Perchance Meaning - a Story by Ted Chiang

Perchance Meaning - a Story by Ted ChiangPerchance Meaning is a short story that has been written by Ted Chiang. I found it a very enjoyable read and it left me pondering on the main theme of this story - it's sometimes impossible to express what one means or feels in words.Chiang takes us to Mars, a planet devoid of water, light, or life. There are no large cities here; there is no movement of the sun, moon, or stars. What's more, his setting is completely alien to Earth, leaving us in utter darkness.He paints a landscape where everything is clearly defined (until you cross over the desert to the other side, where suddenly you're not sure which side to take), the only part of the scene we can make out in any detail is the bazaar, and the most ambiguous sexual innuendos we can think of have nothing to do with any actual sexuality. So, is it important to us, or not? That's what Chiang was asking with this story, and I think he answered it successfully.For me, the theme is about expres sing oneself and expressing one's thoughts and feelings through the topic matter. Chiang never disappoints us here but still manages to surprise us even more. It's one of those stories where everything becomes clear once you read it, and you'll never forget it.I think this is why Chiang has become so popular among authors nowadays: his stories don't ever bore you, they always leave you awestruck by their brilliance and their big message. Indeed, the subject matter of Perchance Meaning is not just about the theme itself, but also about expressing yourself and expressing what you mean, in words.To think that something which is ordinarily meaningless to you now is somehow meaningful and true and it's meant to be such is something worth understanding and appreciating. That's what makes these short stories so fascinating - they give us a glimpse into our own soul and, as much as possible, let us find out exactly how deep our essence lies.If you are one of those people who feel burdened a nd misunderstood because of the things that you say, and especially when you feel that there is no one who understands what you're trying to say, then you should really try to understand the way your own inner voice expresses itself. You will soon realize that you will not only be able to understand your innermost feelings, but also have the freedom to express them verbally. And that's something very precious indeed.I often laugh when I hear people criticizing other people for their silly plots or complicated plots and characters, but I have to agree that sometimes it's even necessary to write complex, lovable characters to deliver a message. Truthfully, we can't express ourselves adequately if we try to write in a straight way, and so we need to use our inner voices to express what we truly feel and think. Isn't that what Perchance Meaning did for me?