Ted Chiang is transcendent in “Story of Your Life.”Ĭhiang asks, what if we meet aliens that perceive reality differently from us? What if we see reality linearly, and they see it holistically - could we communicate? Science fiction, for the most part, has always assumed we’ll bridge the language divide with aliens quickly. What elevates a 4-star story into a 5-star story is when it emotionally, spiritually, and philosophically transcends. Sense of wonder emerges when readers are taken from the edge of current science to the forefront of tomorrow’s science. The best science fiction stories combine wonderful storytelling with a sense of wonder. Science fiction is notoriously hard to define because everyone wants to define it differently, but I’d like to think “Story of Your Life” fits within everyone’s definition of science fiction.įor me, the best science fiction does two things, and the greatest does three. There were many stories in The Big Book of Science Fiction that I don’t believe deserve that label, but this story does. “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang is the epitome of what science fiction strives to achieve. Today I read “Story of Your Life” for the third time, and watched Arrival for the second time. There are copies on the internet and it can be found in many anthologies, but it’s best to own a copy of Stories of Your Life and Others.
I want to explore how and why this story works and that means spoilers, and “Story of Your Life” is much too lovely to spoil for anyone. Warning: Don’t read this essay if you haven’t read “Story of Your Life,” or at least seen Arrival. Story #104 of 107: “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang Group Read 27: The Big Book of Science Fiction
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