2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion

We don't really know when these stories take place, but for some, given the technology described, I decided it was a good choice for the week set in the future.

I already read the first four short stories :

1. Tower of Babylon: 4 stars. I was very intrigued by this first story as it is usual to start a book supposed to be set in the future by a story about the Tower of Babylon, but I really liked it. It said just enough to be interesting and to catch me in the story but not too much to hinder imagination.

2. Understand: 4 stars. this story about a man who sees is cognitive abilities increase like crazy was both fascinating and disturbing. I was a bit frustrated by the end though.

3. Division by zero: 2 stars. This didn't do anything for me, I didn't connect with the character at all.

More on the other stories later...

4. Story of your life: 4 stars. I was incredibly fascinated by the process of decoding a new language, but the part about her daughter were really dull.

5. Seventy-two letters: 4 stars. The concept was really interesting. Nothing more to say, but it is a good short story.

6. The Evolution of human science: 3 stars. I was quite surprised by this extra-short story, but it surely gave me food for thoughts for a time when I feel like thinking about something like that (it's difficult to find the words to convey my thoughts).

So far I really like these short-stories, neither one of them left me indifferent.

7. Hell is the absence of God: 3 stars. I like the way the angels are depicted and the setting is interesting. But on the whole the religious topic didn't appeal to me.

8. Liking what you see: 4 stars. I was a bit taken by surprise by the documentary style of this last story, but I really like how it is told. I would have given it 5 stars if it didn't include stereotypical and a bit stupid interviews of college kids.


On the whole this collection of short-stories isn't exactly set in the future, but it is probably my best discovery during this challenge. I gave 5 stars to other books, but none of them gave me this much food for thought. Some of the ideas that Ted Chiang presents in these stories are extraordinary, I was just mesmerized!

I feel a bit lonely writing this down on my own, but it's helped me write my review and maybe somebody's going to want to read this collection because of my posts ;)