The wandering earth [Liu, Cixin] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The wandering earth Review: This is not a review.... - This is not a review. If you want to read about the content of the "The Wandering Earth" short story collection, the style of Cixin Liu's writing, or any kind of qualitative analysis I think you will very easily be able to find a great many alternatives. Rather, I would like to use my small forum here to attempt to convey something far more difficult to articulate: a single echoing sentiment--a reverberating feeling drummed up by Cixin Liu's stories, now permanently wedged in my psyche. Before I even begin, I must accept the fundamental impossibility of this endeavor--the true taste of a thing so ephemeral and personal cannot be translated from one person to another without fundamental changes, alterations, omissions and occasional additions of meaning. So, therefore, I shall attempt brevity. Cixin Liu is a "big idea" science fiction writer at a level precious few can aspire to. His strength is not the effortless grace of raw prose, unexpected machinations of plot, nor the alluring draw of living characters. He writes speculative fiction from the most fundamental premise: what would it be like if X were to happen? What would happen if human civilization still dwelt on the Earth when our Sun finally transitions to a red giant, fundamentally altering the geography and ecology of the Solar System? What would happen to human societies if pure capitalism was allowed to evolve freely, in its most ideologically pure state? What would happen if space travel became so routine that skilled laborers might find themselves in orbit, bereft of the mighty educations and intellects of the first astronauts? Each question opens up new and interesting possibilities, and Cixin Liu explores them perfectly. While his novels are indeed formidable works in their own right, he is an author whose last, best destiny is the short story. Liu joins his powerful imagination with a keen understanding of human nature, history and science to present us with plausible scenarios that are at every time both immediately familiar and utterly bizarre. He is as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke were: a titan of the genre, who eclipses almost everyone else. To be honest, I never thought I'd encounter another author capable of imbuing in me that unstilled sense of wonder that Clarke and Asimov did in the days of my childhood. But I was--beautifully and unexpectedly--proven wrong. If you look for fiction focused on characters or plot or setting you may not find much of any great worth in Liu's work... but if you adore science fiction for the very idea of it, for the wonder and prescience and transcendentalism it can sometimes reach, these short stories are absolutely vital and necessary. Review: I wasn’t sure that I really liked his style - This is a translated series of short science fiction stories by one of the most recognized literary talents that China has offered the rest of the world. At first, I wasn’t sure that I really liked his style. His first few stories concentrated upon the moving of the Earth near the end of our Sun’s lifetime, just before the helium flash and red giant phase. The writing seemed somewhat juvenile and innocently contrived, without the characters exhibiting feelings based on little more than governmental actions. But as I read on, I realized that this was more of a historical record for future generations to understand how they came to be. In that context, the details of the mechanics of moving a planet of Earth’s mass was more interesting. The stories following were much more engrossing, with the characters and plot more fully developed and believable. I think the best adjective to describe the stories is “surprising”. Each narrative is entirely different from what come before, with plots like nothing I’ve ever come across before. For instance, a story of a supposed alliance between ants and dinosaurs, with an unexpected resolution that ties it in with our own history. Or, the story about a computer virus aimed at a rejected suiter that somehow goes through a number of versions, to finally become virulently toxic. Or the one where everyday workers become the first interstellar explorers from Earth. His writing also reveals some of the underlying societal norms experienced from the Chinese perspective. This sometimes seems as though the earth beneath my feet was moving a bit; a slightly uncomfortable feel for the reader that highlights our differences. On the other hand, many parts of the stories could have been in the Western world, showing Chinese society not that greatly different than our own. I would recommend this story collection as a good read, for both the surprising stories, but also for the nuances of experiencing a foreign science fiction writer.
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,189,401 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #9,035 in Short Stories (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (3,405) |
| Dimensions | 7.8 x 1.18 x 5.08 inches |
| ISBN-10 | 1784978515 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1784978518 |
| Item Weight | 11.5 ounces |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 464 pages |
| Publication date | October 5, 2017 |
| Publisher | HEAD OF ZEUS |
S**Y
This is not a review....
This is not a review. If you want to read about the content of the "The Wandering Earth" short story collection, the style of Cixin Liu's writing, or any kind of qualitative analysis I think you will very easily be able to find a great many alternatives. Rather, I would like to use my small forum here to attempt to convey something far more difficult to articulate: a single echoing sentiment--a reverberating feeling drummed up by Cixin Liu's stories, now permanently wedged in my psyche. Before I even begin, I must accept the fundamental impossibility of this endeavor--the true taste of a thing so ephemeral and personal cannot be translated from one person to another without fundamental changes, alterations, omissions and occasional additions of meaning. So, therefore, I shall attempt brevity. Cixin Liu is a "big idea" science fiction writer at a level precious few can aspire to. His strength is not the effortless grace of raw prose, unexpected machinations of plot, nor the alluring draw of living characters. He writes speculative fiction from the most fundamental premise: what would it be like if X were to happen? What would happen if human civilization still dwelt on the Earth when our Sun finally transitions to a red giant, fundamentally altering the geography and ecology of the Solar System? What would happen to human societies if pure capitalism was allowed to evolve freely, in its most ideologically pure state? What would happen if space travel became so routine that skilled laborers might find themselves in orbit, bereft of the mighty educations and intellects of the first astronauts? Each question opens up new and interesting possibilities, and Cixin Liu explores them perfectly. While his novels are indeed formidable works in their own right, he is an author whose last, best destiny is the short story. Liu joins his powerful imagination with a keen understanding of human nature, history and science to present us with plausible scenarios that are at every time both immediately familiar and utterly bizarre. He is as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke were: a titan of the genre, who eclipses almost everyone else. To be honest, I never thought I'd encounter another author capable of imbuing in me that unstilled sense of wonder that Clarke and Asimov did in the days of my childhood. But I was--beautifully and unexpectedly--proven wrong. If you look for fiction focused on characters or plot or setting you may not find much of any great worth in Liu's work... but if you adore science fiction for the very idea of it, for the wonder and prescience and transcendentalism it can sometimes reach, these short stories are absolutely vital and necessary.
T**N
I wasn’t sure that I really liked his style
This is a translated series of short science fiction stories by one of the most recognized literary talents that China has offered the rest of the world. At first, I wasn’t sure that I really liked his style. His first few stories concentrated upon the moving of the Earth near the end of our Sun’s lifetime, just before the helium flash and red giant phase. The writing seemed somewhat juvenile and innocently contrived, without the characters exhibiting feelings based on little more than governmental actions. But as I read on, I realized that this was more of a historical record for future generations to understand how they came to be. In that context, the details of the mechanics of moving a planet of Earth’s mass was more interesting. The stories following were much more engrossing, with the characters and plot more fully developed and believable. I think the best adjective to describe the stories is “surprising”. Each narrative is entirely different from what come before, with plots like nothing I’ve ever come across before. For instance, a story of a supposed alliance between ants and dinosaurs, with an unexpected resolution that ties it in with our own history. Or, the story about a computer virus aimed at a rejected suiter that somehow goes through a number of versions, to finally become virulently toxic. Or the one where everyday workers become the first interstellar explorers from Earth. His writing also reveals some of the underlying societal norms experienced from the Chinese perspective. This sometimes seems as though the earth beneath my feet was moving a bit; a slightly uncomfortable feel for the reader that highlights our differences. On the other hand, many parts of the stories could have been in the Western world, showing Chinese society not that greatly different than our own. I would recommend this story collection as a good read, for both the surprising stories, but also for the nuances of experiencing a foreign science fiction writer.
K**L
magnificent book
I started this book expecting to read a story about humanity's struggles while traveling through the galaxy "The Wandering Earth". But this book was something else, I love how some stories connected to one another and it was such a fun read. I really enjoyed this and I love the way the story flowed'.
M**I
Das gut 400 seitige Buch, das mit 50 seitigen Kurzgeschichten gefüllt ist, hat mir persönlich eine sehr kurzweilige Unterhaltung geboten. Wem die Trisolaris-Reihe des Autors gefallen hat, wird hier nicht enttäuscht sein! Man merkt, das der Autor diese Geschichten vor der Veröffentlichung der Trilogie verfasst hat, da einige Themen aus der Reihe, wenn auch in anderen Kontexten, bereits in diesen Kurzgeschichten angeschnitten werden.
C**O
Cixun Liu es capaz de imaginar y de transmitir la inmensidad del espacio y el tiempo cósmicos como ningún autor que haya leído hasta ahora. Sus historias desbordan hechos y situaciones de una imaginación portentosa enlazados unos tras otros como matrioskas, esas muñecas rusas que encajan unas dentro de otras sin parar. También he agradecido la visión realista y algo descorazonadora de la volubilidad de la opinión de las masas. Wandering Earth es una colección de relatos que no dejará indiferente a ningún lector con neuronas en funcionamiento.
A**I
Cixin liy amazing
J**Y
Great collection of hard sci-fi. Every tale took me somewhere amazing and shook my soul profoundly. A great read! Cannot recommend enough!
K**T
Commandé le 15 février et reçu le lendemain ... excellent du point de vue livraison ... mais le livre ne paraît pas comme neuf. Il est un peu écorné par endroit et la tranche est noircie par endroit. Je suis plutôt déçu par la pauvre qualité de ce livre supposé neuf et payé 9,41 Euros !!! Cependant, j'ai tellement envie de le lire que je ne le retourne pas ... mais je garde une grosse frustration !!
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