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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
laurenmiller100's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this. Most of the stories left me gobsmacked and excited to talk about them with friends to really dissect the ideas. This compilation is excellent. As always, I love Ted Chiang’s commentary on where each story came from.
Favorites: The Tower of Babylon, Division by Zero, The Story of Your Life, Hell is the Absence of God, Liking What You See: A Documentary
Favorites: The Tower of Babylon, Division by Zero, The Story of Your Life, Hell is the Absence of God, Liking What You See: A Documentary
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Torture
malaikawrites's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.5
This was absolutely wonderful! Every story held its own, nut all together? All together it was dynamic, thought provoking and world-view shifting. It was a holistically powerful collection and I'm so glad I decided to pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death and Suicide
Minor: Racial slurs and Sexism
kimbo8's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, War, Medical trauma, Grief, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Misogyny
kylieqrada's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
😱 I'm not usually an anthology girly, but this absolutely slapped. Almost all of the stories were highly rated, but Story of Your Life will definitely stick with me. I need to read Exhalation, like, now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Child death, and Suicide
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Bullying
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
tiredcreature's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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
4.0
• Tower of Babylon: Babylonian sci-fi (3.5/5)
• Understand: superpowered redditors do mind battle (2/5)
• Division by zero: mathematician discovers that mathematics is inconsistent; experiences a crisis (4/5)
• Stories of your life: linguist learns alien language, gains chronologically non-linear memory (5/5)
• Seventy-two letters: steampunk Hebrew true name magic ft. 19th-century-typical eugenics (5/5)
• The evolution of human science: what becomes of human science when we invent metahumans, who are more intelligent and capable than a human could ever become? (??/5 - feels incomplete)
• Hell is the absence of god: Christian horror; monstrous divinity (4/5)
• Liking what you see: fictional documentary transcript; discussion of neuromodification (4/5)
• Understand: superpowered redditors do mind battle (2/5)
• Division by zero: mathematician discovers that mathematics is inconsistent; experiences a crisis (4/5)
• Stories of your life: linguist learns alien language, gains chronologically non-linear memory (5/5)
• Seventy-two letters: steampunk Hebrew true name magic ft. 19th-century-typical eugenics (5/5)
• The evolution of human science: what becomes of human science when we invent metahumans, who are more intelligent and capable than a human could ever become? (??/5 - feels incomplete)
• Hell is the absence of god: Christian horror; monstrous divinity (4/5)
• Liking what you see: fictional documentary transcript; discussion of neuromodification (4/5)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
loujanae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
Every time I finished a story, I would look at my cat and say "well that was weird."
Three stand out stories:
Tower of Babylon
Story of Your Life
Hell is the Absence of God
Three stand out stories:
Tower of Babylon
Story of Your Life
Hell is the Absence of God
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Murder
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
leftandleaving_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide