Stories of Your Life and Others

• Genre: Collection; fiction; science fiction; speculative fiction
• Originally Published: 2002
• Reading Level/Interest: College/adult
• Structure/Length: 8 stories; approximately 304 pages; approximately 10 hours and 23 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: This collection of short stories features different protagonists and conflicts in each tale, from a mathematician who communicates with aliens in “Story of Your Life” to a golem creator and his discovery in “Seventy-Two Letters.” The conflicts often arise from the intersection of science, philosophy, and human experience.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Varies by story; may include language, violence, and complex scientific and philosophical concepts

Ted Chiang, Author

• Bio: Born 1967; American speculative fiction writer; known for his thoughtful and meticulous exploration of science, technology, and philosophy in his stories; works as a technical writer in the software industry
• Other Works: The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate (2007); The Lifecycle of Software Objects (2010); Exhalation: Stories (2019)
• Awards: Locus Award for Best Collection (2003); British Fantasy Award (2005); the story “Hell is the Absence of God” won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards; “Story of Your Life” won the Nebula award and was the basis for the film Arrival (2016)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Ethics of New Scientific Discoveries
• Combining the Real With the Metaphorical or Fantastical
• The Danger of Superintelligence
• Cultural Paradigms in Alternative Realities