How could you, Ken Liu, the devastation of “The Literomancer” (contains  spoiler)

I’ve been pacing myself, reading a story a day of Ken Liu’s speculative short stories collection, The Paper Manegerie. It feels like a treat every time, experiencing his storytelling power with inventive magical or scientific elements, and the masterful and economic character and world building.

But oh, yesterday….yesterday, I encountered “The Literomancer,” a story set in mid 20th century Taiwan, weaving together American Intelligence work, the political tension between Communist China, KMT Taiwan government, and the sentiment of the “original province people” (benshengren/penshengjen) with the innocent, and innocuous, school girl outcast experience, uprooted from Texas to Taiwan. 

How I wish I am able to UNread this story. UNremember what transpires 3/4 into the tale. The story of mild upsetting scenarios of a girl being bullied and then finding likable strangers who care for her, almost like family suddenly takes an extreme, nightmarish, and traumatizing turn when innocent people are suspected to be spies.

I had to quickly skimmed past the graphically described torture scenes and speed-read to the concluding paragraphs of the story, finding the whole experience nauseating and chilling.  I was ANGRY!  How poorly the story is contracted, pivoting without warning and throwing such brutality at my unsuspecting eyes. And I thought Liu knows how to pace and plot.

Then…I realized, that would have been exactly how the characters feel – brutally torn from the idyllic and caring circumstances to face the sudden and extreme tortures.  That’s what is so scary when the guilt-less are smooshed senselessly and bloodily under the cruel tracks of the metaphorical tank operated by those who believe that it’s better to sacrifice a thousand innocents as long as they don’t miss the possibilities of eliminating one real enemy. 

I know you are brilliant…Ken Liu, but now I don’t even know if I dare keep reading the other stories in the collection. (I will, because the book is SO good but now I read with caution and a nagging fear.)