And we all know how often adaptations of written science fiction go badly wrong, so it's almost literally a miracle that 'Arrival' turned out so well. While it differs from my story in significant ways, it captures the emotional core of the story, which is all I wanted from an adaptation. : Can you talk about seeing 'Story of Your Life,' from your previous collection, brought to screen as the alien first-contact story 'Arrival'? What did you think?Ĭhiang: I was very happy with 'Arrival' I think it works well both as a film on its own terms, and as an adaptation of my story. Another new story in the collection, 'Omphalos,' was inspired in part by thinking about the Copernican principle of cosmology. : What elements of astronomy and space science have inspired you most in your stories?Ĭhiang: My story 'The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate' was inspired by Kip Thorne's work on applying time dilation to wormholes, which I found absolutely fascinating. I also have a friend who's a professor and is looking forward to having 'The Lifecycle of Software Objects' back in print so she can put it on her syllabus. In terms of reprints, I've been told by some readers that they're most excited about the renewed availability of 'The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate,' because copies of the limited edition of that story usually go for over $100 online.

In each story of this incredible collection, with sharp intelligence and humor, Ted Chiang examines what it means to be alive in a world marked by uncertainty, but also by wonder.Ted Chiang: There are two stories appearing in the collection for the first time, and I'm excited about that. When a linguist is brought in to help communicate with them and discern their intentions, her new knowledge of their language and its nonlinear structure allows her to see future events and all the joy and pain they may bring. In 'Story of Your Life,' which provides the basis for the film Arrival, alien lifeforms suddenly appear on Earth. Ted Chiang has long been known as one of the most powerful science fiction writers working today. Offering readers the dual delights of the very strange and the heartbreakingly familiar, Arrival presents characters who must confront sudden change. “A swell movie adaptation always sends me to the source material, so Arrival had me pick up Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others: lean, relentless, and incandescent.” -Colson Whitehead, GQ Includes 'Story Of Your Life,' the basis for the major motion picture Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Synopsis: Previously published as Stories of Your Life and Others.

Ted chiang arrival book