I think I would've enjoyed this collection of short stories more if it had been structured as a novel. Maybe something a la Cloud Cuckoo Land by Doerr? As it was I thought it was still pretty good, but not something I'd recommend widely.

Beautiful writing and compelling stories.

Stunning collection of short stories. It would have been 5* but I found some of the stories quite similar (not counting the trilogy).

Stand-out stories for me:

- Thoughts and Prayers (2019)
A mother who passes the family memories of her murdered daughter over to the anti-gun lobby

- Byzantine Empathy (2018)
The integration of Big Tech, AI, and Social Tech - using VR to raise charity donations

- Real Artists (2011)
Pixar-esk movie company using AI learning to adapt the film from the audience reaction

These stand out due to the ideas behind them, but Ken Liu ties in such heartbreaking emotion that makes all the stories worth a read.

I loved how many - though not all - of the stories in this collection were variations or continuations of the same theme/world, one which is both plausible and yet fantastical enough to spark thought in the way that science fiction does best. I recommend this for readers who like well crafted think pieces, and who ponder the nature of what it is to be alive, to be human, and our place on this planet. I didn’t love every single story, but did most of them and absolutely recommend reading through them all just as Ken Liu has ordered them here.

Parents fear to be forgotten, to not be understood by their children.

This is a pretty uneven collection. Several of the stories try to inspire the sense of wonder associated with legendary events and larger-than-life heroes, which mostly falls flat. But some of the others I really enjoyed:

• "Staying Behind", which highlights how radically one's philosophical views would affect one's perception of a singularity scenario;


• "The Reborn", a neat thought experiment on personal identity and accountability;


• "Memories of My Mother", a very short but moving story.

Some of these stories really made me feel that way that only stories can. Particularly 'The Message' and 'Ghost Days' were fantastic. However, some of the stories, centered around uploading, were connected and that began to drag and the writing began to feel as if it was trying to be more than it is. It felt like a chore to read through them, which saddens me because I know there's great stuff in here.

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories' by Ken Liu is a fantastic short-story collection. The stories use state-of-art speculative science fiction ideas to explore the intersection of human relationships and technology. I am very much reminded of the stories by Arthur C. Clarke.

Below is a copy of the cover blurb as it is accurate:

From award-winning author Ken Liu comes his much anticipated second volume of short stories.

Ken Liu is one of the most lauded short story writers of our time. This collection includes a selection of his science fiction and fantasy stories from the last five years — sixteen of his best — plus a new novelette.

In addition to these seventeen selections, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories also features an excerpt from the forthcoming book three in the Dandelion Dynasty series, "The Veiled Throne".

Contents:
- Ghost Days (2013)
- Maxwell's Demon (2012)
- The Reborn (2014)
- Thoughts and Prayers (2019)
- Byzantine Empathy (2018)
- The Gods Will Not Be Chained (2014)
- Staying Behind (2011)
- Real Artists (2011)
- The Gods Will Not Be Slain (2014)
- Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer (2011)
- The Gods Have Not Died in Vain (2015)
- Memories of My Mother (2012)
- Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit - Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts (2016)
- Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard (2020)
- A Chase Beyond the Storms: An excerpt from "The Veiled Throne", Book 3 of the Dandelion Dynasty
- The Hidden Girl (2017)
- Seven Birthdays (2016)
- The Message (2012)
- Cutting (2012)

Most of the stories are about an Earth which either is on its way to or has become uninhabitable because of global warming and resource mismanagement. People debate the ethics of killing themselves and uploading their minds, becoming computerized digital people - the world of the Singularity is a choice a majority are making! Some resist uploading, and there are consequences from staying alive "in the flesh" in a world which is losing most of its population. Half of the stories are connected to a previous story, jumping ahead generations in a family. A few stories are about genetic manipulation or using another spacial dimension of reality which seemed more like a fantasy, but still good. Some stories are set millennia into the future where exploring other solar systems is taking place. All of the stories focus on the characters or family life rather than the technology. I really enjoyed myself in reading this book! The writing is so reminiscent of Clarke's style to me. I am happy there is such a good writer able to honor the style of science fiction Clarke started!