Liu favors single character monologues as a method of sharing additional background information, and we see it used here. His writing style is very distinct and he never fails to deliver some of the best big ideas in science fiction. I absolutely loved The Three-Body Problem so I was going in with higher expectations. Those familiar with Liu’s work will find similarities in the way characters are written and with his use of expository writing. These stories were imaginative thought experiments that could easily be the foundation to novel-length texts. That is the nature of subjectivity and what I love about reading. After reading reviews once I finished, the stories I felt neutral on were a favorite for many other reviewers. Liu expands upon some innovative and interesting ideas such as first contact, bubble worlds, and micro civilizations. Some of the stories resonated differently than others and I think it came down to the way these ideas were executed within the plot.
Some of the stories follow a single character across many years of their life while tackling themes such as survival, courage, generational accountability, family dynamics, and more. I’ve often wondered how humanity would react if found in these alien or harrowing situations and this all came very close to what I had in mind. Many went in directions that I didn’t expect.Įach story holds humanity at its forefront while illustrating the various shades of human nature. Liu does a good job creating an immersive reading experience where you want to keep reading to learn how each story comes together. It’s all tied together by a middle story that is more lighthearted than the rest. The stories are arranged in a well-balanced and orderly manner which created a natural transition between them. They are a mix of hard and soft science fiction and although I listened to the audiobook, the length of each story appeared to be around 40-50 pages after looking into it. I think there is a story here for everyone.
Liu has quickly become one of my favorite science fiction writers. The Wandering Earth by Cixin Liu is a collection of ten brilliantly written sci-fi stories that completely resonated with me on both an emotional and intellectual level. With a melancholic and keen understanding of human nature, Liu’s stories show humanity’s attempts to reason, navigate, and above all, survive in a desolate cosmos. Liu’s fiction takes the reader to the edge of the universe and the end of time, to meet stranger fates than we could have ever imagined. These ten stories, including five Chinese Galaxy Award-winners, are a blazingly original ode to planet Earth, its pasts, and its futures. A short story collection from New York Times bestselling author Cixin Liu.
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