What will our world look like in 100 years? In 1000 years? In Ken Liu’s new short story collection, the world as we know it will look very different but remains in the same in many ways.

The first time I heard of Ken Liu, it was when I heard his short story, “The Paper Menagerie” on the Levar Burton Reads podcast. I can tell you with no shame whatsoever that I cried my eyes out at work while listening to such a beautiful story and it has stayed with me since then. In the new collection, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, none are quite as beautiful and moving as “The Paper Menagerie,” but a few come very close.

With 19 stories to choose from, readers will find something they’ll like in more than one. Technology plays a large part in most of the stories. In “Thoughts and Prayers,” digital trolling of a grieving family leads them to a decision with painful consequences. In “Byzantine Empathy,” a woman wanting to do good in the world uses a controversial software to create empathy for her cause. But my favorite story in the collection, “Grey Rabbit, Crimson Mare, Coal Leopard,” merges tech with fantasy, creating a story that had my attention from the first page to the very last. I really wish this particular story was a full novel (in case Mr. Liu reads this review) because it was both action-packed and moving at the same time.

All in all, the collection is a solid read and I enjoyed myself while exploring the author’s work. I would definitely recommend it to my readers. The collection will be published on February 25, 2020 so pre-order a copy or pick one up at your local bookstore or borrow it from your local library when it drops.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where to buy: Amazon Barnes and Noble Indiebound