Ted Chiang
Encyclopedia
Ted Chiang is an American speculative fiction
writer. His Chinese name is Chiang Feng-nan(姜峯楠).He was born in Port Jefferson, New York
and graduated from Brown University
with a Computer Science
degree. He currently works as a technical writer in the software industry and resides in Bellevue
, near Seattle, Washington
. He is a graduate of the noted Clarion Writers Workshop (1989).
Although not a prolific author, having published only thirteen short stories, novelettes and novellas as of 2011, Chiang has to date won a string of prestigious speculative fiction awards for his works: a Nebula Award
for "Tower of Babylon" (1990), the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1992, a Nebula Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for "Story of Your Life" (1998), a Sidewise Award for "Seventy-Two Letters" (2000), a Nebula Award, Locus Award
and Hugo Award
for his novelette
"Hell Is the Absence of God
" (2002), a Nebula and Hugo Award for his novelette "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
" (2007), and a British Science Fiction Association Award, a Locus Award
, the Hugo Award for Best Short Story
for "Exhalation
" (2009). His 2010 story "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" won both the Hugo and the Locus Award
for best novella.
Chiang turned down a Hugo nomination for his short story "Liking What You See: A Documentary" in 2003, on the grounds that the story was rushed due to editorial pressure and did not turn out as he had really wanted.
Chiang's first eight stories are collected in Stories of Your Life and Others
(1st US hardcover ed: ISBN 0-7653-0418-X; 1st US paperback ed.: ISBN 0-7653-0419-8). His novelette The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
was also published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
writer. His Chinese name is Chiang Feng-nan(姜峯楠).He was born in Port Jefferson, New York
Port Jefferson, New York
The Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson is located in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2000 United States Census, the village population was 7,837...
and graduated from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
with a Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
degree. He currently works as a technical writer in the software industry and resides in Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, near Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. He is a graduate of the noted Clarion Writers Workshop (1989).
Although not a prolific author, having published only thirteen short stories, novelettes and novellas as of 2011, Chiang has to date won a string of prestigious speculative fiction awards for his works: a Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
for "Tower of Babylon" (1990), the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1992, a Nebula Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for "Story of Your Life" (1998), a Sidewise Award for "Seventy-Two Letters" (2000), a Nebula Award, Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
and Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for his novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
"Hell Is the Absence of God
Hell Is the Absence of God
Hell Is the Absence of God is a 2001 novelette by Ted Chiang, first published in Starlight #3; in 2002, the story won a Hugo Award, a Nebula Award, and a Locus Award...
" (2002), a Nebula and Hugo Award for his novelette "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate is a fantasy novelette by Ted Chiang originally published in 2007 by Subterranean Press and reprinted in the September 2007 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction...
" (2007), and a British Science Fiction Association Award, a Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
, the Hugo Award for Best Short Story
Hugo Award for Best Short Story
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
for "Exhalation
Exhalation (story)
Exhalation is a science fiction short story by Ted Chiang. It was first published in 2008, in the anthology, "Eclipse 2: New Science Fiction and Fantasy", edited by Jonathan Strahan. It won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.-Plot summary:...
" (2009). His 2010 story "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" won both the Hugo and the Locus Award
Locus Award
The Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for best novella.
Chiang turned down a Hugo nomination for his short story "Liking What You See: A Documentary" in 2003, on the grounds that the story was rushed due to editorial pressure and did not turn out as he had really wanted.
Chiang's first eight stories are collected in Stories of Your Life and Others
Stories of Your Life and Others
"Stories of Your Life and Others" is a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang originally published in 2002 by Tor Books. It collects Chiang's first eight stories...
(1st US hardcover ed: ISBN 0-7653-0418-X; 1st US paperback ed.: ISBN 0-7653-0419-8). His novelette The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate is a fantasy novelette by Ted Chiang originally published in 2007 by Subterranean Press and reprinted in the September 2007 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction...
was also published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
List of works
- Tower of BabylonTower of Babylon (story)Tower of Babylon is a science fiction novelette published in 1990 by Ted Chiang. It won the 1991 Nebula Award for Best Novelette and was nominated for the 1991 Hugo Award for Best Novelette...
(Omni, 1990) (Nebula AwardNebula Award for Best Short StoryWinners of the '“Nebula Award for Best Short Story”'. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-Winners and nominees:-External links:* *...
winner) - Division by Zero (Full Spectrum 3, 1991)
- UnderstandUnderstand (story)Understand is a science fiction novelette published in 1991 by Ted Chiang. It was nominated for the 1992 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, and won the 1992 Asimov’s Reader Poll...
(Asimov's, 1991) - Story of Your LifeStory of Your LifeStory of Your Life is a science fiction short story by Ted Chiang. It was the winner of the 2000 Nebula Award for Best Novella as well as the 1999 Sturgeon award. The major themes explored by this tale are determinism, language, and an interesting take on the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis.-Plot summary:Dr...
(Starlight 2, 1998) (Nebula AwardNebula Award for Best Short StoryWinners of the '“Nebula Award for Best Short Story”'. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-Winners and nominees:-External links:* *...
and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award winner) - The Evolution of Human Science (a.k.a. "Catching Crumbs from the Table") (Nature, 2000)
- Seventy-Two Letters (Vanishing Acts, 2000) (Sidewise AwardSidewise Award for Alternate HistoryThe Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with...
winner) - Hell Is the Absence of GodHell Is the Absence of GodHell Is the Absence of God is a 2001 novelette by Ted Chiang, first published in Starlight #3; in 2002, the story won a Hugo Award, a Nebula Award, and a Locus Award...
(Starlight 3, 2001) (Hugo AwardHugo Award for Best NoveletteThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
, Locus AwardLocus AwardThe Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
, and Nebula AwardNebula Award for Best NoveletteWinners of the Nebula Award for best Novelette. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-External links:* * *...
winner) - Liking What You See: A Documentary (Stories of Your Life and Others, 2002)
- What's Expected Of Us (Nature, 2006)
- The Merchant and the Alchemist's GateThe Merchant and the Alchemist's GateThe Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate is a fantasy novelette by Ted Chiang originally published in 2007 by Subterranean Press and reprinted in the September 2007 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction...
(Subterranean PressSubterranean PressSubterranean Press is a small press publisher in Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction...
, 2007 and F&SFThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science FictionThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, 9/07) (Nebula AwardNebula Award for Best NoveletteWinners of the Nebula Award for best Novelette. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below.-External links:* * *...
winner, Hugo AwardHugo Award for Best NoveletteThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
winner) - ExhalationExhalation (story)Exhalation is a science fiction short story by Ted Chiang. It was first published in 2008, in the anthology, "Eclipse 2: New Science Fiction and Fantasy", edited by Jonathan Strahan. It won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.-Plot summary:...
(Eclipse 2, 2008) (BSFA winner, Locus AwardLocus AwardThe Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for Short Story, 2009 Hugo Award winner) - The Lifecycle of Software Objects (Subterranean PressSubterranean PressSubterranean Press is a small press publisher in Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction...
, July 2010) (Locus Award winner, Hugo Award winner, Nebula Award nominee) - Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny (The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities ed. by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer, June 2011)
Collections
- Stories of Your Life and OthersStories of Your Life and Others"Stories of Your Life and Others" is a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang originally published in 2002 by Tor Books. It collects Chiang's first eight stories...
(TorTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
, 2002) (Locus AwardLocus AwardThe Locus Award is a literary award established in 1971 and presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll. Currently, the Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet...
for Best Collection)
External links
- Ted Chiang on Writing 2010 BoingBoing Interview with Ted Chiang
- Ted Chiang: Science, Language, and Magic Interview in the August 2002 issue of Locus Magazine
- Review of his collection Stories of Your Life and Others, by Jo WaltonJo WaltonJo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Ha'penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award...
- Interview conducted by Al Robertson.
- Interview conducted by StarshipSofa.com
- Interview conducted by Rani Graff.
- Interview conducted by Lou Anders.
- Interview conducted by Gavin J. Grant.
- Ted Chiang's online fiction at Free Speculative Fiction Online
- Hidenori Watanave's illustrations for Ted Chiang (Hayakawa S-F magazine)