Aliens (of a species that humans come to call the “ heptapods“) visit Earth - not physically, but via technologically advanced visual screens - and when asked for a motive, they claim that all they want to do is to “observe.” Naturally, the government finds this extremely suspicious, so they hire Dr. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, at least on a superficial plot level. “Story of Your Life,” published in 1998 by an occasional but acclaimed science-fiction writer, Ted Chiang, is in some ways the inverse of Ursula K.

…At least that’s if you’re fluent in Heptapod B, the written language of an alien species that is wired to see the world in an entirely different way from humans.* Simply speaking, these aliens already know everything that happens in the future as well as the past and present because their “mode of awareness” is simultaneous (as encapsulated in the structure of their written language) rather than sequential, like ours they “act to create the future.” (Side note: I never know when I’m using the word “literally” correctly.)Īnti-spoiler militants, lay down your arms: According to the premise of the short story I’m about to present, it’s impossible for me to spoil the plot, because you will already know the ending by the time you’ve begun reading the first sentence. I think it’s an appropriate cover photo for the eponymous short story, at any rate, given that the story uses the conceit of language/linguistics to explore the (literal?) construction of one’s present, past, and future. This is actually the cover for a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang, entitled Stories of Your Life and Others.

Ted chiang story of your life 1998