Mono No Aware by Ken Liu

The Hopeful.

Ken Liu is quickly becoming one of my favorite short-story writers and his collection, "The Paper Menagerie" is filled with powerful imagination, evocative prose, tenderness and heartbreak. My goal is to review each story from this stunning collection and today we are starting with "Mono No Aware", which absolutely floored me. It is difficult to explain but there is a softness to Liu's lyrical prose combined with an underlying melancholy that just tugs on the heartstrings. 

The narrative unfolds with a familiar premise to the science fiction genre: Earth is destroyed during a catastrophic asteroid strike. During the evacuation, only a small number of humans can board a large vessel that is tasked to find another habitable planet for humanity to start over. This trope has been used countless times and is invariably cliché. However, in this story, it serves mainly as a backdrop for Liu to focus on rendering characters with striking authenticity while exploring themes of family, love, loss, sacrifice and the transitory nature of human existence. Indeed, the term mono no aware is a Japanese phrase meaning the awareness of impermanence and appreciating the fleeting beauty of life. By blending elements of science fiction with deep philosophical musings, the story transcends its genre trappings to offer a universal meditation on the human condition. In doing so, "Mono no Aware" achieves a rare and haunting pathos reminding us of the beauty and fragility of life itself. 

The story gains its emotional power through the character Hiroto, our first-person narrator and central protagonist. His poignant philosophical reflections and childhood flashbacks form the emotional core of the narrative. More specifically, the deeply cherished bond with his father amidst the chaos of Earth's impending destruction, serve as the beating heart of the story, infusing it with profound emotional depth and resonance. 

As the final act unfolds, it becomes evident that "Mono no Aware" is a narrative that eschews haste, opting instead for a deliberate and measured pace. Ken Liu's impressive storytelling technique is on full display as he carefully constructs each scene with precision, allowing the tension to simmer and the emotional stakes to heighten. Through patient and deliberate strokes, Liu guides the reader on a journey of personal revelation, culminating in Hiroto's momentous decision that holds the fate of humanity in the balance. This deliberate pacing not only serves to intensify the narrative's emotional impact but also underscores its rich thematic depth.