Broken Stars

Broken Stars is an anthology of Chinese science fiction stories translated and edited by Ken Liu. The collection features 16 works from 14 authors, representing voices from across contemporary Chinese speculative fiction. The stories span multiple sci-fi subgenres including hard science fiction, space opera, cyberpunk, and science fantasy. Time travel, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and virtual reality appear as recurring elements throughout the anthology. Each story is preceded by an author biography and introduction from Liu that provides context about the writer's background and place in Chinese science fiction. The collection concludes with three essays about Chinese science fiction's history and current state. The anthology reflects themes of technological progress, cultural identity, and human nature through a distinctly Chinese lens. These works demonstrate how science fiction can traverse cultural boundaries while maintaining connections to local literary traditions and social perspectives.

Readers appreciate the diverse selection of Chinese science fiction stories and Liu's informative introductions providing context about each author. Many note the collection offers perspectives on technology, society, and human nature that differ from Western sci-fi traditions. Positive reviews highlight "The Robot Who Liked to Tell Tall Tales" for its humor and "Moonlight" for its emotional depth. Multiple readers praise the translation quality. Common criticisms include uneven story quality, with some readers finding certain selections too abstract or experimental. Several reviews mention that the collection's academic tone and complex cultural references can be challenging to follow. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (180+ ratings) "The anthology opened my eyes to themes I've never encountered in Western sci-fi" - Goodreads reviewer "Some stories are brilliant, others fell flat" - Amazon reviewer "Liu's translations capture nuances that would be lost in literal interpretation" - Strange Horizons review

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⭐ Ken Liu translated all 16 stories in this anthology from their original Chinese to English, spending countless hours collaborating with the original authors to maintain cultural nuances. 🚀 The collection includes "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Laba Porridge" by Anna Wu, which cleverly pays homage to Douglas Adams while incorporating traditional Chinese elements. 📚 Several stories in the anthology were previously unpublished in any language, making their debut in both Chinese and English simultaneously through this book. 🌟 The term "science fiction" in Chinese (科幻, kehuan) literally translates to "science fantasy," reflecting a different cultural approach to the genre than Western traditions. 🎭 Beyond the stories themselves, Liu includes detailed biographical information about each author and essays about Chinese science fiction's history and development, making the book part anthology and part cultural study.