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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
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
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
curatoriasol's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
samanthas_books's review
Never mind. This writing style is not for me, and a lot of reviews say it doesn’t get better
cultneophyte7's review against another edition
4.0
Just until yesterday, I was unaware of the fact that Arrival, only one of the most breathtaking films of the last decade, was actually based on a short story. So naturally, I had to read it.
Just read the story in question, the titular one, and not the 'Others', so I will not rate this yet. But I will talk about Story of Your Life.
What a story. It is not just a regular science fiction story, but one about linguistics and psychology, about love and loss, about memories and longing. This is not your conventional story, not at all, it is something different, unlike anything you've ever read. It will make your mind go places, and make you think. And I loved it. But the question is, would I have had I not watched the film? Yes, but this much? I guess we will never find out. The thing is, I cannot talk about this story without talking about Arrival itself, because I love the film so, and it's just ingrained in my head frame by frame, and somehow I cannot separate the two. And the fact that is is something else entirely, something I cannot really talk on about here. Denis Villeneuve is my favorite contemporary filmmaker, one whose films I'd rather watch first before reading the actual source material. Reason I've been putting off Dune, just so that I don't want to spoil the film that comes out next year for myself.
Just read the story in question, the titular one, and not the 'Others', so I will not rate this yet. But I will talk about Story of Your Life.
What a story. It is not just a regular science fiction story, but one about linguistics and psychology, about love and loss, about memories and longing. This is not your conventional story, not at all, it is something different, unlike anything you've ever read. It will make your mind go places, and make you think. And I loved it. But the question is, would I have had I not watched the film? Yes, but this much? I guess we will never find out. The thing is, I cannot talk about this story without talking about Arrival itself, because I love the film so, and it's just ingrained in my head frame by frame, and somehow I cannot separate the two. And the fact that is is something else entirely, something I cannot really talk on about here. Denis Villeneuve is my favorite contemporary filmmaker, one whose films I'd rather watch first before reading the actual source material. Reason I've been putting off Dune, just so that I don't want to spoil the film that comes out next year for myself.
cloudjules's review against another edition
5.0
My new favorite short story collection, hands down. Speculative fiction so often falls into the trap of exposition, and Ted Chiang masterfully avoids that. The reader is thrown into these universes head first, no introductions given. Time period is subtly implied (e.g. a reference to Queen Victoria's ascension, the use of antiquated units of measurement), as are small bits of world-building that, while inconsequential to the main plot, enrich the universe and atmosphere of the stories, all of which take place in fantastical worlds that feel fully realized and lived in, despite not being the main focus. The universe is shown to you instead of explained, and it makes the book that much more intriguing.
It's worth noting that Chiang's goal here isn't to blow your mind with overly twist-y endings; the concepts explored and the worlds depicted are interesting enough to keep you reading with no rush.
The Tower of Babylon: 4.5/5
The concept behind this story is absolutely incredible, and the lack of exposition makes it feel even trippier. Once I realized just how this universe works, my jaw hit the ground. It evokes some gorgeous and terrifying imagery — sometimes at once — while raising questions of faith and purpose.
Understand: 3/5 (originally 2.5)
The only story of the bunch that left me underwhelmed. Starts out very well, to the point where I thought it'd be one of my favorites, and presents some very cool concepts, but the way it's built up feels like you're in for a twist ending, or at least a very impactful one. Instead, what you get feels a bit like a cop-out. It's abrupt and reads enough like a plot twist that I thought I must have missed something. As it turns out, I didn't; the ending just presents itself to be a lot cooler and bigger than I found it to be. It's not a bad story by any means and the beginning is absolutely fascinating, I just thought it was the weakest link of the bunch.
Division by Zero: 5/5
I have a hard time expressing how much I loved this one. The fact that it's not one of the most popular amongst reviewers makes it feel even more like it was written specifically for me. The themes explored in this story are everything I never knew I needed. I'd never read anything about the philosophy of mathematics, and this story made me realize this is something I've loved and thought of for my entire life, without ever realizing it was a real area of study. "How can we be sure math works?" is a question that has plagued me since childhood, and reading a story entirely built around it was incredible. It also helped that the protagonist's existential anguish is reminiscent of cosmic horror, one of my favorite subgenres, and made even more terrifying thanks to the foreign source of fear being a mere concept, and a very earthly and mundane one at that.
While the math stood out as its most interesting aspect, the story is just as much about relationships and mental illness. The main character's husband's reflections on their marriage and the parallels between his wife's condition and his own past do a great job of emotionally grounding the story.
Just... so good.
The Story of Your Life: 5/5
So I am the biggest Arrival fan, and it was this love for the movie that made me put off reading its source material for so long, in fear that one would somehow ruin the other. Boy, was I wrong! This is one of the rare cases where source material and adaptation complement each other, one's existence strengthening the other's. If anything, I love Arrival even more now.
Everything about this story has been said already, so I'll leave it at this: believe the hype! This really is one of the greatest sci-fi stories ever written.
Seventy Two Letters: 3.5/5
Okay so I'm still fascinated by the world-building it this, due to its content but mostly for the way it's approached. It's really everything spec. fiction sets out to be: an earnest look at what it would be like if [weird thing] was real. And the weird thing in this case — the concept of a real-life Golem —, becomes almost mundane to the reader as we get acquainted with and begin to understand the politics that go with it. That, along with the off-hand mentions of unicorns and magic being real, makes for a great piece of magical realistic world-building. There is an air of magic here, yes, but the story's feet are so firmly on the ground it reads like any other adult fiction. I also love how the homunculus mythos is portrayed here, following both the biology and the alchemy view of it, and acknowledging it's deep jewish influence.
All that being said, I don't think the plot itself lived up to the premise, and the overall experience was a bit dull.
Hell is the Absence of God: 4/5
Like Seventy Two Letters, this one does an excellent job at subtly building and grounding its world, which also happens to be the most far-removed from our own. The fantastical elements are completely at the forefront here, making the story the one closest to a straightforward fantasy. Still, it's all treated with utmost seriousness, presenting realistic depictions of how humans might act and react if certain things were real. The fantastical elements are used to highlight one of the greatest philosophical debates about God, turning real-life religious anxieties up to eleven and making us truly reflect on the meaning of faith.
Liking What You See: A Documentary: 4.5/5
But when it comes to realistic human reactions, the last story of the collection takes the cake. Here, Chiang comes up with a futuristic invention and throws the "show, don't tell" rule out of the window in the best possible way, presenting us with nothing but characters debating on the benefits of a new piece of technology. There is no description at all, the entire story framed as talking head dialogue in a documentary. That is interesting on its own, but what elevates the story is how compelling some of the arguments are; I found myself changing my mind on the issue throughout the story, invested as though reading about real-world politics. As with the other stories, Chiang uses this outlandish scenario to underline real-world problems, though the reflection caused by this one is probably the most fun.
It's worth noting that Chiang's goal here isn't to blow your mind with overly twist-y endings; the concepts explored and the worlds depicted are interesting enough to keep you reading with no rush.
The Tower of Babylon: 4.5/5
The concept behind this story is absolutely incredible, and the lack of exposition makes it feel even trippier. Once I realized just how this universe works, my jaw hit the ground. It evokes some gorgeous and terrifying imagery — sometimes at once — while raising questions of faith and purpose.
Understand: 3/5 (originally 2.5)
The only story of the bunch that left me underwhelmed. Starts out very well, to the point where I thought it'd be one of my favorites, and presents some very cool concepts, but the way it's built up feels like you're in for a twist ending, or at least a very impactful one. Instead, what you get feels a bit like a cop-out. It's abrupt and reads enough like a plot twist that I thought I must have missed something. As it turns out, I didn't; the ending just presents itself to be a lot cooler and bigger than I found it to be. It's not a bad story by any means and the beginning is absolutely fascinating, I just thought it was the weakest link of the bunch.
Division by Zero: 5/5
I have a hard time expressing how much I loved this one. The fact that it's not one of the most popular amongst reviewers makes it feel even more like it was written specifically for me. The themes explored in this story are everything I never knew I needed. I'd never read anything about the philosophy of mathematics, and this story made me realize this is something I've loved and thought of for my entire life, without ever realizing it was a real area of study. "How can we be sure math works?" is a question that has plagued me since childhood, and reading a story entirely built around it was incredible. It also helped that the protagonist's existential anguish is reminiscent of cosmic horror, one of my favorite subgenres, and made even more terrifying thanks to the foreign source of fear being a mere concept, and a very earthly and mundane one at that.
While the math stood out as its most interesting aspect, the story is just as much about relationships and mental illness. The main character's husband's reflections on their marriage and the parallels between his wife's condition and his own past do a great job of emotionally grounding the story.
Just... so good.
The Story of Your Life: 5/5
So I am the biggest Arrival fan, and it was this love for the movie that made me put off reading its source material for so long, in fear that one would somehow ruin the other. Boy, was I wrong! This is one of the rare cases where source material and adaptation complement each other, one's existence strengthening the other's. If anything, I love Arrival even more now.
Everything about this story has been said already, so I'll leave it at this: believe the hype! This really is one of the greatest sci-fi stories ever written.
Seventy Two Letters: 3.5/5
Okay so I'm still fascinated by the world-building it this, due to its content but mostly for the way it's approached. It's really everything spec. fiction sets out to be: an earnest look at what it would be like if [weird thing] was real. And the weird thing in this case — the concept of a real-life Golem —, becomes almost mundane to the reader as we get acquainted with and begin to understand the politics that go with it. That, along with the off-hand mentions of unicorns and magic being real, makes for a great piece of magical realistic world-building. There is an air of magic here, yes, but the story's feet are so firmly on the ground it reads like any other adult fiction. I also love how the homunculus mythos is portrayed here, following both the biology and the alchemy view of it, and acknowledging it's deep jewish influence.
All that being said, I don't think the plot itself lived up to the premise, and the overall experience was a bit dull.
Hell is the Absence of God: 4/5
Like Seventy Two Letters, this one does an excellent job at subtly building and grounding its world, which also happens to be the most far-removed from our own. The fantastical elements are completely at the forefront here, making the story the one closest to a straightforward fantasy. Still, it's all treated with utmost seriousness, presenting realistic depictions of how humans might act and react if certain things were real. The fantastical elements are used to highlight one of the greatest philosophical debates about God, turning real-life religious anxieties up to eleven and making us truly reflect on the meaning of faith.
Liking What You See: A Documentary: 4.5/5
But when it comes to realistic human reactions, the last story of the collection takes the cake. Here, Chiang comes up with a futuristic invention and throws the "show, don't tell" rule out of the window in the best possible way, presenting us with nothing but characters debating on the benefits of a new piece of technology. There is no description at all, the entire story framed as talking head dialogue in a documentary. That is interesting on its own, but what elevates the story is how compelling some of the arguments are; I found myself changing my mind on the issue throughout the story, invested as though reading about real-world politics. As with the other stories, Chiang uses this outlandish scenario to underline real-world problems, though the reflection caused by this one is probably the most fun.
switht's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
leanne_83's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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