This is truly an immaculate collection of short stories. I read that those who like Ted Chiang should read Ken Liu next, and I’m so glad I did. The best stories tend to be stacked closer to the end of the book, but don’t skip the earlier ones! My favorites were

• “The Literomancer”
• “The Paper Menagerie”
• “Mono no Aware”
• “All the Flavors”
• “A Brief History of the Trans-Pacific Tunnel”

There are some great reflections here on identity, whether East Asian or North American, interweaved with the normal themes about ethics, technology, and social relations that Sci-Fi tends to cover. I can’t wait to read his other books in the future.