Available for free on Ken Liu's site: http://kenliu.name/binary/liu_the_man_who_ended_history.pdf

Ken Liu starts with an idea first, and creates a story around it. Here, as usual, he does a mind-blowingly good job of it.

The point of this story is to draw attention to the atrocities committed by Japan's 'Unit 731' in Pingfang, preceding and during WWII. It also uses that era as a jumping-off point to explore the different (and largely avoidant) attitudes that humans take when dealing with almost unimaginable horrors of the past.

The science-fictional premise is that two scientists have made a discovery of particles, that, when utilized, give one witness - and one only, ever - the experience of being transported to a specific time and place. Through providing this first-hand experience, he hopes to gain closure for the families of the victims and have their eyewitness testimony shut down denialists.

This is long for a 'short story' - over 50 pages. From a 'fictional narrative' perspective, some of the middle section gets a bit waterlogged with the inclusion of facts and historical details; feeling more like an essay. However, as a piece of writing, it deserves fully five stars, for its unflinching (and, at times, extremely disturbing) look at the evil that humans are capable of, and how we all are capable of complicity. Unexpected insights and shifts in perspective raise this above many other writings on similar topics. ( )

This was a tough read. The subject of the time travel as an observer only sounds great but seeing and not being able to document by any means just means that no one will believe what was seen. And it doesn't help the study that people that have a direct tie to the events go back. That the story explores war crimes just makes it an even harder read. Technically the story is well written but not one you want to read for a good time.
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Qui il viaggio nel tempo è possibile, ma solo una volta; un solo testimone ha la possibilità di rivivere gli avvenimenti passati in un determinato luogo.
Il tempo è il 1940 e il luogo è il campo Ping Fang in Cina in cui l'unità 731 si occupava di esperimenti batteriologici e chirurgici su cinesi deportati dai propri villaggi.
Il viaggio nel tempo in questo caso è un pretesto per raccontare altri orrori della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, spesso ignorati o negati.
L'idea del viaggio del tempo che funziona una volta sola però è innovativa e serve allo scopo del testo: la testimonianza di un solo viaggiatore temporale e pur sempre la testimonianza di uno, bisogna credere o è invenzione?
Anche la forma stile documentario è interessante e realistico; da ultimo mi ha fatto scoprire cose che ignoravo, decisamente una lettura consigliata e ricca di contenuto. ( )

A few comments on Ken Liu's Nebula nominated novella The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary can be found here. ( )