Ken Liu is an award-winning American author of speculative fiction. His collection, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen languages. Liu's other works include The Grace of Kings, The Wall of Storms, The Veiled Throne, and a second collection The Hidden Girl and Other Stories. He has been involved in multiple media adaptations of his work including the short story "Good Hunting," adapted as an episode in Netflix's animated series Love, Death + Robots; and AMC's Pantheon, adapted from an interconnected series of short stories. "The Hidden Girl," "The Message," and "The Cleaners" have also been optioned for development. Liu previously worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on topics including futurism, cryptocurrency, the history of technology, and the value of storytelling. Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.
"I know this is going to sound hyperbolic, but when I'm reading Ken
Liu's stories, I feel like I'm reading a once-in-a-generation
talent. I'm in awe."--Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author
of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Questions of identity galvanize the 15 stories in this outstanding
collection of fantastical fiction, giving them extraordinary
gravity and resonance. In "Good Hunting," the human companion of a
supernatural creature from Chinese folklore contrives an ingenious
way to help her adapt to a steampunk future. The title tale (which
swept the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards), in which a
mother expresses love for her son through the magically animated
origami animals she creates, is one of several in which the author
uses Chinese-American experience to explore how all individuals
assimilate into society. Whether writing about Asian culture and
history, as in "The Literomancer" and "All the Flavors," or
extraterrestrial civilizations, as in "The Bookmaking Habits of
Select Species" and "An Advanced Reader's Picture Book of
Comparative Cognition," Liu (The Grace of Kings) universalizes the
experiences of his characters, who realize at some point, as the
protagonist of "Mono No Aware" does, that "we are defined by the
places that we hold in the web of others' lives." Gracefully
written and often profoundly moving, these stories are high-water
marks of contemporary speculative fiction. (Mar.)--Publishers
Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "Feb 29, 2016"
Emotionally unpredictable, Liu's stories take off in unexpected
directions and arrive at destinations both startling and
satisfying.--Shelf Awareness, *STARRED REVIEW "March 25th,
2016"
Liu's book compiles brilliant stories written in several different,
overlapping modes, a technically dazzling collection of
compulsively readable narratives, presenting characters with
agonizing moral dilemmas and never forgetting the heart.--The
Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee) "March 18th, 2016"
Liu's talent in evoking atmosphere and culture make these tales
more than stories - they're journeys. If you're looking to dream of
another world, or reflect on our own, do yourself a favor and pick
up a copy of The Paper Menagerie.--Muggle.net "March 8th, 2016"
Liu's wondrous tales eloquently explore the place where ordinary
and the extraordinary meet.--The Washington Post "March 22nd,
2016"
Selected as "14 of the Most Buzzed About Books of 2016"--BuzzFeed
"March 30th, 2016"
There is a dark and sometimes shocking edge to some of these
stories, but nearly all are provocative, and several are
brilliant.--The Chicago Tribune "April 6th, 2016"
These remarkable stories highlight Liu's themes of family, love,
and politics and gathered in one collection pack an even bigger
punch. Those who revere shorter speculative works will definitely
want this book.--*STARRED REVIEW, Library Journal "February 26th,
2016"
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