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.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.

“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”

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 Miéville, Guardian
Ted is a national treasure... each of those stories is a goddamned jewel. Cory Doctorow
Meticulously pieced together, utterly thought through, Chiang's stories emerge slowly...but with the perfection of slow-growing crystal. Lev Grossman
Chiang writes seldom, but his almost unfathomably wonderful stories tick away with the precision of a Swiss watch - and explode in your awareness with shocking, devastating force. Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
He puts the science back in science fiction - brilliantly. Booklist (Starred Review)
[Chiang] 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
Essential. You won't know SF if you don't read Ted Chiang. Greg Bear
Chiang is the real deal. His debut collection, Stories of Your Life and Others is one of the finest collections of short fiction I have read in the last decade. These tales possess the imaginative frisson that is a trademark of the best conceptual fiction, but, also bespeak a confident prose style and a willingness to take chances in tone and narrative structure. Ted Gioia
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 . . . Mr Chiang's writing manages all of this. The Economist blog
Chiang derides lazy thinking, weasels it out of its hiding place, and leaves it cowering. The Washington Post
The stories range widely in time, subject and style but are united by a patient but ruthless fascination with the limits of knowledge. Los Angeles Times
Ted Chiang's stories are lean, relentless and incandescent. Colson Whitehead
A science fiction genius . . . Ted Chiang is a superstar. Guardian

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.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.