life,” which may have been one of the best short stories I have read in a long while. (It has certainly incentivized me to finally get around to watching Arrival.) I now understand why it has received as much praise as it has.
To me, the short stories that are worth reading are: “Story of Your Life” (this one is a must, I’d say), “Tower of Babylon,” “Understand,” and possibly “Hell Is the Absence of God.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Bullying, Torture, and Classism
joannalouise's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, and Self harm
bomenvernietiger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
All the points for blowing me away completely. Minus a little for not always understanding women and autism.
This would be fully timeless, except that the author felt the need to include such a sexist trope as a father coming to terms with his daughter developing breasts. This holds the particular story back decades.
This would be fully timeless, except that the author felt the need to include such a sexist trope as a father coming to terms with his daughter developing breasts. This holds the particular story back decades.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Blood
kappafrog's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, and Violence
Minor: Torture
pandact's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I found this because of Alex Kasman's MathFiction Database because who can resist a title like "Division By Zero?" I was primed to enjoy that story the most, but most of Ted Chiang's stories get stuck in my head for years.
The only reason I subtract half a star is that it's been a while and I'm not sure how it aged! I remember Division By Zero most clearly because it's the kind of story you have to reread...The coolest part, for me, was the way each parallel narrative was part of a proof that 1=2, which was so meta! I disagree with people saying that they're doomed as a couple because the man's whole problem was how he couldn't relate to math research, but her disastrous discovery is something he can understand. The mathematician's arc is looking for something else to find meaning in, so why can't they be two people together now?
The only reason I subtract half a star is that it's been a while and I'm not sure how it aged! I remember Division By Zero most clearly because it's the kind of story you have to reread...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Car accident, Grief, and Ableism
ryyy27's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Violence
polychromatic_hedgehog_parable's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
WTAF TED CHIANG
1. Ted Chiang seems to me to be a very good writer
2. I disliked most of the stories in this collection
3. lmao why use the c-slur so often????
ableism:
"[...] your ability to interact with others is c****led. It'd be a kind of high-functioning autism."
fuck that lmao.
I'm still uncertain where I fall on discounting relationships in favour of world building etc, and certainly feel that I discount the former for the later more than some people I know. I feel like a problem I had with this collection is that it tended to concentrate on world building & philosophical ideas over compelling characters and I just... wasn't interested in any of the philosophy Ted Chiang seemed to be interested in? idk.
I also tended to prefer the stories that were more multi-fauceted/introduced multiple perspectives. Maybe: the presence of multiple perspectives makes the world seem more real or enriches the perspective of the main character?
Many of the stories had distinct writing styles, which I found to be neat! And I felt like Ted Chiang did a good job of switching?
I thought it was cool to have a section in the back for where you got your ideas for each story. That sounds potentially very fun to write/share! :O
(more ableism, eugenics)
tower of babylon: why have I read multiple science fiction stories about the shape of the world being a [cylinder, hyperbola, other 3D shape] instead of a sphere. I don't find these very interesting. Now I feel like I should write one, though. or find more and create a collection. they're a meme.
story of your life: I liked the movie a lot better lol. I didn't really like the story. I did cry a bit though.
seventy-two letters: "I've invented DNA so as to save poor people from eugenics" is a really weird plot for a short story. I liked that the short story engaged so directly with racism & classism, but then the resolution seemed to involve fully side stepping eugenics through the ingenious invention of DNA, in a way I feel parallels many popular understandings of eugenics as an idea that was most persuasive in Europe during the second industrial revolution. It's still persuasive. People are literally dying rn. I just had a conversation with someone who is directly targeted eugenics yesterday.
hell is the absence of god: ok I really liked this one and also found it too relatable LMAO. I enjoyed the frank, recognizable depictions of different types of christians/relationships with religion.
liking what you see: ok I literally just finished the book and will need to think more about this. but I enjoyed the format!
honestly I got this book for free somewhere and I was considering putting it back in a free little library when I was done with it but maybe I'll keep it just for the one story. maybe not.
1. Ted Chiang seems to me to be a very good writer
2. I disliked most of the stories in this collection
3. lmao why use the c-slur so often????
ableism:
"[...] your ability to interact with others is c****led. It'd be a kind of high-functioning autism."
fuck that lmao.
I'm still uncertain where I fall on discounting relationships in favour of world building etc, and certainly feel that I discount the former for the later more than some people I know. I feel like a problem I had with this collection is that it tended to concentrate on world building & philosophical ideas over compelling characters and I just... wasn't interested in any of the philosophy Ted Chiang seemed to be interested in? idk.
I also tended to prefer the stories that were more multi-fauceted/introduced multiple perspectives. Maybe: the presence of multiple perspectives makes the world seem more real or enriches the perspective of the main character?
Many of the stories had distinct writing styles, which I found to be neat! And I felt like Ted Chiang did a good job of switching?
I thought it was cool to have a section in the back for where you got your ideas for each story. That sounds potentially very fun to write/share! :O
(more ableism, eugenics)
tower of babylon: why have I read multiple science fiction stories about the shape of the world being a [cylinder, hyperbola, other 3D shape] instead of a sphere. I don't find these very interesting. Now I feel like I should write one, though. or find more and create a collection. they're a meme.
story of your life: I liked the movie a lot better lol. I didn't really like the story. I did cry a bit though.
seventy-two letters: "I've invented DNA so as to save poor people from eugenics" is a really weird plot for a short story. I liked that the short story engaged so directly with racism & classism, but then the resolution seemed to involve fully side stepping eugenics through the ingenious invention of DNA, in a way I feel parallels many popular understandings of eugenics as an idea that was most persuasive in Europe during the second industrial revolution. It's still persuasive. People are literally dying rn. I just had a conversation with someone who is directly targeted eugenics yesterday.
hell is the absence of god: ok I really liked this one and also found it too relatable LMAO. I enjoyed the frank, recognizable depictions of different types of christians/relationships with religion.
liking what you see: ok I literally just finished the book and will need to think more about this. but I enjoyed the format!
honestly I got this book for free somewhere and I was considering putting it back in a free little library when I was done with it but maybe I'll keep it just for the one story. maybe not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
c-slur up the wazoobwwilhelm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Child death, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia