Arrival

Now filmed as Arrival starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. With his masterful first collection, multiple-award-winning author Ted Chiang deftly blends human emotion and scientific rationalism in eight remarkably diverse stories, all told in his trademark precise and evocative prose. From a soaring Babylonian tower that connects a flat Earth with the firmament above, to a world where angelic visitations are a wondrous and terrifying part of everyday life; from a neural modification that eliminates the appeal of physical beauty, to an alien language that challenges our very perception of time and reality... Chiang's rigorously imagined fantasia invites us to question our understanding of the universe and our place in it. A new film, Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker, is based on one of the stories in this collection.

“Shining, haunting, mind-blowing tales . . . this collection is a pure marvel. [Ted] Chiang is so exhilarating so original so stylish he just leaves you speechless. I always suggest a person read at least 52 books a year for proper mental functioning but if you only have time for one, be at peace: you found it”

Science fiction is a genre that often works well off the page. Spaceships and robots are just as thrilling on screen as in books. But Mr Chiang's approach is irreplaceable. His stories mirror the process of scientific discovery: complex ideas emerge from the measured, methodical accumulation of information until epiphany strikes. . . . The best science fiction inspires awe for the natural properties of the universe; it renders the fundamentals of science poignant and affecting. Mr Chiang's writing manages all of this. He deserves to be more widely read. The Economist blog Chiang derides lazy thinking, weasels it out of its hiding place, and leaves it cowering. Washington Post Confirms that blending science and fine art at this length can produce touching works, tales as intimate as our own blood cells, with the structural strength of just-discovered industrial alloys. Seattle Times Ted is a national treasure . . . each of those stories is a goddamned jewel -- Cory Doctorow United by a humane intelligence that speaks very directly to the reader, and makes us experience each story with immediacy and Chiang's calm passion. -- China Mieville Guardian -- Junot Diaz

Ted Chiang was born in Port Jefferson, New York, and currently lives outside Seattle, Washington. In 1990 he won the Nebula Award for his first published story, "Tower of Babylon". Following this triumph, his stories have won him numerous other awards, making him one of the most honoured writers in contemporary SF.

Previously published as Stories of Your Life and Others With his masterful first collection, multiple-award-winning author Ted Chiang deftly blends human emotion and scientific rationalism in eight remarkably diverse stories, all told in his trademark precise and evocative prose.From a soaring Babylonian tower that connects a flat Earth with the firmament above, to a world where angelic visitations are a wondrous and terrifying part of everyday life; from a neural modification that eliminates the appeal of physical beauty, to an alien language that challenges our very perception of time and reality . . . Chiang's rigorously imagined fantasia invites us to question our understanding of the universe and our place in it.'United by a humane intelligence that speaks very directly to the reader, and makes us experience each story with immediacy and Chiang's calm passion.'China Miville, Guardian 'Chiang is one of the great science-fiction short-story writers of all time' Jo Walton

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