Book No. 53 of 2020 ⭐️
I almost completely forgot to post/write my review for this book, probably because I discussed it with @cozyreadingclub so extensively. In short, this is an outstanding collection of short stories that makes me feel extremely dumb and simple-minded, because Ken Liu just operates on ANOTHER LEVEL. Is he a wizard???
Liu blends genres in a way that makes you question why we even stuck to genres in the first place—one particularly affecting story combines historical fiction, advanced particle physics, and folk magic to devastating effect. He also writes stories in the near and far future that serve as commentary on the social and political tensions that roil us now, and offer staggering insight into the human condition. On top of being flabbergastingly smart, the stories also pack enormous emotional punches—I had to frequently put the book down and take a break. One of the stories, which depicts trolling in a near future where immersive technology has advanced but mass shootings are still commonplace, still haunts me.
Also, as someone who is prone to being extremely long-winded in her own writing, I am in utter awe at how much Liu is able to pack into the short story form. Again, is he a wizard???
One thing I noticed was that this collection of stories seems to be geared to a reader already familiar with Ken Liu’s style; in particular, the excerpt from the third installment of his epic saga would have been extremely confusing if I hadn’t read the first installment (and as it was, I felt like I was barely hanging on).
Similar Reads
Definitely recommend pairing with Liu’s first book of short stories, The Paper Menagerie, if you haven’t already read it; it’s similarly smart and beautiful and devastating, and one small detail in a set of stories in Hidden Girl ties that universe to another story in Menagerie.
I was also reminded, multiple times over, of Ted Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others.