Ken Liu’s short story “Paper Menagerie” recently became the first ever work of fiction to win the trifecta of science fiction’s biggest awards: the Hugo, awarded every year by the World Science Fiction Society, the Nebula, given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the World Fantasy Award. That’s a serious feat considering the amount of quality sci-fi that comes out every year, but it’s no wonder: Liu’s story is funny, strange and beautiful, concerned with tiny paper animals and mail order brides, a short but incredibly affecting piece of fiction worth paying attention to whether you’re a science fiction loyalist, a newbie or a skeptic. Luckily for you (and us), the story has recently been republished in full at io9. We highly recommend taking twenty minutes out of your afternoon to read it.