I think the most memorable Chiang I've read is "Story of Your Life", which is the novella the movie Arrival was based on, if that tells you anything. Very interesting aliens, and a very striking take on the nature of reality, I guess you could say. (ETA: Also I think it'd have an archive warning if it were on the AO3, so let me know if you'd like content notes!) It's published in his collection Stories of Your Life and Others, in which I also especially appreciated "Liking What You See", iirc.
I love your thoughts on "The Flower"! It definitely does a lot with dichotomies, I feel like -- there's also the way that almost every character in it, from Wolfred all the way to the dog, can be a source of both help and harm, depending on the context. And then the ending underscores how rare happy endings are when your world is being systematically dismantled from the outside, I guess.
I can say today that I have enjoyed the other recs, thank you! I think "The Great Silence" works better for me as an essay than a story, kind of, if that makes any sense -- I'll have to watch the video and see if that changes how I feel about it. But "Black, Their Regalia" is so good, oh my gosh! I love how it's matter of fact about how bad what they're facing is, but without giving up humor or hope. It's a subtler kind of seriousness, but one I really like.
no subject
I love your thoughts on "The Flower"! It definitely does a lot with dichotomies, I feel like -- there's also the way that almost every character in it, from Wolfred all the way to the dog, can be a source of both help and harm, depending on the context. And then the ending underscores how rare happy endings are when your world is being systematically dismantled from the outside, I guess.
I can say today that I have enjoyed the other recs, thank you! I think "The Great Silence" works better for me as an essay than a story, kind of, if that makes any sense -- I'll have to watch the video and see if that changes how I feel about it. But "Black, Their Regalia" is so good, oh my gosh! I love how it's matter of fact about how bad what they're facing is, but without giving up humor or hope. It's a subtler kind of seriousness, but one I really like.