Ted Chiang
Stories from your life
Giovanni Lussu, a distinguished university professor contacted me with a special request: to create a symbolic synthesis of eight stories by Ted Chiang. I had already had the privilege of encountering Chiang's universe during a university exam, where I was captivated by the depth of his narratives. Transforming his words into illustrations, or rather symbolic illustrations—true summaries of the narrative—was both a challenging and fascinating task, one that pushed me beyond the boundaries of the ordinary and immersed me in a dimension where language becomes a vehicle for introspection and mystery.
Ted Chiang, the renowned author of Chinese descent, writes science fiction, but his works are far more than mere futuristic stories. In his tales, profound reflections intertwine, raising questions that dig deep into the soul and reveal truths that transcend the visible and the known. Among them, Story of Your Life, his most famous story, inspired the 2016 film Arrival, a work that managed to translate the intensity and complexity of his thought into imagery.
The publisher's introduction gives us a glimpse into Chiang's enigmatic world:
"What if men had built a tower reaching up to the sky? What if a drug could vastly amplify intelligence? What if the foundations of mathematics were arbitrary and inconsistent? What if exposure to an alien script altered our perception of time? What if a science of naming could bring inanimate matter to life? What if scientific research was the monopoly of a caste of mutants? What if angels of salvation and destruction appeared daily in the streets? And what if there was a way to remain indifferent to physical beauty?"
Questions that don't yield simple answers, but instead open doors to new realities, challenging our certainties and forcing us to confront the unknown. Ted Chiang's stories are not merely to be read; they are reflections to embrace, worlds to explore.
An essential work for anyone who wishes to go beyond the boundaries of words and lose themselves in the depths of imagination.
- Giovanni Lussu, Editore Nuovi Equilibri2008