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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
Minimal violence; some stories involve mortality and impermanence
Language
Barely any
Clean, literary prose
Sexual Content
Barely any
No sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
Philosophical and existential themes that prompt genuine reflection on consciousness and time
What this book is about
Ted Chiang's luminous second collection explores free will, memory, time travel, and artificial intelligence through meticulous, humane science fiction. Each story reads like rigorous philosophy in narrative form—deeply thoughtful and profoundly moving.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Existential and philosophical themes about consciousness and mortality
Reader Verification
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More Science Fiction books from the catalog.
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