A review by livlosiewicz
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
Pros:
•These stories explore really fascinating ideas. The standouts in terms of concept for me were “Hell is the Absence of God” and “Liking What You See: A Documentary”. All of the stories make for great conversation and have a lot to unpack
•Most of the stories also have a poignant emotional element, and the scifi premise was such a cool way to try putting specific human experiences to words. I adored the way “Story of Your Life” illustrated a parent/child relationship and how “Hell is the Absence of God” explored faith and grief. *chefs kiss*.
Cons:
•it varies by story, but they do get into the weeds a bit with some of the scientific detail. This wasn’t a mistake, it was just not totally my thing and I found my eyes glazing over in those sections, which sometimes rendered me confused about the premise
Recommendation: I recommend to those who enjoy scifi, speculative fiction, and/or short stories. Short stories are often a bit of a miss for me; I like having time to get to know the characters. BUT this collection was super fascinating and I loved getting to think through the different concepts the author presented. Extra recommendation to read with somebody else because the stories are great for conversation. Avoid if you’ll get bogged down or annoyed with science details.
•These stories explore really fascinating ideas. The standouts in terms of concept for me were “Hell is the Absence of God” and “Liking What You See: A Documentary”. All of the stories make for great conversation and have a lot to unpack
•Most of the stories also have a poignant emotional element, and the scifi premise was such a cool way to try putting specific human experiences to words. I adored the way “Story of Your Life” illustrated a parent/child relationship and how “Hell is the Absence of God” explored faith and grief. *chefs kiss*.
Cons:
•it varies by story, but they do get into the weeds a bit with some of the scientific detail. This wasn’t a mistake, it was just not totally my thing and I found my eyes glazing over in those sections, which sometimes rendered me confused about the premise
Recommendation: I recommend to those who enjoy scifi, speculative fiction, and/or short stories. Short stories are often a bit of a miss for me; I like having time to get to know the characters. BUT this collection was super fascinating and I loved getting to think through the different concepts the author presented. Extra recommendation to read with somebody else because the stories are great for conversation. Avoid if you’ll get bogged down or annoyed with science details.