Ted Chiang‘s The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate is a novelette originally published by Subterranean Press.
I spent a few hours reading it during the weekend, and as it usually happens with stories by Ted Chiang, I was overawed by the author’s skill and finesse.
I will not spoil the plot here (as I know there’s a reader of this blog that has a copy of the book on her ereader).
Suffice to say that this is a time travel story, set in the world and told with the style of The Arabian Nights.
And readers of this blog probably remember I am a fan of the Arabian Nights.
This being a time travel story, it probably qualifies as fantasy1 – even if, despite the setting and the language, Chiang slips in his narrative a rather plausible science fictional rationale.
But matters of classification really are beside the point2, as we are dealing with a wonderful and poignant story, masterfully designed and perfectly told.
The sort of story that deserves a second reading to try and learn how the author did it.
Karavansara 
10 March 2015 at 11:37
Actually I was a little disappointed by this novella. I’ve found the style of Chiang too “cold” for an oriental fantasy.
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10 March 2015 at 13:05
I did not have this impression – indeed, I read other things by Chaing that are much more detached and “brainy” (but in a good way).
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10 March 2015 at 13:30
How could it happen I don’t know anything about this novella? :O
I must read it.
You know, I like Time traveling, Ted Chiang and The Arabian Nights and here we have all this good stuff.
I can’t resist it, really! I’ll go for it as soon as possible.
Great post 😀 thank you for sharing.
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10 March 2015 at 14:21
You’re welcome!
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11 March 2015 at 15:23
Last night I read it and I really enjoyed it!
I told you that I would read it as soon as possible and I discovered I had it in the collection of Ted Chiang stories (Stories of Your Life and Others) that I had taken to read Seventy-Two Letters an interesting steampunk story.
There is always something intriguing and fresh in the stories of Ted Chiang.
Something that is worth reading them.
He never disappoints me, as well as your reviews. 🙂
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11 March 2015 at 15:26
Glad you liked it!
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