Like most of author Ted Chiang’s work, his 1998 novella “Story of Your Life” is as much an intellectual exercise as a narrative. It explores free will and the limits of communication via linguist Dr. Louise Banks, who attempts to learn the language of an alien species that’s arrived in Earth’s orbit. It also recounts the life of Louise’s daughter from Louise’s point of view, as she explores the past and the future simultaneously. Chiang mixes impressionistic snapshots from Louise’s experience as a mother with dense explorations of scientific principles.
