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 wanted to make my stories, which are inspired by Asian stories, into something fresh, decontextualized - to give them new life as a new kind of fantasy that isn't so cloying and exotic and strange.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the desire to reinterpret and revitalize traditional stories in a modern and relatable context.
Ken Liu expresses a creative ambition to take inspiration from Asian stories and transform them into fresh narratives that break away from stereotypical portrayals. By doing so, he aims to create a new kind of fantasy that resonates more authentically with contemporary audiences, avoiding the pitfalls of being overly sentimental or exoticized.
Themes
StoriesInspirationCreativityFantasyCulture
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech at a literary festival to inspire writers.
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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