Story of Your Life

Linguist Louise Banks becomes one of the few linguists allowed to study the language of extraterrestrials who have made contact with humans. As she gradually studies it, she begins to understand that the aliens’ thinking is fundamentally different from human thinking, including—among other things—a slightly different relationship with time. The extraterrestrials know in advance about events that will occur and carry them out because they must do so. Learning the alien language begins to change Louise. What comes of it—read on…

Ted Chiang is an American programmer who chose the path of a fantasy writer. He is one of those people who restores the original meaning of the term "science fiction." Chiang’s novellas and short stories breathe the atmosphere of academic knowledge, delivered to readers (listeners) in a simple language that turns scientific understanding into something understandable and interesting. The writer manages to connect thrilling and unconventional human stories with the coldness of the world of theories and numbers. And surprisingly, judging by the recognition that Chiang’s books have received among professional critics, scientists, and—most importantly—ordinary readers, it is precisely this kind of approach that the audience was waiting for.