Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How does an author’s background influence their writing? Who is Ted Chiang, and how does he approach his craft as a writer? What can you anticipate about his collection of short stories?

Teaching Suggestion: Before approaching this prompt, consider starting the conversation by discussing famous authors and how their experiences, education, professions, and interests influenced their works. You might explore texts and authors already addressed in the class, or you might identify writers of different decades or writing styles, such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Maya Angelou, Ursula K. Le Guin, or Sherman Alexie. Providing students with a guided note sheet to gather their thoughts before engaging in discussion may be helpful. It may also be helpful to review the resource below, or a similar resource that covers Ted Chiang’s background, in advance.

• This short article from the Santa Fe Institute introduces Ted Chiang and discusses his background as well as his process as a writer.

2. Stories of Your Life and Others may be best described as speculative fiction.