Scan barcode
isalime's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My favorites and the ones I'll likely keep thinking about are
- The Merchant and Alchemist's Gate
- The Lifecycle of Software Objects
- The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling
- Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom
I look forward to reading more of his work.
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Abandonment
kylieqrada's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, and Car accident
arayo's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse and Death
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Colonisation
guivx5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
This book is made of short stories, mainly with aspects of speculative fiction, that dive into the complexity of what it means to be human. With a hint of Black Mirror attached to its lines, Ted Chiang's ideas are mind-bobbling futuristic "what ifs?" that don't stop at just the fun of speculating whether it'd be cool to have giant robots living amongst society or if it would be nice to be able to see your past through a toilet's reflection. It takes everything a step further, making a run for it directly into the human's psyche. To me, there were two fundamental aspects of this collection.
The first one is lined by Chiang's amazing ability to submerge himself into the ocean of possibilities that could've been our past (and could be our future), a sea widely explored by previous authors and Twitter conspirators, and be able to bring us original visions. Even when there's clear reference to old tropes, they're explored in refreshing and unique ways. We're talking about alien robot races that can dissect their own brains, devices that can prove the inevitability of actions, future days where we can communicate to and impact alternate versions of our lives, the list goes on. You'd have to read these stories to understand that none of them are simply recycled sci-fi ideas, but actually quite unique spins with creative details that showcases the amount of thought put into them. They are mainly tales about possible future technologies and the many ways they integrate into society, and this brings me to the second fundamental aspect of them.
Chiang's universes are capable of, in a short amount of pages, exploring many sideways and alleys of the human experience. In other words, it's a very human book. He brilliantly narrates the dilemmas and complex chains of feelings of his characters, navigating through different points of view and times during all stories. There' so much to uncover here, I'd hardly be able to mention all of the insights these dramas are able to give you: thoughts on what it is to be human, on the possibilities of free will and inevitable fatalism, on the ways we consider ourselves the center of, well, everything. These dilemmas are of times that never existed, yet they are incredibly real and plausible. It really comes to show that, while we've had major changes in the ways we live as humans in the past, the human experience is an ever-present factor, and its doubts are as ever-present as its dubious answers.
Chiang brings our old needs to new times. We can see a part of ourselves in a world where religion and science are intrinsically mixed, in a world where digital forms of life walk among us, in a world where prisms can give us access to ourselves in a different timeline. Chiang's translation of our major doubts and questions into future times prepares us for the inevitable change, and it does it with a somewhat soothing writing style. If anything, I felt more human while connecting with these stories.
There's a phrase said in the last short story I think encapsulates well what this is all about: "I want to know whether my decisions matter!". While you may think that many of the plots here brings the characters onto dead-ends, this collection is, ironically, a clear message that life is anything but a dead-end.
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Gun violence and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty
miak2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“Science is not just the search for the truth,” he said. “It’s the search for purpose.”
This story collection might be one of my favorite things ever written. Seriously. I don't think there was a single 'miss' in this anthology. Ted Chiang is clearly scientifically knowledgeable and an expert storyteller. Each of these was unique and thought provoking. The message was frequently different than what I expected, or at least more nuanced. Take Black Mirror but make it optimistic. Read on for my spoiler-free thoughts on each of the stories. (Apologies in advance for the longer-than-usual review)
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate: A GREAT first story with a unique take on time travel. I'm always a sucker for the 'stories-within-a-story' format.'
Exhalation: I love it when authors write intelligent, science-y things in a way that I can understand. It makes me feel intelligent and science-y. Loved the worldbuilding in this one, and loved the takeaway.
What's Expected of Us: What in the Black Mirror hell is this? Fuck.
The Lifecycle of Software Objects: What a unique perspective on the development of sentient manmade beings. We so often think about AIs as something to fear, but what if they were something we could grow to love. Chiang has been consistently breaking the sci-fi mold and this story was definitely no exception.
Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny: Probably my least favorite of the stories, but still really interesting. And, again, went a completely different direction than I expected it to.
The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling: This might have been my favorite of the collection. The dual stories were both engaging and effective at conveying the message. Definitely a good story for fans of Black Mirror - The Entire History of You. It takes a similar concept, being able to record and rewatch your memories, and explores both the drawbacks and the benefits. And the parallel that's drawn to the switch from oral history to written history was a fascinating one.
The Great Silence: The perspective of parrots, ha! When you've thought you've read it all. Really great, quick story.
Omphalos: As someone who isn't religious, this one was an especially interesting read. What if there being a God were a scientific fact? What does it mean, then, when your understanding of creation is forced to dramatically shift?
Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom: Ok, no, this one was my favorite. Chiang doesn't approach any concepts half-heartedly. There's so much to consider when it comes to parallel universes, something that's so frequently used as a gimmick in other media. Chiang considered not only the practical applications of being able to communicate with alternate versions of ourselves, but also the moral and emotional implications. Would I want technology like this to exist? Would I be able to resist using it? So good.
Graphic: Addiction, Gun violence, and Murder
fox_at_the_circus's review
- 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? No
4.5
The stories cover all the big sci-fi themes: time travel, free will, AI, etc. and they add interesting new nuances or takes to them. The stories range from newspaper article like to fable to general prose, it is really amazing seeing one author nail all of them.
It's really hard to pick my favourite story, I think it comes down to either the Parrot's story or the Archeologist's story.
The book also comes with some explanations/notes on the stories by the author. It's interesting to see, where he got his inspiration from and his reasoning for some of his choices.
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, and Colonisation
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Extinction and apocalyptic events in multiple stories. Dissection, though with visuals of machinery rather than flesh ("Exhalation"). Mentions of bestiality, discussion of sentient sex dolls, cruelty to and dehumanization of AIs/robots, emotional infidelity ("The Lifecycle of Software Objects"). Mentions of natural disasters, manipulation/extortion ("Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom").rnbhargava's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
The triggers above are all treated as extremes, they’re not confined, those showing preference for those are all ultimately less than savoury even if they’re our point of view character. Most of the tales have a good amount of intellectual curiosity and whimsy in at least a portion of thememilyplun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Moderate: Gun violence and Murder
Minor: Addiction and Torture
a_reader_of_book's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" was an interesting take on "The Arabian Nights" stories with a cool, sci-fi twist. I appreciated the character and story development, and I thought it was the perfect length for what it was. 3.75/5 stars.
"Exhalation" was such a cool examination of scientific discovery, especially related to the self. How do scientists learn about the innerworkings of their own bodies? This story had some pretty incredible visuals that sort of blew my mind (if you read it, you'll see what I did there). 4/5 stars.
"What's Expected of Us" was a very brief discussion of free will. It was interesting, but I didn't get as absorbed by this story as others. 2.75/5 stars.
"The Lifecycle of Software Objects" was one of the longest stories in this collection, and I absolutely loved it! It touched my heart, made me really think about important concepts surrounding AI, and was written so beautifully. If you only check out one story from this whole collection, please read this one! 5/5 stars.
"Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny" examined the complexities that arise when technology and childhood collide. I think it's an important topic to consider, especially given the increasing number of screens being put in front of kids. 3.25/5 stars.
"The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" also focused on the impact new technology has on culture. People feared radio would ruin future generations. The same can be said of TV and now smartphones. But what opportunities do we miss out on by avoiding advancements in tech? And what unseen or unexpected consequences do we face when adopting these advancements as key parts of our lives? 4/5 stars
"The Great Silence" was another brief story told from an unexpected perspective. While humans are constantly looking out into space for signs of life, there are incredible things here on our own planet that can be overlooked. 3.75/5 stars.
"Omphalos" brought ideas about creationism and intelligent design into a discussion of science. What are discoveries worth if there isn't some grand meaning for us being here? What inspires scientists to continue to unearth the truth? What aspects of religious faith are mirrored in science? 4/5 stars.
"Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" was my second favorite story in Chiang's collection. In this world, a device called a prism can be used to communicate with your 'paraself' who exists in a parallel universe that only branches off from your current world when you use a prism. Of course, some people abuse this opportunity. Some people become obsessed with it. But what do your actions mean when there's another you in another world potentially doing the exact opposite? And what are the consequences of creating another "branch" world for yourself, the ones you love, and even random strangers? This is another story to check out, for sure! 4.75/5 stars.
After averaging, the collection as a whole gets 3.916 (rounded to 4) out of 5 stars. If you are interested in some sci-fi stories to get you thinking, I'd say you can't go wrong with picking this up!
Minor: Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, and Car accident