A Vector Alphabet of Interstellar Travel

by Yoon Ha Lee

Among the universe's civilizations, some conceive of the journey between stars as the sailing of bright ships, and others as tunneling through the crevices of night.  Some look upon their far-voyaging as a migratory imperative, and name their vessels after birds or butterflies....

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Space, Aliens, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adult

12 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2011

About the author

Yoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction writer born on January 26, 1979 in Houston, Texas. His first published story, “The Hundredth Question,” appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1999; since then, over two dozen further stories have appeared. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Reviews

[— Massiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Vector Alphabet of Interstellar Travel is just about about different aliens societies, there isn't really any plot at all just descriptions about every culture. It was a fine and quick read, I wouldn't mind a whole book with these amazing creatures.

Some chapters ended up quite abrupt and others are just incomplete but it's okay, I liked how every alien society was so different and how you can compare one with the other.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

#17 short story read this month (all for free!)

Beautifully weird.

Each species' interstellar travel system is heavily integrated with a belief system, each of which has its own bizarro logic and texture and danger and beauty. I was intrigued by each species, and loved the author's use of language.

(The artwork for this story is lovely.)

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off rocky but once I realized what the "story" was about, it all came together. It's all about alien culture/attitudes surrounding interstellar travel (among other things). This was written in sections and not as a cohesive story. I loved this approach. It worked really well for the content. I love the all the ideas and, of course, the ALIENS!

[Peter Tillman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. An odd pick for the Best-of Tor.com anthology, imo. 1.5 stars, courtesy roundup. But try it for yourself, as mine is a minority opinion.
http://www.tor.com/2011/08/10/a-vecto...

[Althea Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reads like notes for a story, not a story. It’s a series of paragraphs, each describing an alien race or situation. Nice writing, but it doesn’t feel like a finished work.

[Igrowastreesgrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really much to it. If it was an actually story I might have enjoyed it more.

[Roslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This isn't exactly a short story in the usual sense of the term, but more a series of riffs about the possible ways interstellar travel is viewed by various cultures in the universe. And what visions they are - imaginings of truly alien, mysterious ways of seeing the universe. But it's far, far too short and the ending felt quite abrupt. The whole thing feels incomplete, really. But it's quite stunning in both concept and prose and illustrates how interesting very short fiction can be.

[Phoenix2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Vector Alphabet of interstellar travel felt more like a companion book to a sci fi series that clarifies whos who in the novels. Still, that last part was spot on.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe if I keep trying to read Yoon Ha Lee's stories I'll eventually get them

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to keep my roll of one sf/f recent short story (novelette) a day ongoing (I am aiming for one month continuously, just small challenged) and this was just right for a so tired day.

Basically plotless and without really characters but a charming description of eccentric, exotic (basically fantasy myth like) civilizations and their relationship with (eccentric, exotic) interstellar drives. I really like Yoon Ha Lee's sf settings and I got Ninefox Gambit to be read soon-ish. Or even soon.

[Sophie (BlameChocolate) *on hiatus* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, this wasn't bad per se. It just didn't do anything for me.

For one, I had no idea what it was about. It just kept going and going, adding specific lingo, as if the reader was aware of previous information. Because that's what this felt like, an introduction to something, not a short story.

It was so short, yet it felt like ages before I could finish it. I kept having to go back and read the same paragraph again because my eyes had simply glazed over and my brain had stopped accepting visual stimuli.

I certainly like what it could become and I think it has loads of potential. But it just wasn't ready to be published as a standalone, sorry. It belongs in the author's drafts.

~ 1.5 stars ~ This book grants an Acceptable (A) grade in Divination (N.E.W.T.s) ~

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is my new SF divinity.
As others note, this one isn't a story but a Borges-style fiction. One senses commentary upon cultures.

[James DiGiovanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really charming short story, reminiscent of Calvino or Borges in a way. It's a series of short vignettes describing various cultures that have invented interstellar travel. Each vignette is focused on the means of travel, but the cultures described have an oddity and originality that's most reminiscent of Calvino's "Invisible Cities." They're little world-sketches, more like settings or bits of history than stories. Very inventive and worth checking out.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this in Conservation of Shadows. Weird "story", an assembly of separate paragraphs on various peoples, their culture... Like Althea Ann wrote, it doesn't read like a completed work, more like bits and pieces that would have been used for various other stories.

Maybe there's a link with vectors in physics and mathematics (see Wikipedia), but as both were never my cup of tea, I fail to see the potential link. It's nicely written, though.

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

listen, yoon ha lee is actually the king of science fiction the only reason i'm rating this 3 stars rather than higher is because it's so short.

[Canavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

✭✭✭

[Hélène Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read one book by the author ("Ninefox gambit") . I rather appreciated it, even if it was very foggy (strange fantasish science, action which seemed to be happening... nowhere), because the characters were great and the story was interesting. In this novella there are no characters and no story either. It's just a list, author's notes, ideas... I tried to read through but finally gave up: unintelligible for the reader I am.

[Quartzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved stories in the list/vignette/catalog format since I read Calvino's Invisible Cities as a teen, and this was a very cool one musing about several different possible starship drives. Nice little tweak at the ending too.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

reminds me of JLB

[Ellana Thornton-Wheybrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a part of Some of the Best from Tor.com: 2011 Edition

This feels like a section of a textbook that I want to continue reading. As it stands, I have no idea what it is about, but I want more of it.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short inventive story of different civilizations in the universe that have star stellar capabilities. At first I thought it rather dull but soon was able to appreciate the author’s way of describing a whole civilization and its impact on others in a paragraph. I would happily read a whole book on this topic.

[Amy Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sort of collection of thoughts on how various civilizations might manage FTL travel. Reminds me a bit of Le Guin's Changing Planes, but much shorter and more limited in scope.

Enjoyable diversion.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kee[ falling in love with Yoon Ha Lee's prose.

One Final Constant
Then there are the civilizations that invent keener and more nimble stardrives solely to further their wars, but that’s an old story and you already know how it ends.

[lalunenoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

The exploration of space, the obsession of humanity, unravels in the face of their greed for knowledge and power. Their development, as such, reflects this. In their writings, their religions, their theories and beyond.

[Andy Anaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hunger for stuff like this; it taps into something rare. Borgesian

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's more a scratchpad of different ideas, but you can see the ideas behind the Machineries of the Empire starting to form here. Worth a skim

[Jorgon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and beautiful, an evocation of Borges (almost a tribute?)

[Linda Pérez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, but I really can’t get myself to round up.
While I enjoyed the exploration of interstellar travel in different alien societies, there was a little more substance needed to make everything fit.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the idea was clever, but nothing about this really stood out to me.