“The Paper Menagerie” is the first work of fiction to win the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards.
That short story is about the dangers of compromising your identity and losing something special in the process. It hits hard for a good number of Asian-Americans, even if they are publicly proud about being inoffensive model minorities that are successful or overrepresented at work.
Very interesting essay. I haven’t watched or read this story / series but certainly heard of it. It feels like we’re undergoing a cultural revolution of our own lately — and not in a good way. Still, based on this framing, I wouldn’t push the button. “The devil you know,” and all that.
Things def need to change. It does appear they’re changing in all the worst ways. I’m worried about violence but will stay focused on the present moment. Which is peaceful, thankfully.
Thank you for incredible gift of taking the time to read so many of my pieces🙏♥️♥️♥️ Perhaps our own Project 2025 - a slow reading group for books that cross over languages, cultures and time. Three Body connects so deeply to my own struggle to keep faith with the human species. It would be great to reread with a group of other spirit travelers.
I bought the trilogy in translation when it first appeared and later sold it for a tidy sum. The idea of the “dark forest” is well worth considering as we gaze longingly at the stars.
I am slowing down in my reading. I am working my way through a big biography of Nick Drake, English singer who died in 1974–I’ve been a fan for years. And I have another substacker’s book on kindle that I want to get to, along with Murakami’s new book. I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to a re-reading of the trilogy. It is a fascinating read and I liked the combination of science and world-building—I hadn’t read much Asian science fiction except for Ryu Mitsuse’s 10 Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights.
Sigh. Totally understand. It’s hard, but I find reading out of a familiar culture or genre context is so destabilizing and welcome. But I am not only slowing down, but just not making enough progress despite starting and loving several books (history, poetry, fiction). I like reading together, as a sort of listening to a conversation between their voices in my head, each somehow enriching the others.
OMG😹😹😹😹😹 typo- I meant are you up for a re-reading in a group I suggested above. But I LOVE your response to the typo-question! So corrected edited Q: are you up for a real re-reading?
"They understand better than anyone how to find the possible openings and how to write between the lines." Dang. This is always fascinating to me, the creation of art under state censorship. I haven't that much experience with the Chinese side but as a Yugoslav/ Serbian girl I spent a LOT of time, in school or otherwise, reading Russian authors who battled the same thing. It is in some ways the pinnacle of human creativity, I think, to dance that dance.
The push the button question reminds me a bit of the current US elections choice. (Pushing the button probably in this scenario being deciding to vote third party and say enough is enough to the two who have competed in failing us worse and worse for long enough). I think yes, I would.
Those who have lived/live inside of or resisted authoritarian regimes, also faced the power of censorship (or self/censorship). I’m not sure I would push that button and invite annihilation of a future within which we CAN have this debate. So I choose to continue to dance that dance, in your wonderful phrase.
Oh I definitely understand that side of it too. For us from Serbia it is a little weird because we have had tyranny, but it was… tyranny lite, so to speak? We had 7 years of protests in the streets, but in the end we won. The cops would beat us, but they wouldn’t shoot. So I’m in between worlds.
What has happened in HK post 2019 mass protests is the iron fist of the law smashing down, all in the service of maintaining “social order” and “ stability”.
I wonder if we won’t see it coming either. The US situation is not good right now however you slice it. UK and France have had narrow escapes… for now. Hungary has been gone a while… Germany is…. not good. It’s not a great time globally.
Wow, I never knew Ken Liu did all these things. He’s amazing. I mean, the guy is a widely published author, which seems impossible to me already, but to also have worked for Microsoft and graduated from Harvard Law, and being a world-class translator? The guy’s a beast. Now I feel bad about my own accomplishments 😂
Yes, he’s a beast😹 and I feel like a lazy underperforming cat😩 but remember — don’t compare！only comparison that matters is are we better selves than we were yesterday❤️
“The Paper Menagerie” is the first work of fiction to win the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards.
That short story is about the dangers of compromising your identity and losing something special in the process. It hits hard for a good number of Asian-Americans, even if they are publicly proud about being inoffensive model minorities that are successful or overrepresented at work.
Very interesting essay. I haven’t watched or read this story / series but certainly heard of it. It feels like we’re undergoing a cultural revolution of our own lately — and not in a good way. Still, based on this framing, I wouldn’t push the button. “The devil you know,” and all that.
Yes, we ARE undergoing a cultural revolution and for many of us, we have seen this movie before, again and again. So it’s a struggle😿
Things def need to change. It does appear they’re changing in all the worst ways. I’m worried about violence but will stay focused on the present moment. Which is peaceful, thankfully.
Sadly not peaceful for most of the world😿
I have an enormous amount of reading ahead of me. Joy!
Thank you for incredible gift of taking the time to read so many of my pieces🙏♥️♥️♥️ Perhaps our own Project 2025 - a slow reading group for books that cross over languages, cultures and time. Three Body connects so deeply to my own struggle to keep faith with the human species. It would be great to reread with a group of other spirit travelers.
I bought the trilogy in translation when it first appeared and later sold it for a tidy sum. The idea of the “dark forest” is well worth considering as we gaze longingly at the stars.
I stopped collecting books maybe 2020, when the pandemic hit.
that’s also when I (trapped home) started reading Kindle books.
I am slowing down in my reading. I am working my way through a big biography of Nick Drake, English singer who died in 1974–I’ve been a fan for years. And I have another substacker’s book on kindle that I want to get to, along with Murakami’s new book. I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to a re-reading of the trilogy. It is a fascinating read and I liked the combination of science and world-building—I hadn’t read much Asian science fiction except for Ryu Mitsuse’s 10 Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights.
Sigh. Totally understand. It’s hard, but I find reading out of a familiar culture or genre context is so destabilizing and welcome. But I am not only slowing down, but just not making enough progress despite starting and loving several books (history, poetry, fiction). I like reading together, as a sort of listening to a conversation between their voices in my head, each somehow enriching the others.
Are you for real-reading?
Am I for real? Am I for reading? Hmmm. My trilogy copies were all UK first editions.
OMG😹😹😹😹😹 typo- I meant are you up for a re-reading in a group I suggested above. But I LOVE your response to the typo-question! So corrected edited Q: are you up for a real re-reading?
"They understand better than anyone how to find the possible openings and how to write between the lines." Dang. This is always fascinating to me, the creation of art under state censorship. I haven't that much experience with the Chinese side but as a Yugoslav/ Serbian girl I spent a LOT of time, in school or otherwise, reading Russian authors who battled the same thing. It is in some ways the pinnacle of human creativity, I think, to dance that dance.
The push the button question reminds me a bit of the current US elections choice. (Pushing the button probably in this scenario being deciding to vote third party and say enough is enough to the two who have competed in failing us worse and worse for long enough). I think yes, I would.
Those who have lived/live inside of or resisted authoritarian regimes, also faced the power of censorship (or self/censorship). I’m not sure I would push that button and invite annihilation of a future within which we CAN have this debate. So I choose to continue to dance that dance, in your wonderful phrase.
Oh I definitely understand that side of it too. For us from Serbia it is a little weird because we have had tyranny, but it was… tyranny lite, so to speak? We had 7 years of protests in the streets, but in the end we won. The cops would beat us, but they wouldn’t shoot. So I’m in between worlds.
What has happened in HK post 2019 mass protests is the iron fist of the law smashing down, all in the service of maintaining “social order” and “ stability”.
Horrifying. I can’t even imagine.
Until it happened, I think many people also couldn’t imagine the state sanctioned violence raining down, until it did.
I wonder if we won’t see it coming either. The US situation is not good right now however you slice it. UK and France have had narrow escapes… for now. Hungary has been gone a while… Germany is…. not good. It’s not a great time globally.
Wow, I never knew Ken Liu did all these things. He’s amazing. I mean, the guy is a widely published author, which seems impossible to me already, but to also have worked for Microsoft and graduated from Harvard Law, and being a world-class translator? The guy’s a beast. Now I feel bad about my own accomplishments 😂
Yes, he’s a beast😹 and I feel like a lazy underperforming cat😩 but remember — don’t compare！only comparison that matters is are we better selves than we were yesterday❤️
Right, yes!
In any case, you’re pretty awesome yourself💪🏻
Likewise!
You put your finger on an important and under-discussed current of the book: Do humans deserve to survive?
If that is the question, it is a transcendentally daring one.