On Friday, April 4, 2025, Ted Chiang, an award-winning science-fiction writer, visited The Hill as part of the School’s ongoing Tom Ruth Speakers Series. Chiang shared his thoughts on the distinctive qualities of science-fiction writing and the principles it must follow to be considered part of that category.

Chiang’s fiction has won four Hugo, four Nebula, and four Locus awards, and has been featured in The Best American Short Stories. His debut collection, Stories of Your Life and Others, has been translated into over 20 languages. His short story "Story of Your Life" was the basis of the 2016 film Arrival.

His most recently published collection, Exhalation, which critics have called profound, sympathetic, and revelatory, features nine short stories examining topics ranging from regret and second chances to the concepts of choice and free will.

Exhalation was this past summer’s all-faculty reading assignment. Some faculty chose to incorporate Chiang’s work and themes into their class projects and assignments during the winter H-Term session.

In his address to students and faculty, Chiang noted that true science-fiction writing must end in a different place than it begins. He emphasized that while science fiction starts out more formulaic in nature, the new technology discovered or created ultimately changes the world in some way; there is no going back to the way things were. Chiang called science fiction progressive and the “literature of change.”

In comparing science fiction to fantasy writing, Chiang described one of the biggest differences between the two is who has access to the technology that brings about change. In fantasy, the technology or magic is only accessible to a few, reinforcing the idea of class, whereas in science fiction the technology is widely available to anyone, focusing on the mechanistic aspects of the change, not the personal.

“A real sci-fi story is one where the universe treats everyone the same,” said Chiang. “In sci-fi, change is possible and understanding that is the first step in making society better than it is now.”

During a Q & A session, Academic Dean Katy Hudak P’21 ’24 posed these questions to Chiang: What are the benefits of teaching writing in this time of AI? Why is teaching writing still important?

Chiang described two types of writing: “writing as thinking” and “writing as nuisance.”

He suggested using AI for nuisance writing such as correspondence or emails but not using it for writing essays. Chiang equated “writing as thinking” as strength and agility training for your brain, noting “writing helps you think and express your thoughts -- it can be difficult and uncomfortable but the difficulty of it is the point.”

“Though you may not see the benefits for a few years, that cognitive fitness will prepare you for any career you do,” said Chiang.

He concluded his remarks by challenging students to consider preparing for a better future by examining  what things are important to us and our values in this changing world and protecting what’s important.

Chiang graduated from Brown University with a computer science degree and is also a graduate of the noted Clarion Writers Workshop. He is a frequent non-fiction contributor to The New Yorker, where he writes on topics related to computing such as artificial intelligence. He was born in Port Jefferson, N.Y., and currently lives near Seattle, Wash.

The Tom Ruth Speakers Series was established in 2017 in honor of longtime, beloved Instructor of History Emeritus Tom Ruth. Mr. Ruth, who passed away in 2016, taught at The Hill for 33 years. Before his passing, he left the School a transformational gift that included the creation of the speakers series to reflect his commitment to fostering a sense of lifelong learning in his students and colleagues alike.