Communication between Entities in Selected Short Stories of Ted Chiang

Abstract

This bachelor's thesis explores communication between entities portrayed in selected Ted Chiang's short stories "Story of Your Life," "Understand," and "The Lifecycle of Software Objects," aiming to identify differences in communication within these stories. Using Lasswell's communication model, chosen excerpts from the short stories are analysed according to the appropriate elements of the model, namely the communicator, message, medium, receiver, and effect. Based on the analyses, differences were observed in every element of the model, with the effect being the most evident difference. Ultimately, the stories demonstrate that communication occurs when both parties actively engage, leading to the entities being altered. By highlighting the differences, this bachelor's thesis offers a perspective on the ongoing discourse regarding communication between entities within the science fiction literary genre.