Sorry Please Thank You: Stories | 
pickYu's work continues to exhibit a distinct creative voice, occasionally happily absurd, some introspective rambling, good dash of sci fi tropes remixed, healthy portion of pathos.
Faves:
First Person Shooter: Big box store retail workers with speculative elements -I loved Finna, Defekt and Horrorstor - I love how well this subgenre works and that I keep finding stories in it.
1/2
pickOne of my highest compliments for a short story collection is that it is tight. There is not a wasted word in this book. Sometimes fun, sometimes serious, this sci fi collection is relatable while being very creative. Highly recommend!!!
How are you spending your afternoon? I‘m cuddled up with my first November books!
#shortstories #litintranslation
pickAmazing! I love the imagination of Charles Yu. The stories range in style from lists to alternate realities to what could become future realities (i.e. "Designer Emotion"). This is probably a good introduction in to Yu's writings. He can be a big technical and scientific, but in my opinion, that's what give credence to much of the stories and adds an extra layer of realism to them. Read this book if you like Sci-Fi, humor and imaginative thinking.
Starting this one tonight. Yu is so creative and really grabs me every time I read him
so-soI liked the ideas behind a lot of these stories. Yu takes sci-fi, fantasy, & horror tropes & plays with them in interesting ways. Really loved a few: "Standard Loneliness Package," a reality where you can pay people to feel your pain for you; "Hero Absorbs Major Damage," a funny take on a D&D and World of Warcraft-inspired world; & "Yeoman," basically a story from a Red Shirt's perspective. But the rest felt like better concepts than storytelling.
"The mages still had concerns. They looked into their crystal balls or whatever. Behind closed doors, they talked in hushed tones. They nodded their sage heads sagely, stroked their beards, gave the lawyer grim and ponderous looks. Ugh, the mages were really kind of awful about the whole thing."
pickToday I was just walloped by this powerful story Fable by Charles Wu. (In the New Yorker this week) I got chills, I teared up, I smiled---all in this short story. A beautiful story about the struggles between expectations and reality. Read/listen now!!*this story is not in the above collection
Yeoman: A twist on that classic Star Trek 'red shirt' phenomenon, captain giving off definite 'randy Kirk' vibes
The Book of Categories: Enchanting storytelling format (at least to someone in info management/admin) and painful.
⚠️ sexual harrassment in the workplace, child death(?), suicide 8mo