This is the only story in Stories of Your Life and Others that was originally published for the first time in the 2002 anthology. I was a little apprehensive as there had been such previous highs that I was unsure if this would live up to them–a spurious snap discrimination made on subconscious assumptions about in an in group (previously published stories) and an out group. I don't have anything interesting or profound to say about that, it simply amused me when I had the realisation in relation to this story.

My apprehension was unfounded and I found this story utterly fascinating, both in its classic Chiang thought experiment premise and the wholly different form and approach to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely see it as part of the top tier stories in the anthology, alongside Division by Zero (seemingly my sad grrrl hipster opinion), Stories of Your Life, and Hell is the Absence of God.

Liking What You See: A Documentary reads like a simplified script of a documentary with the name and relevant information of the speaker and the transcripts of their vox pops, interviews, reports, and recordings. The documentary covers calliagnosia, a non-invasive, reversible medical procedure that induces a visual agnosia, the inability to process sensory information, regarding human facial beauty*. The narrative follows a college student who grew up with calliagnosia, her college's debate on whether to make calliagnosia a mandatory policy and the wider discussion around this, and her relationship with her partner and the condition.

*It is also seen to have other minor effects on perception of other things that use the part of the brain used for facial cognition in some, such as certain designs of cars.

Now, this is very much my initial reaction without knowing anything about this story previously or interacting with anything around this novelette, so my thoughts could change after time and considering other perspectives. This is always the case with an initial reaction, but this is really one of those stories that by its very nature of the topic, form, and how these are presented have so much to consider, that I really wanted to make that extra clear.

Any story that is presenting a dichotomy and debate, particularly one that is literally heading to a decision being made within the narrative, is going to make the reader consider the topic, arguments, how they are presented, and how they are framed. But most prominently it's going to elicit the reader's opinion. My opinion was very much clear from the outset and did not change in the least through my reading, despite genuinely trying to consider and engage with the arguments. I don't think this necessarily reflects in any way on the story, which on the whole seems to do a decent enough job of presenting the different perspectives and motivations behind certain characters’ views and arguments in a varying and balanced manner. Although, I do think Chiang's views can clearly be discerned, particularly in the way that the anti-calliagnosia perspective is interestingly, amusingly, and somewhat performatively shown as coming from underhanded means in spite of the seeming veracity of its argument. It seems the author possibly doth protest too much

Full Initial Reaction Review, Discussion, Ranting, and TMI on my Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/post/Liking-What-You-See-A-Documentary-by-Ted-Chiang-T6T1R7N7Y ( )