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The Shapes of Thought and Methods of Thinking: on Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life

Author(s)

Zheyuan Xing*

Affiliation(s)

Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

Ted Chiang's science fiction Stories of Your Life can be viewed as a form of linguistic SF, language may mislead our thinking, yet it is not thought itself. After learning a new language, Louise develops another mode of cognition; the author uses the aliens' unique linguistic expressions to highlight the limitations inherent in human cognitive frameworks. As discussions on themes such as time and free will gradually extend to considerations of the future, linear cognition transforms from a disadvantage into an advantage. It is clear that worrying about a predetermined future is futile-only through action and choice can we shape the future, offering a fresh perspective on the novel.

Keywords

Linguistic SF; Linear Cognition; Free Will; Ontology

References

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