Exhalation

I've been trying to read through some of the novel and novella nominees for the Nebula awards this year, and that's when this collection of stories came onto my radar. I was also quite disappointed in myself that I had never heard of such an accomplished Asian SFF author and immediately decided to read the whole collection, not just the nominated story. And wow was this a revelation. The stories here are written beautifully and they cover such a wide range of topics and I was also impressed by how scientific and technical the author could be in his writing while also raising some immensely philosophical questions which would make us think for a long while. And I was even more fascinated by the reasoning behind why the author chose to tell each story and what was his inspiration behind them. I'm totally gonna checkout his other works and I would recommend you do the same.

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate

A very beautifully written philosophical tale about past and future, the importance of forgiveness, repentance and atonement and the joy in following God's teachings. The story within a story within a story format was very intriguing, and while I was confused slightly sometimes, the stories were like parables with interesting lessons and I enjoyed them a lot.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Exhalation

This was very sciency and full of technical jargon, but the idea of an augmented human performing brain dissection on themselves to understand its working mechanism was fascinating to read about. There is a lot more going on here but ultimately, it's about marveling at the life we have and the universe we live, gain knowledge and take joy in all our experiences without worrying about the end which is inevitable.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What's Expected Of Us

This was a fascinating tale about what would happen if humans realize there is no such thing as free will and everything is predetermined, and what kind of consequences can occur due to this shattering of the illusion. And even though I didn't understand it completely, that last line was a master stroke.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The Lifecycle of Software Objects

Firstly, this was too long compared to the usual lengths of short stories and I won't deny that I got bored quite a bit. It raises a lot of philosophical and ethical questions about creating digital animals in the virtual world and then raising them almost like children, what types of expectations can we have from them, can we apply human growth and cognition standards to them, how much consent can they give, what's the difference between an AI that develops through experience vs an AI that is developed algorithmically etc etc. These are all interesting questions to ponder and kept me engaged for a while, but when the discussion turned towards the morality of humans having sex with actual animals, I kinda lost it. And the ending is also very open and I felt like such a long story deserved a more concrete conclusion.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny

Another intriguing story about how a child's cognitive and physical development depends on the kind of care they receive in their infancy and early years. The implications of the use of a mechanical nanny as described in the story are so fascinating and it definitely makes me think how the use of devices by children since very young is affecting them in our present day and age.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling

Told through two stories - one historical and one in a technologically advanced setting, this has many philosophical questions but ultimately it's about the nature of truth and memory - how there is written word or digital memory which can be relied upon to be objective truth, but there's also oral history or the memories that we remember which are a part of who we are and in their case, their objectivity doesn't matter because they are the truth that we believe. The story goes quite deep into these discussions and I found it very fascinating.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Great Silence

A heartbreaking story narrated by a parrot, this is about the creation of the universe and the huge aspirations of humans to contact extra terrestrial life but how we continue to ignore and neglect the species that coexist with us.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Omphalos

Written as a series of diary entries by a scientist addressing God, this is about her complete faith in God and her belief that her scientific and archeological endeavors are all in tune with her faith, finding out more about how God created humanity. But when some contradictory scientific claims are made, she has to grapple with uncertainty in her faith and what it means to have a purpose that is not in service of God. Another fascinating story with lots to think about, and definitely one I found very relatable.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom

A story about quantum divergence and how our actions or any small change in weather or anything not even related to us occurred, it would be spawn multiple timelines of ourselves . I found the idea of communicating with our alternate selves using devices utterly intriguing but it was the myriad of questions it raises about free will, actions and consequences, how much different or similar we can be across the different timelines, the morality of being able to communicate or selling such devices etc was what that made it so compelling. I know I'm probably not explaining it well but this was a great story and I definitely understand why it's a Nebula nominee.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chiang writes with such intention and purpose that I inhale each sentence as fact, even when just a story before I constructed another world entirely. But I also believe his intention is to let us know these aren't fully different worlds, but evolutions of our world as we know it today. Different prisms maybe, alternating outcomes once one small molecule shifts out of place. Just one minuscule change can make the difference in our collective human experience even as purpose of the stories he writes remains consistent. A overlying purpose I understand to be - there is an end to everything. A lifecycle that begins with ingenuity, grows through gaining knowledge and disseminating what is learned, experiences it's height, then slowly dims as we head towards an inevitable conclusion. But that inevitable is always always meant to have a purpose (or is it? Either way it's better to believe it does). Something that we as a collective, feeling species can use to spurn new growth in the future.

All I know is I want more, and I'll hold my breath until I can exhale.

There was a surprising amount of duplicate stories from the version of stories of your life I read. However, this was on the whole so much better than stories of your life. I remember overall really liking stories of your life but skipping a 2 stories at least. With this one, however, I don't think I skipped any. And not only did I not skip any but I think I basically also loved all. Like really loved.

Off the top of my head my favorites (in order) were:

- The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling
- Omphalos
- Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom

Hands down to one of my favorite books of this year! Ted Chiang writes astonishing stories that make you question the concepts and ideas you think you already know. I don't know of many authors who can cause such effect in their readers, so I'm glad I got to read this book.

Why?
From Tim Ferriss 5-bullet friday. Gizmodo has written that “the arrival of a new piece of short fiction by Ted Chiang is always cause for celebration and parades and wild dancing.”

TL;DR

There are 9 stories in this book. It hooked my in because the first and second stories are amazing. The problem is that after that all the rest are some of the most boring things I've ever read. It was very weird seeing how strong the first two are. The 6th story the parts with the missionary are good, the journalist one is boring. The other stories are very bad. I would not recommend this book seeing how 3/9 stories are worth reading.

My Scoring System

I have five things I look for in a book, if the book checks all five it's a 5/5 stars book, if it checks none it's a 1/5 stars and everything else is a combination:

X - Main Story: There is no main story.

X - Side Stories (if it applies): The stories 1,2 and 6 are the only good stories worth reading.

X - Characters: No character stands out in any of the stories.

✓ - Setting/Ambiance: I liked the world of the second story, it was really creative and nice to imagine.

X - Ending: There is no main ending.

Extensive Review

The only stories worth reading are the first, second and sixth. The rest in my opinion were very bland and uninteresting. I was skimming though them and it was very frustrating seeing how the good stories are 40/50 pages long and then the boring one are 140+. People keep talking about how a story from this book inspired the movie Arrival. Well it's not worth it, if you want some nice short science fiction stories, we have to look elsewhere.

I love sci-fi short stories. I loved the themes of free will and communication throughout the stories. I felt immersed in each world. My favorite was the story about the mirror. My least favorite was the one about memory devices.

Is every story a 5 in this? Not necessarily, but together they are so thematically breathtaking that it's easy for me to look past that, wow. This is my second read and every single story has been stuck in my head since the first time I read it.

Some standouts, some meh

• The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate: 4 stars: surprisingly good for what it was.
  * Exhalation: 5-stars, top-notch, feels like 1950s era scifi, very good concept.
  * What's Expected of Us: 4.5 stars until it says some stupid stuff that implies it doesn't even remotely understand the concept, made me mad by being stupid: 2 stars.
  * The Lifecycle of Software Objects: 3.5 stars: feels like it had a bunch of points, none of which were well-explored.
  * Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny: 2 stars: boring, uninteresting.
  * The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling: 4 stars: good concept.
  * The Great Silence: 3 stars: good concept, fine for what it is, but what it is isn't a great read.
  * Omphalos: 4 stars: again, great concept, also feels like 1950s era scifi, but not developed as well as it could've been.
  * Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom: 4.5 stars: great concept, pretty good story, weird ending that distracts from some of its better points.

Overall 4.5/5 Highly philosophical themes, with great storytelling and (mostly) well-built characters.

“THE MERCHANT AND THE ALCHEMIST'S GATE” 5/5 - Beautiful story with (science?) fiction elements, which, while interesting, is not the story's focus but still a key aspect. Through the lens of speculative fiction, Chiang delves into philosophical questions about the nature of time and the human condition. It's a captivating and intricately woven story about humans and how far they would go to save and protect those they love.

“EXHALATION” 5/5 - The titular story of the book; it is a science fiction masterpiece that explores profound themes related to consciousness, mortality, and the nature of existence, from the viewpoint of a mechanical self aware being, living in a world with physical laws different from our own.

“WHAT'S EXPECTED OF US” 5/5 - The story raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of free will and whether knowing the outcome of our decisions influences our ability to make choices. The story revolves around a simple yet profound thought experiment involving a device called a Predictor, which is able to predict a person's next action.

“THE LIFECYCLE OF SOFTWARE OBJECTS” 4/5 - The story follows the protagonists, Ana Alvarado and Derek Brooks, as they create and nurture digital beings known as “digients”. The narrative explores the challenges of raising and educating intelligent entities in a virtual environment, addressing issues of morality, responsibility, and the evolving nature of relationships between humans and artificial intelligence. While the story's overall theme is nice and thought-provoking, I felt like the characters are too much in the black and white spectrum regarding some of their decisions. The end of the story also felt anti-climatic because it seemed like there was a lot more to the story.

“DACEY'S PATENT AUTOMATIC NANNY” 4/5 - Interesting story about coming up with new inventions and testing their implications, no less than on your children. It's a rich and nuanced exploration of the intersection between technology and humanity and the ethical and moral consequences of progress.

“THE TRUTH OF FACT, THE TRUTH OF FEELING” 5/5 - Probably my favorite story from the book. It explores the impact of a technology called Remem, which allows individuals to record and review their memories with perfect accuracy (lifelogs). The narrative is structured with parallel storylines set in different times and places, one happening in a near-future where the protagonist uses Remem to revisit and analyze past events; the other is set in the 19th century, exploring the encounter between European colonizers and a tribe in Africa.

The story raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of memory, the reliability of personal narratives, and the ways in which technology shapes our understanding of truth and reality. It explores the philosophical side of human communication and how different ways of communication change society. I never knew that simple question such as “What is a word?” can be so profoundly complex to grasp and explain.

“THE GREAT SILENCE” 4/5 Sentient Parrots

Impressive range of stories, some that feel like timeless parables and others like dramatic Black Mirror episodes (of which at least one was based on a story written by Chiang irl).

Side note: my husband and I listened to this on a road trip and due to its disproportionately long length and annoying voices, the Digians have become an ongoing joke between us.

Not what I was expecting :/

Most of the stories felt forced, as if he was given an assignment and he had to incorporate a feature into the story. Quite disappointed. Will have to re-read his first collection to recover from this one.

Really really fantastic book would recommend. Every single story Ted will turn an incredible and complex idea into the most digestible, engaging story. What's more impressive is how much he is able to explore and explain these topics within such short stories. Even the stories that look at popular concepts like the multiverse, proof of god, and ai take a very unique and interesting twist. The stories that I did not enjoy as much as the others still made me want to continue through Teds amazing writing and storytelling. I'm so glad this was recommended to me, I can't wait to read more of him.

Heel interessante collectie, die toch wel een paar keer tot nadenken stemt en een paar schokmomentjes bezorgde. Het heeft een heel hoog Black Mirror gehalte, in de zin dat het vaak voort borduurt op gebeurtenissen die zouden kunnen gebeuren als we zo verder doen. Een paar verhalen lagen mij minder, maar al bij al fijne lectuur.

I couldn't finish The Lifecycle of Software Objects because it was too depressing.

This collection is exactly what a short story anthology should (in my opinion) consist of: short stories with a beginning, middle, end and something to say. To often I read short stories that appear to be half-finished tales that the author started but didn't know how to finish. Each of the stories in this collection satisfyingly thought-provoking. Recommended.

A collection of 9 short stories covering variety of science fiction topics from near future to far future and a few taking place in the past. Except for maybe 1 or 2 none of the stories in this collection are character driven they are all technical about the topic at discussion, embracing the science exactly what I like. Very hardware oriented and detailed. In the titular short story Exhalation, the inside of a brain of an advanced lifeform is explored in length quite intricately which can be challenging to follow but also fun at the same time. But even with all the technical stuff what I liked most were the central and underlying themes within the stories like ethics of humans towards AI, do our choices and decisions matter in the grand scheme of the universe etc. all of which pose big questions and are important to every one of us. A great collection overall definitely has got me thinking and worry about what the future has in store for us.

I thought the majority of the Stories merited 5 stars (The Merchant, The Truth of Fact and Omphalos above others) A bit less enamored with The Lifecycle of Software Objects, but the body of short stories are great food for thought

Omphalos was an awesome story.

Another great short story collection! With The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling and The Great Silence, it had a slightly lower low than Chiang's other collection, but The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate and Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom made sure that the high stayed on the same level! Chiang is simply brilliant!

টেড চিয়াঙের গল্পগুলো বরাবরই ভাবনার খোরাক যোগায়। এই সংকলনের কয়েকটা গল্প আমার আগেই পড়া ছিল। নতুনগুলোর মধ্যে Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom বেশ ভাবিয়েছে।

Having never read a series of short stores like this before, I enjoyed most of them, and liked the topics/concepts that were explored. Being a fan of science fiction and fantasy, it was nice to be able to read shorter stories where I didn't need to understand lots of information. Chiang also does a good job of providing just enough information despite starting a story in the ‘middle' of the action. As much as I liked some of the stories, a few of them were a bit boring or sometimes difficult to get through.

4/5

Another amazing collection by Ted Chiang. My mind is blown and soul is turbulent.

Read here for my full thoughts.

Took a long time to finish this book but it was not because the book wasn't engaging or anything.

Very intriguing, contemporary sci-fi stories where Ted Chang hides deep questions about our ethics, morals, decision making and life philosophy.