Thematic Study Of Chinese American Writer Ted Chiang’s Science Fiction

Ted Chiang, one of the most decorated writers of contemporary science fiction and the first Chinese American science fiction writer who has obtained both Nebula Award and Hugo Award-the two most important awards in this genre-is not a prolific writer. He has just published 13 stories during the 24 years after his first story “Tower of Babylon” in 1990. However, his works published have earned him a surprising number of major science fiction awards. His works are filled with amazing ideas, fantastic imagination, intense feelings, careful description, as well as restrained narration. Behind all of those are his deep humanistic concerns and his philosophical thinking. It is regretful that little academic attention has been paid to this pioneer of Chinese American science fiction writer.This thesis will make a thematic study on his science fiction since theme is one of the major literary elements and it can reflect the author’s humanistic concerns most. Besides the introduction and conclusion, it includes three chapters, and each one explores one theme of Ted Chiang’s works: artificial intelligence ethics, free will and determinism as well as the confusion of religion. Of the three themes, artificial intelligence is an aspect of science and technology and through the exploration of it Ted Chiang goes back to introspection to human society. Free will and determinism is an aspect of Ted Chiang’s humanistic introspection, showing his introspection to ourselves. After exploring the external world of science and technology as well as the internal world of human society, Ted Chiang’s confusion of religion is studied.Chapter one focuses on the artificial intelligence theme in his works, exploring his artificial intelligence ethics and his introspection to anthropocentrism as well as the identity of marginal group. In this chapter, through analyzing interviews of Ted Chiang and employing the theory of anthropocentrism as well as the identity, conclusions can be made that the artificial intelligence is a metaphor to slavery and also a kind of racialism. Besides, human being’s discrimination to other species such as the artificial intelligence is a kind of anthropocentrism. With the anthropocentrism being predominant, the identity of the marginal group-the digients-is also analyzed.Chapter two analyzes free will theme in his fictions, discussing his philosophical thinking on free will and determinism. Through making a close reading to his works and using related theory of free will and determinism, the author finds that Ted Chiang explores free will and determinism deeply, struggling and swinging between them.Chapter three is about religion theme in Ted Chiang’s works, studying his confusion of religion. Through the comparison of his stories and Bible, it can be concluded that although they are different in contents, they are similar in their themes. In conclusion, although Ted Chiang talks about religion and tells stories which stem from the Bible, he still finds it difficult to understand many things in this world. And many people feel the same.Finally, through close reading of his main works, conclusion can be made that as a science fiction writer, Ted Chiang concerns much about human beings. No matter what topic he is writing on, he would always go back to the real issues in our own world. His works have some realistic meanings to some universal issues in contemporary world.