SF that depicts life
Ah, so you can look at the world like this!

If there is science fiction with death as its motif, then there are naturally also works that depict 'life' in a science fiction-like way.
The best example of this success is Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life," one of the best short science fiction writers of our time.
Among them, "Story of Your Life," which depicts the change in perception that humanity faces through an encounter with an extraterrestrial intelligence with a linguist as the main character, has been made into a film, "Contact," directed by Denis Villeneuve, who also directed "Sicario," and is scheduled for domestic release in November.
"Contact" had its domestic premiere at the Busan International Film Festival held on October 7th.
Another short story in the collection, "Understanding," was also decided to be made into a film by Fox.
Two works from one collection are being made into films.
"Understanding" is a work that depicts a confrontation between two humans whose intelligence has been greatly enhanced through brain nerve regeneration treatment.


"Story of Your Life" takes on the curious style of having the narrator, "I," tell "the story of your life" to his (actually unborn) daughter.
How did I come to be able to tell the story of my daughter's life before she was even born?
Therein lies the engine that drives this science fiction short story.
The female speaker is a linguist.
One day, a flying object appears in outer space and alien life forms visit Earth.
Linguist Louise Banks teams up with physicist Gary Donnelly to join a communication project with the so-called "Heptapods" to study their alien language.
Their letters, which resemble a collection of complex graphic designs, have no beginning or end.
It is closer to a picture or a dance than a text to be read in order.
And while human perception is tied to a temporal sequence of cause and effect, heptapods perceive everything simultaneously.
As she learns their language, Louise's perception of the linguist also gradually changes.
The author connects the change to life in the form of a story about 'you (daughter)', thereby instantly capturing the hearts of even readers unfamiliar with SF.
This work offers a glimpse into the persistent exploration of what it means for a system of thought to communicate with other beings, and what it means to perceive time simultaneously rather than causally.


Through scientific concepts that have been thought through and painstakingly understood
Philosophical stories that interpret the human condition

There are novels that captivate readers and keep them glued by combining sophisticated techniques and subtle emotions.
The best science fiction and a great novel is "Story of Your Life."
From the soaring tower of Babylon linking the flat Earth to the heavens above ("The Tower of Babylon") to a world where angelic visions are a wondrous and terrifying part of everyday life ("Hell is the Absence of God"), from neural manipulation that removes the allure of physical beauty ("Notes on Lookism") to the language of alien life that challenges our perception of time ("Story of Your Life"), Ted Chiang's exquisitely imagined fantasias invite us to question humanity's place in the universe.


Reading Ted Chiang's novels is, first and foremost, like questioning what is taken for granted and engaging in intellectual thought experiments.
And the engine of that thought experiment is the question, 'what if?'

What if the tower in the Bible could actually reach the "ceiling of heaven"? _The Tower of Babylon
If human intelligence continues to be artificially enhanced, what will we want? _「Understanding」
What would happen if alien life visited Earth and Earth's linguists learned their language? _ "The Story of Your Life"
What if a mathematician were to come up with a proof that completely refutes mathematics? _「Dividing by zero」
What if you could breathe life into inanimate objects with just seventy-two letters? _ "Seventy-Two Letters"
What if the intellect of human scientists can no longer keep pace with the advancement of human science? _ "The Evolution of Human Science"
What if an almighty God and his angels regularly visited Earth, distributing blessings, suffering, and punishment to its people? _ "Hell is the Absence of God"
If you could arbitrarily block the brain's ability to perceive beauty and ugliness, what would you choose? _"A Brief Essay on Lookism: A Documentary"

Meanwhile, Ted Chiang said in an interview with California Sunday:
“Sometimes people who read my work ask me:
'It was fun.
“But is your novel really science fiction?” This would be a testament to Ted Chiang’s ability to tell a beautifully expressed human story, a key element of good fiction.
In his novels, science may be a means of expression for the deep themes that the characters must confront.
Reading Ted Chiang's novels is like questioning what is taken for granted and engaging in intellectual thought experiments, but what is most surprising about Ted Chiang's novels is that human 'emotions' accompany this intellectual exercise.
Whether it's the story of the ancient Babylonians building a tower that leads to the beginning of heaven ("The Tower of Babylon"), the story of an alien language that shows a linguist a new way to her life as a mother ("Story of Your Life"), the story of a mass-produced golem in the Victorian era ("Seventy-Two Letters"), the story of a mathematician who rejects mathematics altogether ("Dividing by Zero"), or the story of human scientists who find themselves unable to keep up with human scientific progress ("The Evolution of Human Science"), his stories are intellectually challenging and daring, as well as emotionally moving.
It's not easy to find a writer who has achieved such remarkable success in such a short period of time as Ted Chiang, but all the hype isn't entirely exaggerated.
Filled with compelling ideas and compelling compositional moments, "The Story of Your Life" is a highly recommended read for anyone seeking a completely different kind of material and narrative.


Overseas media reviews

Sparkling, unforgettable stories that strike the heart… This collection of short stories is truly remarkable.
Ted Chiang is incredibly interesting, incredibly original, and incredibly stylish.
It leaves me speechless and speechless.
I am one of those who argue that a person's mind needs to read at least 52 books a year to function properly.
But if you only have time to read one volume, I urge you to read this one without hesitation.
_Junot Diaz (Pulitzer Prize-winning author, MIT creative writing professor)

Ted Chiang is tech-savvy, paradigm-shifting, and mind-blowing.
If you don't know his name, remember it.
From now on.
Karen Joy Fowler (novelist)

Ted Chiang's stories, so wondrous that their depth is unfathomable, tick along like a Swiss watch, then explode shockingly and destructively into your consciousness.
_Kirkus Review

The best science fiction inspires awe at the natural properties of the universe.
It gives the fundamental laws of science a poignant and moving feeling.
Ted Chiang's work does it all.
_The Economist

Amazing imagination.
But after reading it, I was deeply moved.
_Infinity Plus

Ted Chiang is one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time.
_to dot com

"The Story of Your Life" is the most anticipated novel collection of our generation.
_Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Ted Chiang is a master of using sentences as precise tools.
No, we put good tools in the box, and we work calmly, carefully selecting the right style that can convey unique content and implement a unique format.
_Asimov's Science Fiction

Although their settings, subjects, and writing styles vary, Ted Chiang's stories are linked by an irresistible intellectual allure.
_LA Times

Ted Chiang is a gifted writer whose work defies summaries, a masterful intellectual who delves deeply into his ideas, stripping them down to their bare bones and sinews to produce profoundly intelligent work.
_The Washington Post

Ted Chiang's emotional stories aren't just great science fiction.
"The Story of Your Life" is a great piece of literature.
_The Globe and Mail

Ted Chiang is a writer who demonstrates the true power of science fiction by seeing the world from a completely different perspective.
_Denver Post

The level of ideas and concepts is breathtaking.
_SFX

Has the best science fiction writer emerged in the last 30 years? Honestly, I think it's Ted Chiang.
Harry Harrison (novelist)

They say that short stories are the heart of science fiction.
Ted Chiang's first collection of short stories is proof that the heart of the science fiction genre is beating fast again.
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