A review by mgerboc
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

I'm usually not a huge fan of short stories, but I'd read enough about Ken Liu to be interested in this and MAN it was good. The ideas presented throughout the collection are profound and deal with complex issues - time, memory, culture, immigration, time travel, space travel, history, technology, love and regret (among others) - but Liu writes with such clarity that the stories, short as they may be, affected me in deep and unexpected ways. Characters came alive around the ideas, which are often steeped in fantasy and science fiction, and the relationships are beautifully explored. From the heartbreaking (Paper Menagerie and The Literomancer and most of them tbh but the ending of Paper Menagerie legit had me crying) to the heartwarming (All the Flavors), almost every one of these stories triggered a real emotional response.

Ultimately, what I love most about this book was Liu's ability to combine a complex scientific premise with deeply human and empathetic sentiment. Definitely want to read more by Ken Liu.