Book Cover

There are many ways to say I love you in this cold, dark, silent universe, as many as the twinkling stars.

# Review

I first heard of Ken Liu after heading LaVar Burton read his story on LaVar Burton Reads. I found the story very moving and reminiscent of an East Asian growing up abroad; I’ve had this book on the backburner for years but I’ve finally got around to reading it.

This is a collection of speculative fiction short stories that explores diverse and deep topics such as the meaning of experience and the varied and complex array of human emotions. Liu draws from his cultural background with rich reimaginings of Chinese mythology, such as a hulijing in a fictional Hong Kong and Guan Yu in the US. On top of fantasy and science fiction, there were also some very dark historical fiction stories, such as those about the fear of communists in Taiwan and the atrocious Unit 731.

Liu has an uncanny ability to invoke emotions with his writing; in particular he gives really detailed insights into the mental state of the characters. Most of the stories also mix elements of Eastern and Western culture, which resonates with my personal experience.

# Conclusion

A beautiful collection of short stories; I will be adding his other works to my reading list.

# Overall rating: 8.6

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