About the Author

Ken Liu is an award-winning American author of speculative fiction. His collection, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen languages. Liu's other works include The Grace of Kings, The Wall of Storms, and Star Wars tie-in The Legends of Luke Skywalker, and a second collection The Hidden Girl and Other Stories. He has been involved in multiple media adaptations of his work including the short story 'Good Hunting', adapted as an episode in Netflix's animated series Love, Death + Robots; and AMC's Pantheon, adapted from an interconnected series of short stories. 'The Hidden Girl', 'The Message', and The Grace of Kings have also been optioned for development. Liu previously worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on topics including futurism, cryptocurrency, the mathematics of origami, and others. Liu lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews

'Each of the fifteen stories in this collection is a jewel of fantastical storytelling, written by a man who not only knows how to convey complex and fascinating scientific and philosophical ideas but who is also able to transform those ideas, and use them to highlight the beauty and fragility of the human condition. It is a genuine work of art, a complete joy to read, and very very highly recommended' Starburst Magazine.

'The Paper Menagerie is distinguished not only by its inventive imagination and emotional acuity – it has, as a whole, an impressive and cumulative coherence ... The glittering wit on the surface of these pieces belies their righteous anger and profound melancholy ... The finale is a revelation ... It is a wrenching, ethically complex and deeply uncomfortable story, with the subtle balance of testimonies and arguments never compromising its horror' TLS.

'Now and then along comes a writer who can create a mood so evocative the length of the tale has no bearing on how long you live with its cast, and linger, curled up, inside its bubble ... Ken Liu is such a writer ... By the end of this collection, you return, blinking, into the sharp light of the here and now, and mourn those few short days when you were floating in Liu, heady with the thrill of a life in which your senses were sparked up like phosphorescent antennae to the wonders of our existence on this "boat in space"' The Big Issue.

'When he's good, Liu is very very very good indeed' SFX.

'Liu's imagery never ceases to impress; he combines interesting backdrops to accentuate a whole host of intricate reactions, making him a true master of emotion and authenticity ... The Paper Menagerie will cement Liu as a once-in-a-lifetime author. Certainly his work is both stimulating and intoxicating and is the catalyst that sees contemporary Chinese fiction propelled to the forefront of sci-fi' 10/10. SciFiNow.

'All the stories flow seamlessly, thoroughly visual in impact, marking a great fiction writer ... An excellent volume; entertaining, questioning, with mind stretching ideas and places' Nudge Book.

'Liu's stories are never less than well-crafted, he has an excellent range, and a clear eye for the subtleties of human relationships' Interzone.

'Some of the stories are head-spinningly fantastic and almost surreal in their inventiveness' Irish Times.

'This captivating collection of award-winning short stories is full of wonder and magical realism' Buzzfeed.

'There is plenty of evidence here to justify Liu's status as a new writer with great potential. This is the best book I have read so far this year. Highly recommended.' Mark Bilsborough, Concatenation.

'An exquisite collection of work. More layers of meaning await its readers who can't fail to find something moving and intelligent in the writing of Ken Liu' Allen Stroud, Concatenation.

'Ken Liu isn't just an entertaining and original author – though he is certainly that – he is an important one. Here is an author using his life experience, his talent and skill as an author and every genre and literary tradition at his disposal to make the case that we are humans and individuals before we are ethnic groups or nationalities, and that multiculturalism is our future.' Shoreline of Infinity magazine.

'A truly wonderful selection from a first-rate storyteller ... an excellent volume; entertaining, questioning, with mind-stretching ideas and places' New Books Magazine.

'The title story might break your heart a little. But that can never be such a bad thing. It's beautiful' Jackie Morris.

'Glorious ... The perfect anthology' A Dragon in Space.