Scan barcode
A review by nunchikoi
Arrival by Ted Chiang
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
WHAT A FANTASTIC READ!
Ted Chiang weaves such interesting worlds and concepts in all of his short stories. I found that he excels in illustrating the magnetic relationship between theology and science, as well as between divine and human characters/entities, and I loved how his stories imbue a deterministic quality in language.
Each story depicts a wildly different alternate universe; I was especially taken by the exploration of a real Tower of Babylon and what the world would be like if the biblical God was real and angel visits manifested as natural disasters. Besides the interesting content, and the great food for thought, I felt each story as so so loving of humanity, even in depicting our faults and behaviours. This alone made this anthology such an awe-inspiring read, but Chiang's wide range of subjects and his skill in story-craft showed me the capacity of excellent writing. I've no words, just blown away to be honest.
Ted Chiang weaves such interesting worlds and concepts in all of his short stories. I found that he excels in illustrating the magnetic relationship between theology and science, as well as between divine and human characters/entities, and I loved how his stories imbue a deterministic quality in language.
Each story depicts a wildly different alternate universe; I was especially taken by the exploration of a real Tower of Babylon and what the world would be like if the biblical God was real and angel visits manifested as natural disasters. Besides the interesting content, and the great food for thought, I felt each story as so so loving of humanity, even in depicting our faults and behaviours. This alone made this anthology such an awe-inspiring read, but Chiang's wide range of subjects and his skill in story-craft showed me the capacity of excellent writing. I've no words, just blown away to be honest.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death