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Poirot09/sandbox/sb2
AuthorKen Liu
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherSaga Press
Publication date
February 25, 2020
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint, ebook, audiobook
Pages432[1]
ISBN978-1982134037

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories is a collection of nineteen science fiction short stories and novelettes by Chinese-American author Ken Liu.

Context[edit]

Chinese-American author Ken Liu started publishing short-form fiction stories in 2002 and rose in popularity when his short story "The Paper Menagerie" became the first work of fiction to win a Hugo Award, a Nebula Award and a World Fantasy Award.[2] He also became an acclaimed translator of Chinese science fiction after translating The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. In 2016, he published his first collection of short stories, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, which won the Locus Award for Best Collection. He has established himself as one of the most prolific short story writers in American science fiction. The collection was published on February 25, 2020, by Saga Press with a 50,000-copy first printing.[2] An audiobook version, narrated by Ramon de Ocampo, Cindy Kay, Michael Kramer, Emily Woo Zeller and Nancy Wu, was published by Simon & Schuster Audio.[3]

Stories[edit]

The collection includes nineteen stories and a preface written by Liu. It features stories previously published in different science fiction magazines and anthologies since 2011, except for "Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard", the only story original to the collection, and "A Chase Beyond the Storms", an excerpt from The Veiled Throne (2021), the third volume in Liu's novel series The Dandelion Dynasty.[1]

List of stories
Title Publication Synopsis Ref.
"Ghost Days" October 2013 [4]
"Maxwell's Demon" January 2012 In 1943, Takako Yamashiro, a Japanese American physicist, is interned at the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, where she is forced to renounce her American citizenship and sent to Japan to gather information about their engineering developments. Having discovered that she is a yuta, an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army brings her to a military base in a village in Okinawa, where he is trying to create a real-life version of the Maxwell's demon experiment. She initially helps him trap the spirits needed for his machine, but later frees them. As the war goes on, the Americans invade Okinawa. The officer urges his subordinates and the villagers to commit mass suicide. Takako manages to escape and runs towards the Americans, hoping that they could help her, but she is killed on sight. [5]
"The Reborn" January 2014 Josh Rennon [6]
"Thoughts and Prayers" January 2019 [7]
"Byzantine Empathy" May 2018 [8]
"The Gods Will Not Be Chained" March 2014 The mind of a genius computer scientist is uploaded to the cyberspace by his employer to keep exploiting his knowledge. His wife and his daughter, Maddie, have moved away after his death and Maddie started attending a new school, where she is being bullied. One day, she is contacted by a mysterious entity that communicates only through emojis to whom she explains her situation. The next day, no one tries to bully Maddie at school. She and her mother discover that the entity is her father and the truth about his death. After being ignored by authorities, they manage to get help from a forum run by conspiracy theorists. They meet with the employer, who accepts to give them her father's file. [9]
"Staying Behind" October 2011 [10]
"Real Artists" October 2011 [11]
"The Gods Will Not Be Slain" September 2014 [12]
"Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer" May 2011 [13]
"The Gods Have Not Died in Vain" May 2015 [14]
"Memories of My Mother" March 2012 [15]
"Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit — Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts" July 2016 [16]
"Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard" February 2020 [1]
"A Chase Beyond the Storms" February 2020 [1]
"The Hidden Girl" October 2017 Set in China during the Tang dynasty, a young girl is kidnapped by a bhikkuni who trains her alongside two other girls to become an assassin. After six years, she is tasked with killing a jiedushi. But upon meeting him and learning about the conflicts in the region, she questions her morals and ends up sparing the man. The bhikkuni sends her two students to finish the job, but she defeats both of them and decides to devote her life to the protection of others. [17]
"Seven Birthdays" November 2016 [18]
"The Message" September 2012 [19]
"Cutting" July 2012 [20]

Themes[edit]

In the collection, Liu presents a variety of themes. Artificial intelligence and the concept of digital singularity are topics discussed in multiple stories, including "The Gods Will Not Be Chained", "The Gods Will Not Be Slain", "The Gods Have Not Died in Vain", "Staying Behind" and "Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer". Liu writes about a version of Earth in which humans have developed a process to upload their consciousness to the cyberspace, becoming "gods", and have quickly abandoned the planet to survive a post-apocalyptic world.[21] David J. Morris commented that Liu offers "insight into the spiritual challenges of our time" through his depiction of the singularity,[22] while Gary K. Wolfe noted the similarity between Liu's development and description of the uploading process and some religious beliefs and terminology.[1] Liu details also adjacent topics such as humanity's conflict with technology and the impact of virtual reality ("Thoughts and Prayers"), the lives of digital natives ("Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer" and "Seven Days"), the possible use or misuse of blockchain technology ("Byzantine Empathy") and the concept of ghost in the machine ("The Gods Will Not Be Chained", "The Gods Will Not Be Slain", "The Gods Have Not Died in Vain").[1][22] Morris appreciated Liu's approach to technology, writing that he "seems intent on using his fiction both as exploration and as a technically informed cautionary tale".[22]


In Liu's stories, technology is often used as a background for central themes, identity and human relationships.


parent-child relationship, balancing dual identities, climate change, [1] narrative packets (time jumps) memory, history, struggle against authority, legacy, prejudice, and colonialism While in The Paper Menagerie humanity struggled against each other, in Other themes Liu also explores themes of identity and parent-child relationship

Style[edit]

The collection contains mostly science fiction but some of the stories (such as "Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard" and the titular story) have been described as silkpunk, a genre first defined by Liu himself, while only one story ("Dispatches From The Cradle: The Hermit—Forty-Eight Hours In The Sea Of Massachusetts") has been categorized as travelogue.[21][1][23] Martin Cahill also noted "flashes of historical fiction" across the whole collection.[24] However, Liu has said that he does not usually write in a specific genre but likes to "literalize a metaphor", which can often lead to speculative fiction.[25]

Reception[edit]

Reception for the collection was generally positive, although some critics lamented. Paul Di Filippo praised Liu's protagonists.[26] Booklist recommended the collection to both new readers and admirers of Liu's previous science fiction works.[21][22][27] Library Journal recommended the collection to fans of Liu's work.[2] The reviewer for Publishers Weekly described the collection as "inconsistent", stating that some of the stories were "emotionally flat" and criticizing the often cliché female protagonists, overly detailed scientific explanations and "static" story structure. However, they appreciated Liu's "dexterous prose" and "intelligent what-ifs", recommending the stories to fans of Asimov.[28] Writing for Tor.com, Martin Cahill commented that Liu is a "master at crafting short stories that pack a punch, and linger in your mind long after they’re over".[24] Western-style democracy and civil society can survive the internet is a central question of our time

Adaptations[edit]

Several of the collection's stories have been adapted or optioned for film and television. A short film adaptation of "Memories of My Mother" titled Beautiful Dreamer and directed by David Gaddie was released on June 5, 2016.[29] Beautiful Dreamer was subsequently featured as a film-within-a-film in the 2019 film The Truth directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.[30] "Real Artists" has been adapted as a film of the same name directed by Cameo Wood and starring Tamlyn Tomita and Tiffany Hines.[31] AMC produced the 2022 television series Pantheon animated by Titmouse and based on Liu's short stories "The Gods Will Not Be Chained", "The Gods Will Not Be Slain", "The Gods Have Not Died In Vain", "Staying Behind" and "Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer".[32][33] Studio 8 acquired the rights to adapt "The Hidden Girls" for film in 2016, while FilmNation optioned the rights to adapt the story for television in 2020.[34][35]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Gary K. Wolfe (April 5, 2020). "Gary K. Wolfe Reviews The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu". Locus Magazine. No. 709. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Barbara Hoffert (September 2019). "The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". Library Journal. Vol. 144, no. 8.
  3. ^ Katie Polley (June 1, 2020). "The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". AudioFile. Vol. 29, no. 1. p. 55.
  4. ^ Ken Liu (October 2013). "Ghost Days". Lightspeed. No. 41. Adamant Press. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Gordon Van Gelder, ed. (January 1, 2012). "January/February 2012". The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Vol. 122. Spilogale, Inc.
  6. ^ Ken Liu (January 29, 2014). David Hartwell (ed.). "Reborn". Tor.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Ken Liu (January 26, 2019). "Thoughts and Prayers". Slate. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Wade Roush, ed. (May 25, 2018). "Twelve Tomorrows". MIT Technology Review. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262535427.
  9. ^ John Joseph Adams; Hugh Howey, eds. (March 1, 2014). The End Is Nigh. The Apocalypse Triptych. ISBN 978-1495471179.
  10. ^ Ken Liu (October 1, 2011). "Staying Behind". Clarkesworld Magazine. No. 61. Wyrm Publishing. ISBN 978-0615760339. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  11. ^ Stephen Cass, ed. (October 4, 2011). "TRSF". MIT Technology Review. Twelve Tomorrows. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262535571.
  12. ^ John Joseph Adams; Hugh Howey, eds. (September 1, 2014). The End Is Now. The Apocalypse Triptych. ISBN 978-1497484375.
  13. ^ Gordon Van Gelder, ed. (May 1, 2011). "May/June 2011". The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Vol. 120. Spilogale, Inc.
  14. ^ John Joseph Adams; Hugh Howey, eds. (May 1, 2015). The End Has Come. The Apocalypse Triptych. ISBN 978-1497484405.
  15. ^ Ken Liu (March 19, 2012). "Memories of My Mother". Daily Science Fiction. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  16. ^ Jonathan Strahan, ed. (July 12, 2016). Drowned Worlds: Tales from the Anthropocene and Beyond. Solaris Books. ISBN 978-1781084519.
  17. ^ Gardner Dozois, ed. (October 10, 2017). The Book of Swords. Bantam Spectra. ISBN 978-0399593765.
  18. ^ Jonathan Strahan, ed. (November 8, 2016). Bridging Infinity. The Infinity Project. Vol. 5. Solaris Books. ISBN 978-1781084519.
  19. ^ Andy Cox, ed. (September 26, 2012). "September/October 2012". Interzone. No. 242. TTA Press.
  20. ^ John Klima, ed. (July 31, 2012). "Summer 2012". Electric Velocipede. No. 24. Spilt Milk Press.
  21. ^ a b c Nell Keep (November 15, 2019). "The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". Booklist. Vol. 116, no. 6. p. 36.
  22. ^ a b c d David J. Morris (June 1, 2020). "On the Necessity of Science Fiction: Ken Liu's The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". Virginia Quarterly Review. Vol. 96, no. 2. pp. 198–202.
  23. ^ Adam Morgan (February 25, 2020). "Ken Liu's The Hidden Girl reveals one sci-fi puzzle after another". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Martin Cahill (February 27, 2020). "Memory and Humanity in The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu". Tor.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  25. ^ Katherine Ouellette (February 24, 2020). "Modern Mythmaking In Ken Liu's 'The Hidden Girl And Other Stories'". WBUR News. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  26. ^ Paul Di Filippo (February 11, 2020). "Paul Di Filippo Reviews The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu". Locus Online. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  27. ^ "The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. 88, no. 1. January 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  28. ^ "The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 266, no. 51. December 16, 2019. p. 98.
  29. ^ Natalie Zutter (June 6, 2016). "Ken Liu's "Memories of My Mother" Adapted as a Poignant Sci-Fi Short Film". Tor.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  30. ^ Peter Bradshaw (March 19, 2020). "The Truth review – mothers, memory and an imperious Catherine Deneuve". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  31. ^ Steve Greene (October 10, 2016). "Sci-Fi Short 'Real Artists' Looks to Grapple with AI's Role in the Future of Filmmaking". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  32. ^ Samantha Nelson (August 31, 2022). "Pantheon Premiere Review - "Pantheon" and "Cycles"". IGN. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  33. ^ "The Hidden Girl and Other Stories". kenliu.name. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  34. ^ Will Thorne (September 24, 2020). "FilmNation Entertainment Acquires Ken Liu's Sci-Fi Story 'The Hidden Girl' for Series Adaptation (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  35. ^ Mike Fleming Jr. (May 11, 2016). "Studio 8 Acquires Ken Liu Short Story 'The Hidden Girl' For Action Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.

Category:2020 short story collections Category:Science fiction short story collections Category:Asian-American short story collections Category:Works by Ken Liu Category:Saga Press books Category:Books adapted into television series

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