The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories by Ken Liu

TL;DR: An absolute banger of a collection.
Source: Saga Press! Thank you so much to the publisher!

Plot: All the stories in this focus on being understood or how words can fail.
Characters: So often characters in short stories fall flat. That is not the case here.
Setting: I enjoyed so many of these. Ken Liu is a master at what he does.
Fantasy/Science-fiction: Ken Liu’s SF always feels too smart for me, but his Fantasy is perfect.

Summary:

The long-awaited next collection by the master of short stories and author of the award-winning Paper Menagerie and Other Stories.

Thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and wonderous are some of the many ways the fifteen stories in this collection will engage readers. Ken Liu continues to delight and challenge your perceptions as one of the most accomplished and lauded American short story writers of our time.

Thoughts:

Ken Liu is a GOAT in the SFF scene, that’s something I’ll stand on. Even if I haven’t loved all of his work, I can understand the worth and skill he has in the space and I recognize that. This collection for me really showcases that.

The focus of these stories is about being understood, how words don’t always work, and what that is like. The first two stories in this started the collection off with a bang. I loved both of these, the title story and Three Views of Parking Lot. We continued on with fantastic story, after fantastic story. Arc was a great piece towards the end and Ice Wraith and A Whisper of Blue have lived rent free in my mind.

If you want to try Ken Liu or you’re an old fan, this is a great collection to pick up. This is going high on my list of recommended books. Give this a go.