Thank you so much for providing this book as part of the Hugo voting packet. When I have read this book my review will be posted to my blog, Goodreads and retail websites.

Every single story in this anthology was fantastic. In each story Ted Chiang creates an engaging universe that both entertains and makes the reader think. Although I had already read over half of the stories in this book I avidly reread and rediscovered the wonder of Chiang's brilliance. I look forward to reading more of his stories.

Ted Chiang's second collection of short stories and novellas is wonderful. His elegant and expressive writing is filled with rich characters and beautifully understated prose. At times it felt a little like Black Mirror but with a much stronger philosophical and emotional depth.

I particularly liked 'The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate' and 'The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling'. 'What's expected of us' manages to achieve something more profound and horrific in 3 pages than many longer stories ever do.

Both 'Omphalos' and 'Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom' have been nominated for the Hugo's (Novelette and Novella respectively). I wasn't hugely wowed by the former but the latter is a solid and emotionally resonant tale and worth the nomination.

Excellent stuff and well worth reading, for fans of short stories and speculative fiction alike. Now I need to get his first collection.

This is an excellent book of short stories. Some have been previously published, and some are new. Ted Chiang is one of the best short fiction writers alive today, and a new collection by him is a joy to savor. If you haven't read his work - read it.