The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

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

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

“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

"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

“Liu’s wondrous tales eloquently explore the place where ordinary and the extraordinary meet.” —Washington Post

“There is a dark and sometimes shocking edge to some of these stories, but nearly all are provocative and several are brilliant.” —Chicago Tribune

“Liu probes our ethical wounds, examining injustice and oppression from some uncomfortable angles. For readers unfamiliar with Liu’s debut, this new short-story collection offers an excellent introduction to his strengths.” —Seattle Times

“[An] outstanding collection of fantastical fiction…Gracefully written and often profoundly moving, these stories are high-water marks of contemporary speculative fiction.” —Publishers Weekly

“Corey Brill and Joy Osmanski[‘s] presentations are straightforward and engaged, permitting the intensity of the stories to evoke empathy in the listener. It’s a powerful combination…From science fiction to fantasy, each story is powerful in its simplicity.” —AudioFile