13 Followers
Experiencing fiction from another culture is always interesting even if it might be harder to connect to it. Ken Liu did a good job of collecting stories which, for the most part, don't have a barrier for western audiences to enjoy them. I would say, with exceptions, they are pretty similar in style and themes to what is popular in short SF in the US, but with inspirations and twists from Chinese culture added. The introductions and essays provide a good background for further understanding. While the stories themselves were good, most of them I didn't find to be that memorable or their plot didn't appeal to me. With the exceptions of "Submarines", "Reflection" and "The Brain Box", which really stood out to me, they didn't leave a lasting impression. That said, I enjoyed the majoriry of them while reading and there is a variety of topics covered, but there were also more stories than usual which I didn't much care for.
Sep 4, 2022
Experiencing fiction from another culture is always interesting even if it might be harder to connect to it. Ken Liu did a good job of collecting stories which, for the most part, don't have a barrier for western audiences to enjoy them. I would say, with exceptions, they are pretty similar in style and themes to what is popular in short SF in the US, but with inspirations and twists from Chinese culture added. The introductions and essays provide a good background for further understanding. While the stories themselves were good, most of them I didn't find to be that memorable or their plot didn't appeal to me. With the exceptions of "Submarines", "Reflection" and "The Brain Box", which really stood out to me, they didn't leave a lasting impression. That said, I enjoyed the majoriry of them while reading and there is a variety of topics covered, but there were also more stories than usual which I didn't much care for.
Sep 4, 2022
