The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories

by Ken Liu

First published 2026

A painter stares at her canvas, wondering if her years of dedication have led nowhere. She questions whether her work holds any meaning, whether she has failed at the one thing that defined her life. Her struggle anchors this new collection from Ken Liu, the Nebula and Hugo Award winner behind The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories and The Hidden Girl and Other Stories. Twelve additional science fiction tales explore characters facing their own moments of reckoning. Liu's second collection inspired the anime Pantheon, and now he returns with stories that will move readers and spark deep reflection. Each piece challenges assumptions while exploring the human condition through speculative fiction. The collection showcases why Liu stands among America's most celebrated contemporary short story writers.

Genres: short-stories, science-fiction, literary-fiction, anthologies, speculative-fiction

Vibes: introspective, moving, philosophical, reflective, thought-provoking

Tropes: internal-conflict, moment-of-reckoning, self-discovery

Period: 21st-century

384 pages · Hardcover · S&S/Saga Press

More by Ken Liu

• The Grace of Kings
• The Anderson Project
• First Contact
• The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

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