The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu

 


 

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu

I purchased this by accident, and boy am I glad I did. I hadn't read science-fiction short stories in ages, and Ken Liu certainly reconciled me with the form. These 15 stories are inventive, touching, quirky and clever all at the same time. Some themes dominate, an understandable focus on Asia in general and Chinese history and legends in particular, a strong undercurrent of reflections on the travails of immigration but also on the richness of cultural exchange and discovery. Of the 15 stories, only 2 didn't really connect, because I don't think I understood them. Of the rest at least 7 or 8 really took my breath away. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Go get it, even if you're not particularly into SciFi. I have written a much more in-depth review in French here.

Comments