Writer Spotlight: Ian Li
Welcome to the 14th installment of Writer Spotlight. This week’s focus is Ian Li. I’ve reviewed ten of Li’s pieces, seven of them individually on Inkfoundry’s “Get WYSR” or “Why You Should Read” feed. (In case you didn’t know, Inkfoundry is a wonderful and free resource that aggregates short fiction and poetry pieces!)
Recurring Themes:
Gentle & Kind Characters
Loneliness / Yearning for Connection
Neurodivergence & Autism Rep
Evocative & Emotional Prose
Surrealistic Settings & Situations
Day One - April 2
“The Memory Technician” | WYSR Review
A client brings something to different to the memory technician's shop.
“When the Sky Tumbled Down” | WYSR Review
A moment frozen in time, when the sky falls.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
In both of these I immediately clock a gentleness in both of the main characters, a kindness that warms the heart.
Individually:
"The Memory Technician” has memory manipulation/extraction. I also see a theme about good deeds being seen and appreciated. :)
"When the Sky Tumbled Down” a surrealistic story that I think was about an apocalypse of some kind. I actually kind of love that I don’t know, that’s the power of flash and micro fiction. It’s not about the apocalypse, though, the heart of it seemed to be the unrequited love between James and the main character. I also noted a sense of loneliness in that the MC related more to raindrops and the birds than to people, and I think they were also coded as autistic.
Day Two - April 3
3. “On Fields of Purple Grass” | WYSR Review
When the protagonist’s mother dies, he decides to leave Earth and search for the purple grass in her song.
Sometimes, you forget to eat. The aunties help remind you.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both of these stories are about the main character searching for connection and meaning. I also noted kindness as a theme in both - the aunties in New Shanghai, as well as the botanist’s kindness in growing the patch of grass on the spaceship. This reminded me of the kindness and gentleness in the characters of“The Memory Technician” and “Tumbled Down” from yesterday.
Individually:
“On Fields of Purple Grass” features an autistic protagonist who struggles to connect with other people, especially after his mother passes. This one has so much depth and beauty in the prose, as well as symbolism throughout about the purple grass. There is an element of music here, and a theme about grief, and finding new beginnings.
“Have You Eaten Yet?” is a micro fiction that touches on what seems to be an eating disorder, homesickness, the comforting ritual of habitual conversations.
Day Three - April 4
5. “If I Have Defects, Am I Defective?” | WYSR Review
A robot wants to keep the crack in their skull, but no mechanic can help them do so.
Arya has practiced mixing stars into her drinks, but Cassia will never pass her if she does.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both of these stories have an element of art in them! Kintsugi for “If I Have Defects” and mixology for “Poured.”
Individually:
“If I Have Defects, Am I Defective?” This is another story with what I’m coming to term as Li’s heartwarming characters, as I noted in “Memory Technician,” “Tumbled Down,” “Purple Grass,” and “Have You Eaten Yet?” The robot in this, as well as the artist that takes them in, is just so lovely and kind that I wish I could meet them in real life.
“Poured From the Stars” has some really evocative prose. There is lesbian representation, mixology, and a theme about how destructive criticism can destroy self esteem. In this way, it also reminded me of the gentleness from the characters in Li’s other stories, because this character seemed much harder edged. Also, it made me think of the dad character in “Purple Grass,” because he had the same thing kind of, where he might have been trying to help, but the effects of his criticism were destructive. The contrast makes the kind characters stand out even more.
Day Four - April 5
7. “The Drowned” | WYSR Review
She is in a canoe, and the sea is full of bodies.
8. “Everyone is Dying to Work Here”
You should really be grateful that you have this opportunity.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These two pieces are both horror!
Individually:
“The Drowned” definitely reminded me “Tumbled Down” with the surrealistic setting; one an apocalypse of some kind, one a sea full of bodies. This is a micro fiction, joining “Have You Eaten Yet?”
“Everyone Is Dying to Work Here” was an awesome tongue in cheek satire. I thought it was really cool the way Li set it up to be just responses / one sided conversation between “you” and the person showing you around. There was a lot of good commentary about what technology is used for and how it could be used in much better ways, but it won’t be.
Day Five - April 6
9. “Calling a Starskipper” | WYSR Review
Zet picks up a temperamental client in an out-of-the-way system.
8. “A Fulfilling Life” | WYSR Review
God(?) gives Rick a second chance at life.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These two pieces both employ satirical humor, reminding me of “Everyone is Dying to Work Here,” and have situations that end negatively for annoying and/or difficult characters :)
Individually:
“Calling a Starskipper” has a point of view character with they/them pronouns, which, I should note, “Defects” also had, but I didn’t think about before now.
“A Fulfilling Life” portrays God as a researcher and for that I freaking loved it.
Emmie’s Personal Favorite: “On Fields of Purple Grass”
Summary!
If I were to summarize Li’s style in one sentence, I would say he often crafts kind and gentle characters, which, when paired with his evocative prose, creates a soft, emotional response in the reader.
Interview Questions
What are the themes you tend to return to the most in your work overall? Why do think that is?
Li: As a newer writer, I’m a little all over the place, for I’m still very much trying to write new things and discover my voice. If I had to point to recurring themes, they’d be rather broad:
Loneliness & connection. It’s a core idea in “On Fields of Purple Grass,” “Have You Eaten Yet?,” and “When the Sky Tumbled Down,” and it also shows up frequently in my poetry. Funnily enough, I never feel lonely myself, but something about the ache of loneliness really plucks the right strings in my heart and pulls me to write about it.
Kindness & the inherent goodness of people. “The Memory Technician” is the best example of this, but there are elements in “Have You Eaten Yet?” and “If I Have Defects, Am I Defective?” too. I just want to leave readers with something bright in their hearts, because I truly believe most people are good—we just need an opportunity to demonstrate it.
Neurodivergence. “On Fields of Purple Grass” at its core is about a neurodivergent character that finds it hard to relate to anyone, to the extent that he feels his only option is to leave Earth. “When the Sky Tumbled Down” features a character that is more subtly neurodivergent, confused about why people in society behave the way they do. And “If I Have Defects, Am I Defective?” takes a different direction, following an android who thinks differently from other androids, and wonders if that makes them defective.
2. What is one of the characters in your short stories/flash pieces that you relate to the most, and why?
Li: I don’t like inserting myself into my stories, so I don’t necessarily relate to any of my characters that strongly, though my characters often borrow a tiny piece of me. Like Jing in “The Memory Technician,” I want to be and try to be a kind person. Many aspects of the main character’s neurodivergence in “On Fields of Purple Grass” are taken from my own experience, so I might relate to him the most, though thankfully I don’t have the tragic backstory he does.
3. What short fiction author do you look up to? Why?
Li: The obvious answer is Ted Chiang. “Story of Your Life” blew my mind when I first read it, as did many of his other stories. His stories inspired me to write, but, paradoxically, they almost discouraged me as well! I knew I would never be brilliant enough to write stories like that, so I might as well not try. I’m glad that didn’t stop me, because although I still can’t write a Ted Chiang story, I’m proud of the stories that I do write.
There are too many others to list, so here are just a few more: I’ve also really enjoyed Thomas Ha’s strange, unsettling, and cerebral stories, and Rachael K. Jones’s brilliant and diabolical work, and wish I could write like them!
4. Anything else you’d like to say about your work?
Li: I also love writing poetry and publish a lot more of it than my stories! I like to think this sometimes pops up in my stories in the form of unusual imagery or lyrical prose.
For me, poetry is just another medium for storytelling, and my most popular poem, “Light of My Life,” actually began its life as a 100-word story. I’m super excited that “Light of My Life” is currently featured on the Toronto subway system where millions of people can see it, so look out for it if you’re ever in Toronto!
5. Do you have any piece, listed here or otherwise, that you would like to promote?
Li: “On Fields of Purple Grass” in Augur only recently became free to read, and it’s a deeply emotional story, so I’d love for more readers to see it!
But it’s a rather sad story, so for anyone looking for something more uplifting, I’d point them to “The Memory Technician” in Small Wonders!