A story about a boy with an American father and a Chinese mother. Judgie neighbors and school "friends" start the boy on being unduly harsh with his mother. He is feeling like an outsider because of his Chinese genetics. Their relationship never recovers. She had some magic, that lets her be able to leave some messages to her son that he will read when he is older and wiser. ( )

"'The Paper Menagerie' is the first work of fiction, of any length, to have swept the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards." I cried. OK, usually when I say "I cried" I mean one tear escaped my eye... This story made me cry a whole bunch of tears. A story of the disconnect between parents and children, the gap between cultures, and magical origami.

Read as part of the 'Nebula Awards Showcase 2013.' ( )

I read this on a whim. Seeing that it was a short story of only thirteen pages, I thought oh why not?

This short story killed me. It drew me in with easy sentences and hints of down-to-earth magic of life, and then it killed me. I read through these thirteen pages with the intent of just paging through another story. By the first page, I could tell I would like the story. In the third, I fell in love with the characters. And the fifth page set my mind to worry and my heart beating anxiously. And by the thirteenth page, my eyes swept across the words and, unwillingly, I cried.

I usually go through with a critical eye in any form of writing - trying to decipher the structure or the dialogue and the way the story was constructed to give constructive criticism, or maybe just to put out more plainly the reasons I like or disliked the story. But for this, everything was done beautifully. I have not complaints. No criticisms. Not a single one.

I don't need to say anything about the story to make you want to read it because it speaks for itself by the first page.

Five stars. Five freaking beautiful stars that are stained by unwilling tears. The depth of the emotion these characters can bring out, the love and the pain, the simple magic woven in so easily, the entire story.... everything.
Recommended for everyone. Anyone. Everyone should read it just to see how beautiful writing can be. ( )

I read this on a whim. Seeing that it was a short story of only thirteen pages, I thought oh why not?

This short story killed me. It drew me in with easy sentences and hints of down-to-earth magic of life, and then it killed me. I read through these thirteen pages with the intent of just paging through another story. By the first page, I could tell I would like the story. In the third, I fell in love with the characters. And the fifth page set my mind to worry and my heart beating anxiously. And by the thirteenth page, my eyes swept across the words and, unwillingly, I cried.

I usually go through with a critical eye in any form of writing - trying to decipher the structure or the dialogue and the way the story was constructed to give constructive criticism, or maybe just to put out more plainly the reasons I like or disliked the story. But for this, everything was done beautifully. I have not complaints. No criticisms. Not a single one.

I don't need to say anything about the story to make you want to read it because it speaks for itself by the first page.

Five stars. Five freaking beautiful stars that are stained by unwilling tears. The depth of the emotion these characters can bring out, the love and the pain, the simple magic woven in so easily, the entire story.... everything.
Recommended for everyone. Anyone. Everyone should read it just to see how beautiful writing can be. ( )

Short, powerful, painful, emotional, beautiful, heart wrenching.
What could I say that hasn't already been said about The Paper Menagerie...it will either hit you like a ton of bricks or not at all. ( )