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misterwombat's review against another edition
4.0
Ken Liu is such a wonderful, creative writer and this collection holds up to his previous work. It contains many thought provoking ideas, with the bulk surrounding the Singularity. My favorite story in this collection is The Message about an archeologist studying ancient alien civilizations with his estranged daughter. A heartbreaking but lovely story.
wendyonthemove's review against another edition
4.0
Ken Liu really knows how to write a short story. These are all gripping. They are also mildly terrifying. These are scifi, not horror, but they paint a bleak picture of the future. And now I will henceforth have nightmares about the singularity. (The singularity is a hypothetical point in time when artificial intelligence (AI) becomes so advanced that it surpasses human intelligence, potentially leading to the end of humanity.)
earleyej's review against another edition
3.0
Loved:
Hidden Girl
The Message
Grey Rabbit, Etc.
Chase beyond the storms
The rest... Meh. Half of the stories are about absent fathers (and ocassional mothers) who are workaholics. Also not a fan of the AI/consciousness uploading series of stories.
Hidden Girl
The Message
Grey Rabbit, Etc.
Chase beyond the storms
The rest... Meh. Half of the stories are about absent fathers (and ocassional mothers) who are workaholics. Also not a fan of the AI/consciousness uploading series of stories.
thatonekid's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bread333's review against another edition
3.5
3.5
Some of the stories were hit or miss. I think that the Paper Menagerie read as a more cohesive collection, but this collection started off really strong, had somewhat of a lull, and then picked back up. Maxwell's Demon was one of my favorites, as I think it hit a really good balance of history, scifi, and emotional resonance. I did enjoy the various thought experiments of technology and digital preservation, but felt that the extensions of some stories didn't add much.
Some of the stories were hit or miss. I think that the Paper Menagerie read as a more cohesive collection, but this collection started off really strong, had somewhat of a lull, and then picked back up. Maxwell's Demon was one of my favorites, as I think it hit a really good balance of history, scifi, and emotional resonance. I did enjoy the various thought experiments of technology and digital preservation, but felt that the extensions of some stories didn't add much.
jordibal's review against another edition
5.0
De aquí sale la serie de animación Pantheon (muy recomendada), especialmente de tres cuentos interconectados sobre las IA como dioses y digitalizaciones parciales de conciencias humanas.
Por otra parte, Ken Liu sigue en plena forma y todavía le gusta arrancarnos la llorera con historias de la nostalgia de [p/m]adres ausentes e hijes que les echan de menos y les recuerdan, o viceversa. Por otra parte, mucha emergencia climática, injusticias socioeconómicas y esperanza hacia el futuro.
Por otra parte, Ken Liu sigue en plena forma y todavía le gusta arrancarnos la llorera con historias de la nostalgia de [p/m]adres ausentes e hijes que les echan de menos y les recuerdan, o viceversa. Por otra parte, mucha emergencia climática, injusticias socioeconómicas y esperanza hacia el futuro.
alannabarras's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this up excited to dive into pure escapist fiction. I should have known better. Ken Liu is one of the most vivid storytellers I've had the pleasure to read, and while each of his stories were beautifully crafted, the running themes of intolerance and world-shattering changes the characters had to deal with made the stories a little more relatable today than I would have liked. That being said, this is still an excellent collection that I would recommend in a heartbeat!
thebiparadox's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get into these stories. They had interesting premises but many of them were too exposition heavy in the prose instead of putting the exposition in the dialogue or showing that information instead of telling (and I have a higher tolerance for this than most people). I also felt there were too many stories, and that the whole book could have been paired down a bit to a more curated collection.
alexis_ev's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
sabs_16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0