Exhalation
2014
- fiction, short stories (single author)
- fiction, science fiction, short stories
- nyt:hardcover-fiction=2019-05-26
- american short stories
- fiction / short stories (single author)
- fiction / literary
- fiction / science fiction / general
- scientists
- fiction
- artificial intelligence
The story
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.
What it’s like
Cool, precise prose that rarely raises its voice: Ted Chiang's sentences are clean, patient and explanatory, with the calm of a careful lab notebook or a thoughtful letter. Its sensory world is mostly interior and intellectual, built from the quiet of studies, workshops and cramped offices, with occasional flashes of desert heat, a market in old Baghdad, or the vast cold of space. Pacing is unhurried, each story unfolding through reasoning and reflection rather than action, so the reading rhythm feels like turning pages at a desk in lamplight. The mood is contemplative and wistful, a gentle wonder tinged with ache, the vibe of a rainy Sunday with tea, or a long-haul flight where a single story at a time is enough. Emotional registers shift from bittersweet to quietly hopeful, and the people are often stubborn, curious or grieving figures who slowly reconsider what they believe, such as a scholar gradually softened by a new understanding of time or choice. Intensity is low: there is little graphic violence, no gore, and sexual content is minimal; the stakes are philosophical and personal rather than physically threatening. It suits readers who want thoughtful, humane speculative fiction that rewards attention and leaves space to think.
More books like Exhalation
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Exhalationand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
