I get to use fiction as a way to work out my thinking and to delight readers in the process. I can't think of any deal that's better for me, and I'm always so grateful that readers have indulged me as I argue with myself in my stories.
Ken LiuRead
I think the narrative of people being caught between two cultures as immigrants is very harmful. It's exclusionary. It essentially tries to argue that some Americans are more real than others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the harmful narrative that suggests some immigrants are less authentic than others based on cultural differences.
Ken Liu highlights the damaging implications of the narrative that positions immigrants as caught between two cultures, suggesting that this notion devalues their identity and experiences. Liu argues that such a perspective creates unnecessary division and implies that some identities are more legitimate than others, ultimately undermining the richness that diverse cultures bring to American society.
Themes
CultureImmigrantIdentityNarrativeDiversity
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on immigration and identity, this quote could introduce the topic of cultural integration.
More from Ken Liu
All quotes →As a species, we tend to live in environments where our own artifacts dominate. The way we shape our environment and are in turn shaped by it is a key theme in my fiction - indeed, it's a key part of a great deal of science fiction.
Ken LiuRead
In creating the silkpunk aesthetic, I was influenced by the ideas of W. Brian Arthur, who articulates a vision of technology as a language.
Ken LiuRead
There are so many different narrative traditions across the world, and each of those traditions has evolved dramatically over time. Once I understood that, I felt truly free; I could write and invent the way I wanted to because there never has been only one way to tell a good story.
Ken LiuRead
The truth is not delicate and it does not suffer from denial—the truth only dies when true stories are untold.
Ken LiuRead
Labels like 'Chinese Science Fiction' or 'Western Science Fiction' summarize a vast field of work, all of which are diverse and driven by individual authors, with individual concerns.
Ken LiuRead
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