The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
by Ken Liu
On This Page
Description
Featured in the Netflix series Love, Death & RobotsBestselling author Ken Liu selects his multiple award-winning stories for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume.
With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. This mesmerizing collection features many of Ken's award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: "The Man Who show more Ended History: A Documentary" (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), "Mono No Aware" (Hugo Award winner), "The Waves" (Nebula Award finalist), "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" (Nebula and Sturgeon Award finalists), "All the Flavors" (Nebula Award finalist), "The Litigation Master and the Monkey King" (Nebula Award finalist), and the most awarded story in the genre's history, "The Paper Menagerie" (The only story to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards).
Insightful and stunning stories that plumb the struggle against history and betrayal of relationships in pivotal moments, this collection showcases one of our greatest and original voices. show less
Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
“Every night when you stand outside and gaze upon the stars, you are bathing in time as well as light.”
“The best telescopes we have today can see back as far back as about thirteen billion years ago.”
I had not read Ken Liu but I had been hearing some positive chatter about this story collection, so I gave it a try. It was a wonderful surprise, in every way. There is science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, steampunk and allegories on war, suffering and exploration, all told in smart, fluid prose, that will have your mind buzzing with joy and reflection. Liu is a major talent and will not be confined or defined by any single genre. I will be reading everything I can find by him, including his translated works. I can not show more recommend this collection high enough. show less
“The best telescopes we have today can see back as far back as about thirteen billion years ago.”
I had not read Ken Liu but I had been hearing some positive chatter about this story collection, so I gave it a try. It was a wonderful surprise, in every way. There is science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, steampunk and allegories on war, suffering and exploration, all told in smart, fluid prose, that will have your mind buzzing with joy and reflection. Liu is a major talent and will not be confined or defined by any single genre. I will be reading everything I can find by him, including his translated works. I can not show more recommend this collection high enough. show less
Ken Lie has a brilliant approach to weaving together history and realism with fantastical/speculative fiction elements, drawing it all into poignant and deeply emotional relief.
It took me a long time to read this anthology, largely because the stories are very good . . . and sometimes, so painful and heavy and immediate that upon finishing I needed to set the book aside and take some time. Both to process the story and to give myself a little emotional space to breathe.
It took me a long time to read this anthology, largely because the stories are very good . . . and sometimes, so painful and heavy and immediate that upon finishing I needed to set the book aside and take some time. Both to process the story and to give myself a little emotional space to breathe.
The easiest way to look at "The Paper Menagarie," Ken Liu's collection of short stories, is that it will probably do for many what "District 9" did: cleverly subvert the cultural furniture they carry around when they think about science fiction and fantasy. This isn't just a question of setting or subject matter, but a real cognitive shift. In the same way that that movie posited that aliens didn't have to make first contact over the skies of New York or Paris, that it was just as likely -- more likely, really -- that they'd touch down on some impoverished part of the planet, these economic and geographical margins have to be taken seriously by science fiction. In "The Paper Menagerie," the axis of the science fiction world is shifted show more to Asia and Asian culture: a tunnel stretches from San Francisco to Korea, steampunk is invented in early-twentieth century Hong Kong, and the future of space travel belongs solely to a Japan that faces the apocalypse in a rational, emotionally controlled way.
Once you get past this shakeup of the genre's traditional assumptions, you're left with Liu's writing, which is high-quality stuff: erudite, literary, flowing, and, when it needs to be, beautiful and heart-tugging. It's true that many of these stories could be slotted into certain established story types: we meet sexbots and machine-women, legendary beasts, and cyborgs. Humans launch spaceships and try to travel back in time. This isn't a bad thing, I think: well done stories that ring manage to ring a few bells in many readers' memories are still, after all, good stories. In the end, Liu always seems to come back to displacement -- both spacial and cultural -- and remembrance. These are fine themes for a writer -- of science fiction or any other genre -- to work around, and Liu does so with uncommon grace and skill. I expect that some readers will complain that his stories seem more like novellas than short stories: the guy likes to take his time getting to the end. Also, as some of these stories seem inspired by real historical circumstances -- Chinese mining camps in the American West, for example, or the activities of Japan's infamous Unit 731 -- some readers will some of Liu's stories too obviously didactic or even too overtly political for their taste. But for other readers, these they'll just be opportunities that the author saw to describe the breadth of human experience and the enormous possibilities for its future development. For this SF dabbler, who tends to stick to the more literary, less pulps-inspired side of things, "The Paper Menagerie" provided a really excellent reading experience. show less
Once you get past this shakeup of the genre's traditional assumptions, you're left with Liu's writing, which is high-quality stuff: erudite, literary, flowing, and, when it needs to be, beautiful and heart-tugging. It's true that many of these stories could be slotted into certain established story types: we meet sexbots and machine-women, legendary beasts, and cyborgs. Humans launch spaceships and try to travel back in time. This isn't a bad thing, I think: well done stories that ring manage to ring a few bells in many readers' memories are still, after all, good stories. In the end, Liu always seems to come back to displacement -- both spacial and cultural -- and remembrance. These are fine themes for a writer -- of science fiction or any other genre -- to work around, and Liu does so with uncommon grace and skill. I expect that some readers will complain that his stories seem more like novellas than short stories: the guy likes to take his time getting to the end. Also, as some of these stories seem inspired by real historical circumstances -- Chinese mining camps in the American West, for example, or the activities of Japan's infamous Unit 731 -- some readers will some of Liu's stories too obviously didactic or even too overtly political for their taste. But for other readers, these they'll just be opportunities that the author saw to describe the breadth of human experience and the enormous possibilities for its future development. For this SF dabbler, who tends to stick to the more literary, less pulps-inspired side of things, "The Paper Menagerie" provided a really excellent reading experience. show less
Ken Liu writes beautifully, angrily, tenderly, piercingly about China, Japan, the West, racism, moral choices, history and its making, re-making, telling, and denial, ordinary heroes and monsters, post-humanity and interstellar travel. It’s brilliant.
The Bookmaking Habits of Selected Species
Everyone makes books.” Would you like to read a black hole? ;) I loved the idea of books that speak with the voice of the author, but decay with every read.
State Change
What a beautiful story… What if your soul was an object outside of your body? What if the object was a finite one? A pack of cigarettes, an ice cube, a tin of coffee? What if you had the power to measure out your life and have a superpower while doing so?
The Perfect Match
I had show more read this one before, in some other anthology (can’t remember which one it was). Anyway, it was an interesting dystopian take on social media algorithms and a mega corporation controlling everyone and everything.
Good Hunting
Another familiar tale, I had read it and loved it in Beyond the Woods: Fairy Tales Retold. Here is wonderful blend of shape-changing foxes, Chinese mythology and steampunk. I enjoyed it immensely, even more than the first time.
The Literomancer
Too heartbreaking for words.
Simulacrum
The idea is very interesting, but the story is really about the distances (sometimes insurmountable) between people.
The Regular
This one was a page-turner, a scary murder mystery with a bitterly ironic twist. The implant regulating your emotional state was intriguing and frightening. What kind of decisions would we make without emotions?
The Paper Menagerie
A story that made me cry. There was so much love and sadness in just a few pages. I loved the origami animals.
An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition
There was a lot of cool ideas, but it did not leave much impression. I was probably still reeling after having read The Paper Menagerie.
Waves
At first it felt like I was reading a “regular” generation ship sci-fi, but then it moved into post-humanity territory. Enjoyable.
Mono no Aware
Beautiful and tragic. After reading this one, I wanted to hug everyone I know. Strangers, too.
All the Flavors
This is a slice of life novella mixing historical events, Wild West, meetings between different cultures, and Chinese legends. Very satisfying.
A Brief History of the Trans-Pacific Tunnel
Alternative history dealing with sins of the past and the possibility of redemption.
The Litigator and the Monkey King
This one begins as a picaresque tale. It ends up being a story about the nature of history, memory, and who the true heroes are.
The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary
Continues the themes of the previous story. For me, it was a very emotional read. The use and abuse of history for ideological, existential, and moral reasons goes on and on and on. I also want to shake the author’s hand for writing (Ken Liu is not the first, of course) that monsters are ordinary people. show less
The Bookmaking Habits of Selected Species
Everyone makes books.” Would you like to read a black hole? ;) I loved the idea of books that speak with the voice of the author, but decay with every read.
State Change
What a beautiful story… What if your soul was an object outside of your body? What if the object was a finite one? A pack of cigarettes, an ice cube, a tin of coffee? What if you had the power to measure out your life and have a superpower while doing so?
The Perfect Match
I had show more read this one before, in some other anthology (can’t remember which one it was). Anyway, it was an interesting dystopian take on social media algorithms and a mega corporation controlling everyone and everything.
Good Hunting
Another familiar tale, I had read it and loved it in Beyond the Woods: Fairy Tales Retold. Here is wonderful blend of shape-changing foxes, Chinese mythology and steampunk. I enjoyed it immensely, even more than the first time.
The Literomancer
Too heartbreaking for words.
Simulacrum
The idea is very interesting, but the story is really about the distances (sometimes insurmountable) between people.
The Regular
This one was a page-turner, a scary murder mystery with a bitterly ironic twist. The implant regulating your emotional state was intriguing and frightening. What kind of decisions would we make without emotions?
The Paper Menagerie
A story that made me cry. There was so much love and sadness in just a few pages. I loved the origami animals.
An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition
There was a lot of cool ideas, but it did not leave much impression. I was probably still reeling after having read The Paper Menagerie.
Waves
At first it felt like I was reading a “regular” generation ship sci-fi, but then it moved into post-humanity territory. Enjoyable.
Mono no Aware
Beautiful and tragic. After reading this one, I wanted to hug everyone I know. Strangers, too.
All the Flavors
This is a slice of life novella mixing historical events, Wild West, meetings between different cultures, and Chinese legends. Very satisfying.
A Brief History of the Trans-Pacific Tunnel
Alternative history dealing with sins of the past and the possibility of redemption.
The Litigator and the Monkey King
This one begins as a picaresque tale. It ends up being a story about the nature of history, memory, and who the true heroes are.
The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary
Continues the themes of the previous story. For me, it was a very emotional read. The use and abuse of history for ideological, existential, and moral reasons goes on and on and on. I also want to shake the author’s hand for writing (Ken Liu is not the first, of course) that monsters are ordinary people. show less
Average Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.2
I've obviously known a little about the wonderful translations that Ken Liu has done and his own fantasy work The Grace of Kings has been on my radar for a while, but I never planned on reading any of them soon. But when our Stars and Sorcery book club chose the award winning Paper Menagerie short story as our final pick of 2019, I thought why not read the whole collection. And wow was that a great decision on my part.
I really don't have enough words to describe the beauty of this book. The stories are fascinating but brutal, the worlds are unique, the writing is sublime and emotional, and the author weaves so many important themes in so few words. And as an Asian immigrant myself, there were show more many stories here that felt deeply personal and really resonated with me. There is a reason why so many of these stories have been nominated or won awards, and I highly recommend anyone who loves speculative fiction, particularly hard sci-fi, to give this collection a try.
Below are my individual reviews for the stories:
The Bookmaking Aspects of Select Species
By telling us how every different species has it’s own way of reading, writing and interpretation, the author weaves a lovely tale about the beauty of books, albeit in their various forms.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
State Change
I really don’t know how to explain this story without spoiling it, so I’ll just say it was an interesting way of asking us all to try to live life to the fullest and not feel limited by the boundaries that have been created for us.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Perfect Match
This was terrifyingly prophetic and probably gave a glimpse of what our lives might become in the future, every step being controlled or manipulated by algorithms and all of us just falling into the trap of living in an echo chamber and believing we are happy. But it also felt very inevitable and left me feeling a bit hopeless.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good Hunting
This is at once a cautionary tale about how technological advances can be both good and bad, replacing ancient traditions with more material comforts; but also increase the wealth gap. It’s also ultimately a tale of ingenuity and survival and hope and I loved it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Literomancer
CW: racial slurs and graphic torture
What started off as an innocent tale of friendship and the magic of language turned into one full of brutality. This is a story that brought to light the utter havoc that war wreaks on ordinary people. I couldn’t stop crying and wish I hadn’t read something so painful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Simulacrum
A very compelling futuristic tale which has commentary about the pros and cons of capturing human memories in an AI like device to always carry with us; but at its heart, it’s the story of a father and daughter who are stuck in their relationship because no one is ready to understand how the other has changed and evolved over the years.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Regular
I can’t really explain this story properly except that it’s a murder mystery but also a very interesting commentary on the perils of using advanced technology that make us entirely dependent on them. This would make a wonderful full length novel too.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Paper Menagerie
This one left me sobbing and now I totally understand why it’s won so many accolades. A beautiful but sad story of empathy, belonging, and a mother’s love for her son, even when the son is unable to find a connection to her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition
This story definitely had too much of science and jargon, so I can’t say I understood a lot of it. But ultimately it’s message is that there are lots of ways to love someone, and we shouldn’t really expect anyone to change their passion for our sake.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Waves
This story takes from many creation myths that we know and weaves it’s own creation story, albeit a more highly advanced and futuristic one. Quite fascinating with its discussions about what defines humanity and death. I liked reading it but I can’t say I understood it fully.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mono No Aware
Set in a post apocalyptic future and using the game Go as a metaphor, this is an absolutely wonderful story about the importance of being selfless and doing what’s right for the whole community, not just us as an individual. It also really demonstrates the stark difference between the cultures of America and Japan, and what it means to carry forward your heritage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All the Flavors
Based on the Chinese gold rush of the 19th century in Idaho, this is a tale of the resilience of Chinese men who came here to live better lives, and who in turn touched the hearts of the communities where they lived in, before all the anti-Chinese sentiment took hold in the country. A very beautiful tale of bravery, grit, loyalty and unlikely friendships.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Brief History of the Trans-Pacific Tunnel
Set in an alternative history timeline where WWII never happened but there was a cooperative agreement between the Western Powers and Imperial Japan, on surface this feels like a story of human ingenuity but when we dig deeper, it’s about labor exploitation and how much the glorious technological advances have been made on the backs of workers who had no choice.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Litigation Master and the Monkey King
CW: torture
While bringing some light upon the Yangzhou Massacre, this is a story about how ordinary people sometimes have to do extraordinary things, just because it’s right even though they may never see the consequences of their actions. A true tale of bravery.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary
CW: graphic descriptions of rape, torture and human experimentation
Told with a time travel backdrop and in the form of a documentary, this is the story of Unit 731 of Imperial Japan during WWII and the inhumane human experiments that were conducted on Chinese and Allied prisoners and people. I was horrified that I had no idea about this part of Asian history despite being so familiar with the Holocaust which occurred at the same time. I would definitely ask everyone to read more about the history of Unit 731 after you are done with this story.
This novella raises some very important questions for which there are no easy answers - should we forget wartime atrocities so that people can move on? Is asking the states that committed such crimes against humanity to apologize not valid? How much culpability do other countries bear when they cover up such crimes for their own selfish goals? How important is it for the people in the present to feel a connection to their past and process that trauma? There are many such thought provoking questions that come to mind while reading this story and it’s left to us find our own answers. I couldn’t imagine another brilliant way to end this excellent book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ show less
I've obviously known a little about the wonderful translations that Ken Liu has done and his own fantasy work The Grace of Kings has been on my radar for a while, but I never planned on reading any of them soon. But when our Stars and Sorcery book club chose the award winning Paper Menagerie short story as our final pick of 2019, I thought why not read the whole collection. And wow was that a great decision on my part.
I really don't have enough words to describe the beauty of this book. The stories are fascinating but brutal, the worlds are unique, the writing is sublime and emotional, and the author weaves so many important themes in so few words. And as an Asian immigrant myself, there were show more many stories here that felt deeply personal and really resonated with me. There is a reason why so many of these stories have been nominated or won awards, and I highly recommend anyone who loves speculative fiction, particularly hard sci-fi, to give this collection a try.
Below are my individual reviews for the stories:
The Bookmaking Aspects of Select Species
By telling us how every different species has it’s own way of reading, writing and interpretation, the author weaves a lovely tale about the beauty of books, albeit in their various forms.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
State Change
I really don’t know how to explain this story without spoiling it, so I’ll just say it was an interesting way of asking us all to try to live life to the fullest and not feel limited by the boundaries that have been created for us.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Perfect Match
This was terrifyingly prophetic and probably gave a glimpse of what our lives might become in the future, every step being controlled or manipulated by algorithms and all of us just falling into the trap of living in an echo chamber and believing we are happy. But it also felt very inevitable and left me feeling a bit hopeless.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good Hunting
This is at once a cautionary tale about how technological advances can be both good and bad, replacing ancient traditions with more material comforts; but also increase the wealth gap. It’s also ultimately a tale of ingenuity and survival and hope and I loved it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Literomancer
CW: racial slurs and graphic torture
What started off as an innocent tale of friendship and the magic of language turned into one full of brutality. This is a story that brought to light the utter havoc that war wreaks on ordinary people. I couldn’t stop crying and wish I hadn’t read something so painful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Simulacrum
A very compelling futuristic tale which has commentary about the pros and cons of capturing human memories in an AI like device to always carry with us; but at its heart, it’s the story of a father and daughter who are stuck in their relationship because no one is ready to understand how the other has changed and evolved over the years.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Regular
I can’t really explain this story properly except that it’s a murder mystery but also a very interesting commentary on the perils of using advanced technology that make us entirely dependent on them. This would make a wonderful full length novel too.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Paper Menagerie
This one left me sobbing and now I totally understand why it’s won so many accolades. A beautiful but sad story of empathy, belonging, and a mother’s love for her son, even when the son is unable to find a connection to her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition
This story definitely had too much of science and jargon, so I can’t say I understood a lot of it. But ultimately it’s message is that there are lots of ways to love someone, and we shouldn’t really expect anyone to change their passion for our sake.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Waves
This story takes from many creation myths that we know and weaves it’s own creation story, albeit a more highly advanced and futuristic one. Quite fascinating with its discussions about what defines humanity and death. I liked reading it but I can’t say I understood it fully.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mono No Aware
Set in a post apocalyptic future and using the game Go as a metaphor, this is an absolutely wonderful story about the importance of being selfless and doing what’s right for the whole community, not just us as an individual. It also really demonstrates the stark difference between the cultures of America and Japan, and what it means to carry forward your heritage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All the Flavors
Based on the Chinese gold rush of the 19th century in Idaho, this is a tale of the resilience of Chinese men who came here to live better lives, and who in turn touched the hearts of the communities where they lived in, before all the anti-Chinese sentiment took hold in the country. A very beautiful tale of bravery, grit, loyalty and unlikely friendships.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Brief History of the Trans-Pacific Tunnel
Set in an alternative history timeline where WWII never happened but there was a cooperative agreement between the Western Powers and Imperial Japan, on surface this feels like a story of human ingenuity but when we dig deeper, it’s about labor exploitation and how much the glorious technological advances have been made on the backs of workers who had no choice.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Litigation Master and the Monkey King
CW: torture
While bringing some light upon the Yangzhou Massacre, this is a story about how ordinary people sometimes have to do extraordinary things, just because it’s right even though they may never see the consequences of their actions. A true tale of bravery.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary
CW: graphic descriptions of rape, torture and human experimentation
Told with a time travel backdrop and in the form of a documentary, this is the story of Unit 731 of Imperial Japan during WWII and the inhumane human experiments that were conducted on Chinese and Allied prisoners and people. I was horrified that I had no idea about this part of Asian history despite being so familiar with the Holocaust which occurred at the same time. I would definitely ask everyone to read more about the history of Unit 731 after you are done with this story.
This novella raises some very important questions for which there are no easy answers - should we forget wartime atrocities so that people can move on? Is asking the states that committed such crimes against humanity to apologize not valid? How much culpability do other countries bear when they cover up such crimes for their own selfish goals? How important is it for the people in the present to feel a connection to their past and process that trauma? There are many such thought provoking questions that come to mind while reading this story and it’s left to us find our own answers. I couldn’t imagine another brilliant way to end this excellent book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ show less
This is an eclectic mix of short stories — part sci-fi, part fantasy, and at times simply historical fiction. At its best, it contains genuinely thought-provoking gems, with brilliant takes on questions of history, immortality, and what it might mean to embed AI into every aspect of life. Many of the stories are deeply rooted in East Asian history, which gives it an thematic coherence that I enjoyed.
That said, the collection is uneven. Some stories lean fully into historical or fantasy-historical territory and feel longer than they need to be, slowing the overall pace. And the book can be emotionally taxing. Many of the stories are relentlessly bleak. Yes, they reflect real aspects of human depravity, but page after page of reading show more about it was emotionally draining. show less
That said, the collection is uneven. Some stories lean fully into historical or fantasy-historical territory and feel longer than they need to be, slowing the overall pace. And the book can be emotionally taxing. Many of the stories are relentlessly bleak. Yes, they reflect real aspects of human depravity, but page after page of reading show more about it was emotionally draining. show less
I'm filled with shame for not having read these fantastic short stories earlier. Instead, I just focused on reading Ken Liu's translations of Cixin Liu, and Ken Liu's own enormous epic fantasy, ignoring, (wrongly-so) his award-winning short fiction.
*rubs hands together and gets to work*
I was delighted by almost all the short, sometimes strange, fiction that filled the first pages.
The Bookmaking Species of Select Species tickled all my librophile instincts.
State Change made me change tracks HARD and I felt the claustrophobia and intense BELIEF behind the somewhat magical conceit that each of us has our souls trapped in a small, unique object that we must protect at all costs. The twist is in the title.
Perfect Match made me think I had show more just watched a Black Mirror episode or a pretty common technothriller idea, but it wasn't bad for all that.
Good Hunting was a freaking delight because I recognized it right away as one of my favorite on-screen adaptations in the Netflix show Love, Death, and Robots. Kitsune legend meets steampunk transformation!
The Literomancer was both darkly interesting and pretty disturbing. Cultural Revolution meets interpretive magic.
Simulacrum was okay. I didn't dislike it but it wasn't as poignant as some I've read on the same thing.
The Regular was a much longer tale that was a police procedural, a mystery with a ton of great cyborg elements interwoven in the solving and the causes of the crimes. It was both clever and fast-paced and pure popcorn goodness.
The Paper Menagerie was rather sweet and all about learning about your family and dealing with cross-cultural divides. I can appreciate it and do, but it is not my favorite story in the bunch despite all the awards it was given.
An Advanced Readers’ Picture Book of Comparative Cognition made me oooh and ahhh because I LOVE a good story that doesn't hold back on the science and speculation and rolls all over the carpet with a cool tale.
The Waves was pretty ok. Not the best, but definitely above average.
Mono No Aware felt like a more traditional SF story with space travel. Also okay.
All the Flavors rather surprised me. I didn't realize I would be getting a rather long Western set during the time of the railroad building where many Chinese lost their lives in America in the Company Towns while building the Transcontinental. It was rather great.
A Brief History of The Trans-Pacific Tunnel was written as snippets of news articles about (somewhat) digging a hole to China. I dug this short one.
The Litigation Master and The Monkey King might be my favorite story here. More than anything, it's a legal drama set in classic China that turns a trickster into a hero... on the side of safeguarding history. Great stuff.
The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary felt like a very different take on the same theme, but this time it had a very cool time-travel trick that caused a LOT of trouble for the creator. What kind of trouble? The usual kind: Political, social, Denialists, national embarrassment. What is it about? Getting proof, some small apology for Japan's role in the atrocities they committed during their occupations of China and other countries during WWII. Many horrible experiments were performed on prisoners. This story is rooted in facts, but the SF portion of the tale just pulls out a new, very believable wrinkle in the ongoing nastiness. Should tragedies that are old be swept under the rug, never acknowledged, or acknowledged and in the same breath denied?
This last one was pretty hard to get through, emotionally. Accordingly, I give it very high marks.
Overall, I loved the entire collection. :) show less
*rubs hands together and gets to work*
I was delighted by almost all the short, sometimes strange, fiction that filled the first pages.
The Bookmaking Species of Select Species tickled all my librophile instincts.
State Change made me change tracks HARD and I felt the claustrophobia and intense BELIEF behind the somewhat magical conceit that each of us has our souls trapped in a small, unique object that we must protect at all costs. The twist is in the title.
Perfect Match made me think I had show more just watched a Black Mirror episode or a pretty common technothriller idea, but it wasn't bad for all that.
Good Hunting was a freaking delight because I recognized it right away as one of my favorite on-screen adaptations in the Netflix show Love, Death, and Robots. Kitsune legend meets steampunk transformation!
The Literomancer was both darkly interesting and pretty disturbing. Cultural Revolution meets interpretive magic.
Simulacrum was okay. I didn't dislike it but it wasn't as poignant as some I've read on the same thing.
The Regular was a much longer tale that was a police procedural, a mystery with a ton of great cyborg elements interwoven in the solving and the causes of the crimes. It was both clever and fast-paced and pure popcorn goodness.
The Paper Menagerie was rather sweet and all about learning about your family and dealing with cross-cultural divides. I can appreciate it and do, but it is not my favorite story in the bunch despite all the awards it was given.
An Advanced Readers’ Picture Book of Comparative Cognition made me oooh and ahhh because I LOVE a good story that doesn't hold back on the science and speculation and rolls all over the carpet with a cool tale.
The Waves was pretty ok. Not the best, but definitely above average.
Mono No Aware felt like a more traditional SF story with space travel. Also okay.
All the Flavors rather surprised me. I didn't realize I would be getting a rather long Western set during the time of the railroad building where many Chinese lost their lives in America in the Company Towns while building the Transcontinental. It was rather great.
A Brief History of The Trans-Pacific Tunnel was written as snippets of news articles about (somewhat) digging a hole to China. I dug this short one.
The Litigation Master and The Monkey King might be my favorite story here. More than anything, it's a legal drama set in classic China that turns a trickster into a hero... on the side of safeguarding history. Great stuff.
The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary felt like a very different take on the same theme, but this time it had a very cool time-travel trick that caused a LOT of trouble for the creator. What kind of trouble? The usual kind: Political, social, Denialists, national embarrassment. What is it about? Getting proof, some small apology for Japan's role in the atrocities they committed during their occupations of China and other countries during WWII. Many horrible experiments were performed on prisoners. This story is rooted in facts, but the SF portion of the tale just pulls out a new, very believable wrinkle in the ongoing nastiness. Should tragedies that are old be swept under the rug, never acknowledged, or acknowledged and in the same breath denied?
This last one was pretty hard to get through, emotionally. Accordingly, I give it very high marks.
Overall, I loved the entire collection. :) show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
NPR Summer 2021: 50 Favorite Sci-Fi And Fantasy Books Of The Past Decade
50 works; 8 members
Favorite Short Fiction
228 works; 99 members
Top Five Books of 2020
982 works; 350 members
Top Five Books of 2016
795 works; 229 members
Short Story Collections
6 works; 1 member
Science Fiction
72 works; 1 member
Fantasy Fiction
69 works; 3 members
Recommend Fantasy Books
100 works; 1 member
Books Read in 2024
4,623 works; 126 members
Not the NYT list of top 100 21st century books
100 works; 6 members
Five star books
1,755 works; 108 members
Top Five Books of 2024
795 works; 264 members
Book Recommendations Masterlist
28 works; 1 member
Author Information
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Notable Lists
Work Relationships
Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
- Original title
- The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
- Original publication date
- 2016
- First words
- I started my career as a short story writer. Although I now longer write dozens of short-stories every year since shifting most of my creative efforts to long-form fiction, short fiction still holds a special place in my hear... (show all)t. -Prologue
There is no definitive census of all the intelligent species in the universe. Not only are there perennial arguments about what qualifies as intelligence. but each moment and everywhere, civilizations rise and fall, much as t... (show all)he stars a born and die. -The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species - Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)J'imagine tous ces morceaux de moi qui essaient de garder la forme, ces atomes qui s'efforcent de maintenir l'illusion d'un tout cohérent. (Renaissance)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)... mais l'instant lui-même restera flou – l'écran de télé palpite, des chiffres et des mots défilent en bas pendant que le Président s'exprime (« ... la patience et la foi... et Dieu bénisse l'Amérique... ») sur ces images incompréhensibles, et Jerry, durant les longues années à venir, malgré tout ses efforts, ne se rappellera pas quand il s'est rendu compte que le monde venait de changer à jamais, telle une phrase qui s'accumule au fil de ses détours le sédiment des pensées, des sentiments, des craintes, des souvenirs et des envies, jusqu'à ce qu'on s'avise qu'un décalage fondamental s'est opéré qui a altéré de façon irrévocable son cheminement, son humeur, sa tonalité, si bien qu'au point final on hésite, on attend et on retient son souffle, afin de recouvrer la mémoire. (Avant et après)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)« Moi aussi, je t'aime », dit Laura. (Les algorithmes de l'amour)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)— Le même, mais pas le même », dit le capvaiss. (Nova verba, mundus novus)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Dans l'obscurité, une petite lumière rouge clignotait. (Faits pour être ensemble)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)De toute évidence, il nous reste beaucoup à apprendre.
EMILY (Emily vous répond)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Les éclats de rire des enfants résonnent plus fort dans mes oreilles que le grondement de la mer éternelle. (Trajectoire)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Elle descendit la rampe de débarquement avec sa famille, dans le soleil éclatant et la brise salée de La Nouvelle-Haïfa. (Le golem au GMS)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Il n'est pas venu apprendre, mais je dois pourtant l'instruire. (La peste)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Il vécut, et fut même parfois heureux, jusqu'au jour de sa mort. (L'erreur d'un seul bit)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Il ronronnait lorsqu'on a repris le chemin de la maison. (La ménagerie de papier)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Tout le monde fait des livres. (Le livre chez diverses espèces)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Les mots devenaient flous, indistincts, mais elle continua de lire, confrontée au mystère de son propre cœur. (Le journal intime)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Ils s'embrassèrent jusque tard dans la nuit noire. (L'oracle)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)« Et maintenant, voulez-vous bien venir avec moi pour accueillir vos esprits du foyer dans ma maison, jusqu'à ce que vous puissiez rebâtir la vôtre ? » (La plaideuse)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Le commandant prit la parole : « Bonjour. Ici le peuple de Pélé. » (Le peuple de Pélé)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Et nous suivons la rue, pour pouvoir nous rappeler chaque brin d'herbe, chaque goutte de rosée, chaque rayon du soleil mourant, dans leur infinie beauté. (Mono no aware)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Je voudrais que ce moment, pauvre en division, riche en variation, dure l'éternité. (La forme de la pensée)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Des lambeaux d'écume s'envolaient au vent qui les entraînait vers l'inconnu. (Les vagues) - Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PS3612.I927
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 2,128
- Popularity
- 9,563
- Reviews
- 80
- Rating
- (4.23)
- Languages
- 7 — Chinese, English, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Japanese, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 22
- ASINs
- 10