Exhalation

Stories

by Ted Chiang

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • Nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories—two published for the very first time—all from the mind of the incomparable author of Stories of Your Life and Others
Tackling some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine, these stories will change the way you think, feel, and see the world. They are Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic, revelatory.
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.

Creators
- Ted Chiang
  
  Author
Publisher

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Awards
- 10 Best Books of 2019
- Bram Stoker Award Nominee
Release date

May 7, 2019
Formats
- Kindle Book
- OverDrive Read
  - ISBN: 9781101947906
- EPUB ebook
  - ISBN: 9781101947906
  - File size: 1294 KB
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Navigation
- Table of contents to all chapters of the text via links.
Additional Information
- Page breaks included
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Languages
- English
Reviews
- Kirkus
  
  Starred review from March 1, 2019
  Exploring humankind's place in the universe and the nature of humanity, many of the stories in this stellar collection focus on how technological advances can impact humanity's evolutionary journey.Chiang's (Stories of Your Life and Others, 2002) second collection begins with an instant classic, "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," which won Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novelette in 2008. A time-travel fantasy set largely in ancient Baghdad, the story follows fabric merchant Fuwaad ibn Abbas after he meets an alchemist who has crafted what is essentially a time portal. After hearing life-changing stories about others who have used the portal, he decides to go back in time to try to right a terrible wrong--and realizes, too late, that nothing can erase the past. Other standout selections include "The Lifecycle of Software Objects," a story about a software tester who, over the course of a decade, struggles to keep a sentient digital entity alive; "The Great Silence," which brilliantly questions the theory that humankind is the only intelligent race in the universe; and "Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny," which chronicles the consequences of machines raising human children. But arguably the most profound story is "Exhalation" (which won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Short Story), a heart-rending message and warning from a scientist of a highly advanced, but now extinct, race of mechanical beings from another universe. Although the being theorizes that all life will die when the universes reach "equilibrium," its parting advice will resonate with everyone: "Contemplate the marvel that is existence, and rejoice that you are able to do so."Visionary speculative stories that will change the way readers see themselves and the world around them: This book delivers in a big way.
  COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- Booklist
  
  Starred review from April 1, 2019
  Chiang's long-awaited second collection (after Stories of Your Life (2002), the basis for the 2016 movie Arrival) continues to explore emotional and metaphysical landscapes with precise and incisive prose. The stories range in length from "The Great Silence," a brief and mournful account of humanity's search for other intelligent life from the point of view of a parrot, to "The Lifecycle of Software Objects," a novella told from the perspective of the inventors and caretakers of digients, sentient software beings. Many stories explore the dynamics of a radically different cosmos, such as the titular "Exhalation," set in a sealed metal world whose mechanical inhabitants rely on continuous supplies of air to operate their bodies, or the previously unpublished "Omphalos," about a world where visible evidence of an active and creative God is everywhere. Other stories explore scenarios involving radical changes in human consciousness, such as "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," where technology that allows communication with alternate selves results in a whole new set of anxieties and complexes. Chiang remains one of the most skilled stylists in sf, and this will appeal to genre and literary-fiction fans alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
- Library Journal
  
  Starred review from February 1, 2019
  Chiang (Stories of Your Life and Others) is always thought provoking, and his latest collection is no exception. "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" considers artificial intelligence, with one woman wondering if they should be treated as living beings. "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" asks, if the past cannot change, is life driven by fate? "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" posits a future in which we record every moment of our lives and how that affects us, with a second narrative featuring a man who learns to read and write and its impact on his oral storytelling culture. Two of the nine pieces are new: "Omphalos" deals with creationism as science, and "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" centers on talking to our other selves in alternate worlds. VERDICT Any sf reader can dive into these stories and find something exciting. Especially recommended for fans of Greg Egan, Ken Liu, and Netflix's Black Mirror. [See Prepub Alert, 11/19/18]--Lucy Roehrig, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
  
  Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- Good Reading Magazine
  
  Exhalation is Ted Chiang’s second sci-fi short story anthology. His first anthology was the basis for the 2016 film Arrival. Exhalation has nine stories set in the near future, each with its own narrative style and themes. The stories explore the intersection of technology and its impact on us as individuals and as a society, but they are not by any means dystopian in tone. What makes Exhalation different from other sci-fi is Chiang’s meticulous construction of each story, whereby you are participating in a thought experiment, questioning yourself, ‘Is this me too?’ Of the nine stories, there were four that resonated with me the most. ‘The Merchant and the Alchemist Gate’ is a tale of time travel and past mistakes. ‘The Lifecycle of Software Objects’ follows Ana Alvardo over a 20-year period as she raises a digital pet to the level of an AI with human-like intelligence. In ‘The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling’ a journalist, through assisted technology, realises that his memories are not as factual as he would believe and that this is the reason for his daughter’s ambivalence towards him. ‘Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom’ explores different worlds’ interpretation of quantum mechanics, whereby using a special device, one can interact with other selves in alternate realities. Exhalation is sci-fi at its best. Chiang truly understands our relationship with technology. While technology is an extension of us, ultimately it will be our choices that will determine where it leads us in the future. According to Chiang, that future may not be as dystopian as some would believe. Reviewed by Teresa Lewis
- BookPage
  
  Reading a Ted Chiang anthology is an experience that slowly claims little corners of your brain until eventually your whole head is devoted to it. You read and digest one story, but each tale is so compelling and complex that no matter how long you wait, that first story will continue to beg questions even as you try to digest a second. One after another, Chiang’s stories claim their place in your mind until you’re completely swept up in his provocative and at times even charming world. Exhalation, Chiang’s latest collection of stories covering almost 20 years of his work, gathers nine tales that ponder questions of the nature of consciousness, the rigidity of history, our relationship with the machines that increasingly take control of our lives and more. In the title story, the narrator uses their own artificial lungs as the basis for a study on the nature of reality. In “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” Chiang explores time travel as it might have existed in a time before science fiction pushed it into the public consciousness. “The Great Silence,” one of the book’s shortest tales, explores the intellect and mortality of a parrot. Then there’s the collection’s centerpiece, the novella-length “The Lifecycle of Software Objects,” which explores the growth and developing lives of a group of digital organisms and the humans who care for them. Each story is a carefully considered, finely honed machine designed to entertain, but this collection also forces you to look at things like your smartphone or your pet with new eyes. What makes Exhalation particularly brilliant is that not one of the stories feels like it’s designed to be thought-provoking in a stilted, academic way. Chiang is an entertaining, empathetic writer first, before being one of contemporary sci-fi’s intellectual powerhouses, and each story reads that way. Exhalation is a must-read for any fan of exquisitely crafted sci-fi. Chiang has reminded us once again that he’s one of the most exciting voices in his field, and that we shouldn’t expect him to wane any time soon.