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Arrival (Stories of Your Life MTI)
Arrival (Stories of Your Life MTI) | Ted Chiang
Previously published as Stories of Your Life and Others. Includes "Story Of Your Life," the basis for the major motion picture Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Shining, haunting, mind-blowing tales . . . Ted Chiang is so exhilarating, so original, so stylish he just leaves you speechless. Junot Daz Ted Chiang has long been known as one of the most powerful science fiction writers working today. Offering readers the dual delights of the very strange and the heartbreakingly familiar, Arrival presents characters who must confront sudden change. "Story of Your Life," which provides the basis for the film Arrival, concerns the presence of alien lifeforms on Planet Earth. When a linguist is brought in to help communicate with them and discern their intentions, her new knowledge of their language and its nonlinear structure helps her deal with the pangs of divorce and the death of her daughter. In each story of this incredible collection, with sharp intelligence and humor, Ted Chiang examines what it means to be alive in a world marked by uncertainty, but also by wonder. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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HeyT
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Happy #BookSpin Day to all who celebrate!

I'm excited about this month's picks. My bookspin is Terra Nullius and doublespin is the tagged. Still working on previous picks as well.

BarbaraJean The Ted Chiang collection is amazing—SO good!! Hope you enjoy! 3mo
15 likes1 comment
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HeyT
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I can't believe it's almost July and time for a new draw! New to the #BookSpin list this month are the tagged and Severance. Fingers crossed no more chunkster draws so I can finally catch up!

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Balibee146
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This is #99ponkindle today in the UK. The main novella in the collection is the basis for the movie Arrival, which I really enjoyed.

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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Fascinating ideas, but perhaps not enough room for each idea to breathe? The curse of the short story. The transcript style of 'Liking What You See' worked well; 'Story of Your Life' was even better than the film based on it. Wanted more from 'Seventy-Two Letters' & 'Understand'. Story Notes at the end are worth a read for further insight. A blend of science, religion, social commentary, and humans having emotions. Recommend reading slowly.

Robotswithpersonality ⚠️Suicide attempt; misogynistic, homophobic Victorian era pseudo-science; ableism 1y
9 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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New (to me) word alert!
I'm guessing from context it's the first definition...
Cucurbit: "[1] a vessel or flask for distillation used with or forming part of an alembic. :[2] a plant of the gourd family."

BarbaraJean This collection of stories is SO GOOD. I was trying to piece together which story this was from and why I don‘t remember coming across this word, and then I realized I listened to this on audio, so it probably just flew right past me!! 1y
6 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Elias1
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Reading this masterpiece again. No one does it like Ted Chiang

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HeyT
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#BookReport
I finished something trackable this week! I've been seriously in a slump but this was a great book and worth pushing through.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish Spirits Abroad and start the tagged. Both are the current SFFBC picks and I kind of want to keep up with the group this year.

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DeeBall
Mehso-so

Deep meanings, relatable ideas. A little to “science-y” for me in some stories.

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Billypar
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#AboutMe #AuldLangSpine
Here's a few things about me:
-I live with my fiancee of 7 years (yep, that's years not months 😄) in NJ.
-We've got two amazing 1-yr-old brother cats - Jem (middle right) and Scout (bottom right).
-The kids are my nephew and niece (ages 3 & 5).
-My partner and I love going to concerts & museums.
-Music is my favorite hobby next to reading - I love indie rock and hip hop most.
-Have gotten into birding in recent years 🐦‍⬛

GatheringBooks Gorgeous photos! Love knowing more about you, Billy! 🌷 2y
Reggie Very nice, Billy. 2y
See All 19 Comments
LeahBergen Love this! 😀 2y
Leftcoastzen Cool ! It‘s great to see these wonderful photos! 2y
BarbaraBB Lovely photos! A lot of love ❤️❤️ 2y
squirrelbrain Lovely photos! ❤️ 2y
batsy Love this! So fun to see these photos. And Jem and Scout 😁💕 2y
RebelReader Well done!! ❤️❤️ 2y
Reggie Vinny I know you‘re name is not Billy. My goodness. Sorry. 2y
Billypar @Reggie No worries! As my alter ego on Litsy, 'Billy' works too 🙂 2y
ncsufoxes ❤️, thanks for sharing. I grew up in NJ. Born in Jersey City but grew up in a tiny town on the PA border near Lafayette College. I love going to museums too, my minor in college was Art History. I‘ve instilled a love in art in my oldest. He‘ll go to museums with me & he even took AP Art History in high school. (edited) 2y
Billypar @ncsufoxes I actually grew up in PA not too far south of there in Lansdale. Great that your son is so into art! My appreciation for it came much later- my parents only took us to the Philly Museum of Art once and it was for a Cézanne exhibition, which won't win over most kids to art I think 🍐🍇🍎 2y
Texreader Loved getting to know you! And ❤️🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ 2y
Billypar @Texreader Thanks! I like seeing everyone's photos. And it's funny to me how easy it is to become obsessed with cat pics in just one year 😺 🐈‍⬛ 2y
Suet624 This post is just the best! Thank you for sharing. 2y
Billypar @Suet624 Thanks! I'm not on Instagram, so Litsy is my sole photo sharing outlet 🙂 2y
Suet624 Then you MUST do it more often. ❤️❤️🙂🙂 2y
57 likes19 comments
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AshleyHoss820
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Pickpick

This was my #BookSpin for May, under my category “RM Recs.” RM, or Namjoon, from BTS is a reading man which instantly means I will adore him forever. This was on one of the lists ARMY have compiled of books he‘s read/been seen reading. It was amazing. Science fiction that leaves the reader thinking long after they‘ve finished. I didn‘t read one story in this collection that I didn‘t like, that didn‘t have me pausing to really contemplate his words

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AshleyHoss820
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I‘m still working on catching up. I just finished my Double BookSpin choice for March! 🙈🙈🙈 I‘m jumping ahead a little because I haven‘t read either of April‘s picks, yet, but Stories of Your Life & Emperor‘s Soul I borrowed from the library and we‘re moving soon! (2 weeks! 🎉) Plus, I am having a hard time putting Chiang down! 😍 #BookSpin #DoubleBookSpin

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Good luck with the move - are you going far? 2y
AshleyHoss820 @TheAromaofBooks Thank you!! Not too far! We‘re (finally) leaving our hometown and moving three hours East! ☺️ 2y
TheAromaofBooks So exciting!!! 2y
25 likes3 comments
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BMWtheAuthor
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Pickpick

A good collection of Ted Chiang‘s early works that contains a few sparkling gems. For the full review, please visit http://benjamin-m-weilert.com/index.php/2021/10/19/book-stories-of-your-life-and...

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charl08
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Pickpick

Don't often agree with a blurb, but this one is spot on.
If you can find a copy of these short stories I'd pick it up!

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charl08
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The existence of free will meant that we couldn't know the future. And we knew free will existed because we had direct experience of it. Volition was an intrinsic part of consciousness.

Or was it? What if the experience of knowing the future changed a person? What if it evoked a sense of urgency, a sense of obligation to act precisely as she knew she would?

IuliaC A very good book 👍 3y
charl08 @IuliaC it's amazing! How had I not heard of him before? 3y
IuliaC @charl08 I asked myself the same thing ? I also read "Exhalation" and enjoyed it just as much as I did this one 3y
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JoeMo
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Pickpick

This had some of the best short stories that I‘ve read. Standouts include the story used for the collection‘s title, Hell is the Absence of God, and the Tower of Babylon. The only story I could have happily skipped was Seventy-Two Letters. I would recommend this to sci-if and short story fans. I‘m in awe of Chiang‘s intelligence and creativity!
#bookspinbingo

vivastory I recently read this one & I loved it 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
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The_Literary_Jedi
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Pickpick

📚📚📚📚 Awesome collection of short stories (including the one the movie Arrival is based on) ranging from biblical to futuristic to steampunk. Loved it, there seems to be something for everyone in a way in this collection. Raises some very cool questions about beauty standards, theology, and artificial intelligence. As a dabbler in linguistics, I loved the alien language interaction in “The Story of Your Life.”

Maike This one is waiting on my shelf. I loved his other short story collection! 3y
21 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Gissy
Arrival | Ted Chiang
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@Chrissyreadit The #Sliceofsummerswap box arrived🤗 I told you, it would take some time due to our “little” problem in local mail stations.😳But it is here. Let‘s see what is inside😍
@catsandbooks

Catsandbooks Ooo that box is so pretty! So glad it finally arrived!! 🎉 3y
Chrissyreadit Ok- I hope you like it 3y
Gissy @Catsandbooks Yes! We have a problems to receive packages on time. I‘m still waiting for my June BOM box. 3y
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Catsandbooks @Gissy oomph that's rough! 😓 3y
Catsandbooks @Chrissyreadit where did you get that box? Kinda think I need one 😂 3y
Chrissyreadit @Catsandbooks Michael‘s craft store. I loved it because it was shaped like a “treasure chest” 3y
Catsandbooks @Chrissyreadit love Michael's! Looks like I need to make a trip there! 3y
Gissy @Chrissyreadit Yes!!! It is so pretty!! 3y
40 likes8 comments
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Twainy
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Pickpick

🎧 8 short stories. Interesting, deep, some religion, weird.

TOWER OF BABYLON - I rolled my eyes but it‘s well done & if you suspend disbelief it‘s a good story.

UNDERSTAND - I liked this story at the beginning but it ended ... weird? Man in vegetative state gets experimental drug with cool side effects!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️9/10 👇🏻

Twainy DIVISION BY ZERO - change to female narrator. Liked this one. If you don‘t understand what the title means, skip it as it ends interesting but most of the story is literally math related.

STORY OF YOUR LIFE - The movie Arrival was based on this story & best story here.

👇🏻
4y
Twainy SEVENTY-TWO LETTERS - Hebrew language, 72 letters & names. OMG the science of baby-making in London in an alternate reality in the late 1900‘s involving creation of automatons. It‘s way more complicated. Just bananas.

THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SCIENCE - Short media piece. It was over before it started. Humans VS meta humans. Less than 6 minutes.

👇🏻
4y
Twainy HELL IS THE ABSENCE OF GOD
This is a bit religious but not in a preachy way. It‘s way out there, god & angels seen on earth, their appearance is darkly comical.

LIKEING WHAT YOU SEE: A DOCUMENTARY - fake docudrama all about cosmetic beauty. A neural implant is invented that removes the ability to detect facial beauty. You can turn it on/off. This story is people‘s opinions for & against its use. Interesting.
4y
24 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Princess_Alissa
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Reading while watching sprints!!

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erzascarletbookgasm
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Each of the story is thought provoking and asks ‘what if‘. “What if genuinely alien aliens visited Earth, and an earthling learned their conceptually different language?” “What if we discovered that the fundamentals of mathematics were arbitrary and inconsistent?” The short story Story Of Your Life is the basis of the movie Arrival, starring Amy Adams.
#fallfinds #futuristic

Eggs Intriguing! I did not know about the connection to “Arrival”. Well done 👍🏼 (edited) 4y
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shadowspeak17
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#3books I‘ve recommended

Her Body and Other Parties- For a friend who said she likes horror, erotica, and short stories. I figured this fit that close enough. She loved it.
Stories of Your Life and Others- For my boyfriend who likes thought-provoking short stories. He thought these were great.
I‘m Thinking of Ending Things- For a friend who wanted a short, weird read. She enjoyed it, and we both just watched the movie and enjoyed that too. 😊

OriginalCyn620 📚😊📚 4y
39 likes1 comment
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Eggs
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Klou Brilliant!! 4y
Eggs Thanks 🙏🏻 @Klou 4y
51 likes2 comments
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Billypar
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Pickpick

Although I think only The Arrival was adapted into a film, all of the stories in this collection have a very cinematic feel. Several had intense action sequences, but many were quieter and contemplative in tone, even as momentous events were happening, like climbing the tower of Babylon or unraveling alien communications. I appreciated how effortlessly Chiang captured sci-fi on a grand scale, without sacrificing the beauty of smaller moments.

SpaceCowboyBooks This book was wonderful 4y
steph_phanie Love this book! 4y
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CindyE09
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Pickpick

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Another excellent science fiction short story collection by Ted Chiang. Really have loved his work and hope he publishes another collection soon.

Cindyelizavaz Im looking forward to dive into Exhalation! Heard so many good things about it! 4y
CindyE09 @Cindyelizavaz It‘s wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4y
Cindyelizavaz @CindyE09 excited to start! 4y
75 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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LiterRohde
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“Fiat logos. I know my mind in terms of a language more expressive than any I'd previously imagined. Like God creating order from chaos with an utterance, I make myself anew with this language.”

#QuotsyFeb20 | 23: #Language

📷: Made with Typorama

SpaceCowboyBooks Love this book! 5y
LiterRohde @SpaceCowboyBooks Me too. I read it and reviewed it over a year ago after seeing Arrival. I loved the movie. I loved the short story even more. 5y
SpaceCowboyBooks He has a new collection out called Exhalation, really looking forward to reading it. 5y
44 likes3 comments
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Victoria6
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Book #3: I‘ve actually been reading this collection of short stories on and off for a few months now but just finished it today! Ted Chiang is now one of my all time favorite authors, combining beautiful prose with my personal fav topics (bioethics, philosophy, neuroscience) in such an innovate way! I already ordered his second collection after reading just the first story, that‘s how much I loved this!

LoverOfLearning Welcome to Litsy! #litsywelcomewagon ❤😊 5y
RaimeyGallant Welcome! 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🥳 5y
4 likes3 comments
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claudiuo
Pickpick

Just finished it late last night and I loved it. Amazing writing! Started it because I liked the movie Arrival but stories are so much more. Awesome analysis of issues in all their aspects (Liking What You See: A Documentary, Hell Is the Absence of God), such details of math and physics concepts (Division by Zero, Story of Your Life), language meaning (Seventy-Two Letters), all wrapped in great stories. Reminded me at times of Philip K.Dick.

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BBooks
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Incredibly smart short stories with a SyFi touch

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Emilymdxn
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Going absolutely mad cooped up in the house. Im not someone who copes well being sick and stuck inside when there‘s a whole world out there to be taking part in. My parents and boyfriend are all out and I‘m finally watching Arrival. I love the Ted Chiang story SO much so I‘ve been wanting to watch the movie for so long. Anyone else seen it?

Soubhiville Yes, amazing movie! 5y
rwmg Great film, which I saw before reading the story, so it took me a while to get orientated. 5y
50 likes2 comments
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Sha0102
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Pickpick
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Deifio
Arrival | Ted Chiang
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Pickpick

This short story collection features some great ideas! I liked "Story of your life" best. "Tower of Babylon", "Seventy-Two letters" and "Liking what you see" were really good too. The only one I didn't like and couldn't finish was "Hell is the absence of god"

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Deifio
Arrival | Ted Chiang
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Wow, another #litsylove letter! You guys are awesome! Now I'm always looking forward to opening my mailbox! Never mind the bills, I get fun letters now! 😍🤩😍
Thanks @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Isn‘t it much more fun than just bills?! ❤️❤️ 5y
22 likes2 comments
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Deifio
Arrival | Ted Chiang
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Signed up!
Check it out at: #jolabokaflodswap @MaleficentBookDragon
I think it sounds like a lovely swap! 😍😍

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Deifio
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So after the first 5 stories, I kinda need a break. Don't get me wrong the stories were great! It's just that I find it very exhausting to immerse myself into a new setting and characters like every 50 pages. Funnily enough it's worse while I'm commuting. I start a story and have to stop several times then finish, start a new one, only get half way through before I'm at university. Then on the way back same thing again.

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Deifio
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Got two books from the used bookstore today! It's a lovely little store with seats everywhere and you can even buy a cup of tea or coffee to keep up your strength while browsing! It was my first visit today, but definitely not the last!

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IuliaC
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Loved this one - science and philosophy intertwined in an alternate reality - reminded me somehow of Black Mirror and the Twilight Zone

JulietReads The kitty looks so soft! 5y
IuliaC @JulietBooks She actually is kind of soft 😁😊 5y
15 likes2 comments
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Vulpixen
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I didn‘t know what to think going into this one, but I loved it. The story is so smart and compelling; I was hooked.

5 likes1 stack add
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SpaceCowboyBooks
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Only 2 stories into the book but I already love it. Wonderfully original ideas!

TobeyTheScavengerMonk I loved this collection, but I did get tired of reading the words “foetus” and “megafoetus” in that one story. 5y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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nikirtehsuxlol
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Ted Chiang‘s short story "Story of Your Life" (in this collection) was the basis of the film Arrival (2016). The stories are precise and I feel like he is a brutal editor of his own work (like he cuts a lot of extraneous writing out during his process). Definitely a fan, I wish he had more work out there.

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BestDogDad
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Mehso-so

I've heard a few Ted Chiang short stories on science fiction podcasts and I enjoyed them. For that reason I was looking forward to reading his first collection. I really enjoyed three of the stories but the other five didn't appeal to me and much of this book felt like a slog. I‘m looking forward to reading his next collection of short fiction, Exhalation, which just came out.

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BestDogDad
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Finished something swampy, something blue, something translated, and something true (but sad) for the #readingenvysummerchallenge #readingenvysummerreading

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Geeklet
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Aww yeah. I kept hitting author names on Hoopla and found out my library had this one available.

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nosferatu
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Pickpick

Excellent stuff that strikes a perfect balance between brainy and entertaining. Reading "Story of your Life" made me love the movie adaptation even more, such an amazing concept...

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sakeriver
Pickpick

These stories were so good, and what‘s more, they were so varied. They were so good that I don‘t even know what to say about them, they‘re just on a whole other level. Definitely some of the best SF short stories I‘ve read.

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sakeriver
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Next

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sakeriver
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Next

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MotionChickness
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Birthday Barnes and Noble buys 😊😍

Erofan Happy birthday 🎉🎁🎂💐🎈💕 6y
MotionChickness @Erofan Thanks!!!! 😊😍♥️ 6y
Lauram Happy Birthday! Netter‘s coloring books were enormously helpful to me when I was studying in the cadaver lab. 6y
MotionChickness @Lauram Thank you!! ♥️ cadaver lab is goals 😅😂 Beyond interesting! My favorite part of my psychology classes was always studying the brain; so I was in search of a book just on neuroscience...and couldn‘t resist getting a coloring one! I‘ll have to check out the others! 6y
21 likes4 comments