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rsmith0914's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
rubyskies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Super fascinating read. I love seeing the intersection of Western and Chinese science fiction as well as the differences. Translation was wonderful and masterfully done - the art shown through.
kindredclouds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
terranovanz's review against another edition
3.0
A mixed bag of short, sci-fi-ish stories. Many stray into fantasy more than sci-fi. The titular story was the best.
frfiallo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
notesfromdawn's review against another edition
4.0
Fav stories:
- Tongtong's Summer
- Folding Beijing
- Invisible Planets
- Tongtong's Summer
- Folding Beijing
- Invisible Planets
sophcalzone's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
jorgefernandez's review against another edition
4.0
Grandes descubrimientos los de [a:Xia Jia|6476065|Xia Jia|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png], [a:Ma Boyong 马伯庸|14931496|Ma Boyong 马伯庸|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] o [a:Hao Jingfang|7375946|Hao Jingfang|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1471943564p2/7375946.jpg]. Los relatos La ciudad del silencio, Cientos de fantasmas desfilan esta noche y Entre los pliegues de Pekín son de más de 5*.
Detrás de los Liu, Ken y Cixin, hay más vida. Y no están tan lejos de las historias occidentales como pensamos.
Detrás de los Liu, Ken y Cixin, hay más vida. Y no están tan lejos de las historias occidentales como pensamos.
wild_dog's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this collection of short stories a lot, but honestly the essays by themselves were the part I enjoyed the most and well worth the price of the entire collection.
phoenix0's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the essays (reflections) on the evolution of Chinese sci-fi through time and the commentary on its place and role in society the most. It was incredibly interesting to understand what authors thought about how developing stories within the chasm between reality and dreams was the defining characteristic of Chinese sci-fi that helps society cope with where they are now.
As for the short stories themselves, I'm rather.. bored. "The Flower of Shazui" and "A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight" read like a rehashing or cover of "Good Hunting" and many other ghost + robot/machine stories from Chinese sci-fi.
"The City of Silence" is too close to 1984 which it pays homage to to be.. anything but boring to read.
Intriguing stories include "Folding Beijing", whose commentary on maintaining social order through economics was.. interesting and slightly depressing. But Chinese sci-fi is (I believe) inherently hopeful, and "Folding Beijing" didn't go into the worse of possible worlds while it explored its central theme. The descriptions+length was a little trite, but served its purpose dutifully. "The Fish of Lijiang" also toyed with themes of social inequality while playing with the same parameter of time, resulting in a distinctly different story with prose that was easier to digest and easier to be immersed in due to how close it is to present-day life. It is easy to imagine from the office desk, and having been to Lijiang myself decades ago, the setting was easy for me to bring to mind. Through these two stories I enjoyed playing with time in a new way, and I'm not about to stop any time soon.
Finally, it would be absolutely remiss to not mention "Call Girl". I had not expected a piece with magical realism in this book and "Call Girl" made me dizzy (in the best possible way) with the experience. I have no other way to speak of it or comment on it - every reader's whirlwind will be their own.
As for the short stories themselves, I'm rather.. bored. "The Flower of Shazui" and "A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight" read like a rehashing or cover of "Good Hunting" and many other ghost + robot/machine stories from Chinese sci-fi.
"The City of Silence" is too close to 1984 which it pays homage to to be.. anything but boring to read.
Intriguing stories include "Folding Beijing", whose commentary on maintaining social order through economics was.. interesting and slightly depressing. But Chinese sci-fi is (I believe) inherently hopeful, and "Folding Beijing" didn't go into the worse of possible worlds while it explored its central theme. The descriptions+length was a little trite, but served its purpose dutifully. "The Fish of Lijiang" also toyed with themes of social inequality while playing with the same parameter of time, resulting in a distinctly different story with prose that was easier to digest and easier to be immersed in due to how close it is to present-day life. It is easy to imagine from the office desk, and having been to Lijiang myself decades ago, the setting was easy for me to bring to mind. Through these two stories I enjoyed playing with time in a new way, and I'm not about to stop any time soon.
Finally, it would be absolutely remiss to not mention "Call Girl". I had not expected a piece with magical realism in this book and "Call Girl" made me dizzy (in the best possible way) with the experience. I have no other way to speak of it or comment on it - every reader's whirlwind will be their own.