The worst offenders are "Byzantine Empathy" and "Real Artists," which read as infomercials for fictional technologies. Weaker offerings violate Liu's assertion in the preface that "a good story cannot function like a legal brief," forgoing narrative momentum in favor of overexplaining their conceits. At their best, these stories inject high-minded scientific concepts with deeper themes: "Maxwell's Demon" uses Maxwell's equations to explore cycles of violence and the loyalty oaths forced on Japanese Americans during WWII, "The Gods Will Not Be Chained" transcends the ghost-in-the-machine subgenre with its familial tenderness, and the title story resonates with a stubborn, determined protagonist. Though Liu's dexterous prose is on display throughout, static story structures and sketchy characters plague these 19 idea-driven tales.
Ghost Days Maxwell's Demon The Reborn Thoughts and Prayers Byzantine Empathy The Gods Will Not Be Chained Staying Behind Real Artists The Gods Will Not Be Slain Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer The Gods Have Not Died in Vain Memories of My Mother Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit-Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard A Chase Beyond the Storms (an excerpt from The Veiled Throne, Book 3 of the Dandelion Dynasty) The Hidden Girl Seven Birthdays The Message Cutting Author NotesĬycles of violence, unquiet ghosts, and troubled parent-child relationships pervade Hugo Award-winner Liu's inconsistent second collection. In addition, it also features an excerpt from The Veiled Throne, the third book in Liu's epic fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty. This collection includes a selection of Liu's speculative fiction stories over the past five years-seventeen of his best-plus a new novelette.
With the release of The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, Ken Liu's short fiction has resonated with a generation of readers.įrom stories about time-traveling assassins, to Black Mirror -esque tales of cryptocurrency and internet trolling, to heartbreaking narratives of parent-child relationships, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories is a far-reaching work that explores topical themes from the present and a visionary look at humanity's future.
I'm in awe." -Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author "I know this is going to sound hyperbolic, but when I'm reading Ken Liu's stories, I feel like I'm reading a once-in-a-generation talent. Includes stories featured in Pantheon -now an animated series on AMC+
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