Nov 29

Nov 29 Exhalation

Author: Ted Chiang
Publisher: Knopf
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

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Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine.

In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and second chances. In "Exhalation," an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications that are literally universal. In "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," the ability to glimpse into alternate universes necessitates a radically new examination of the concepts of choice and free will.

Including stories being published for the first time as well as some of his rare and classic uncollected work, Exhalation is Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic—revelatory.

TL;DR Review

Exhalation is sci-fi short stories at their best. All of these stories are transportation, imaginative, and almost existential (in a good way). They made me laugh, cry, and think. What more could you want?

For you if: You like sci-fi short stories (or any short stories!).

Full Review

“Though I am long dead as you read this, explorer, I offer to you a valediction. Contemplate the marvel that is existence, and rejoice that you are able to do so. I feel I have the right to tell you this because, as I am inscribing these words, I am doing the same.”

First of all, I owe a huge thanks to my friend who shoved this collection into my hands. I’d never read Ted Chiang before, but I have been wanting to read more SFF short stories lately, and this fit the bill perfectly. I was hooked from the very first, magical story, The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate.

In each of these stories, Chiang examines something important — from how we grapple with past mistakes, to choice and free will, to the way we think about non-human sentient beings. Many of them play with storytelling form — for example, “Merchant” is narrated by a man as he recounts his story to a king, and “Exhalation” is a scientist penning a letter to future life forms. They’re also all different lengths, but each one was exactly how long it needed to be to do whatever thing it was trying to do.

Also, my practice of listening to the audiobook while reading along in print let me in on an inside secret: In the audiobook, each story has an author’s note where Chiang talks about his inspiration and process. I think they added a lot to my experience.

Like my friend, I strongly recommend this one!