Exhalation

Ted Chiang's collection of tales is filled with unique, clever, and above all, reasonable situations and environments, ranging from a clockwork universe to one where the lines between AI and organic life are dotted (at best) to one with a set of time portals, to one where one can connect with multiple parallel worlds and engage with your counterpart in each, and more. Each story is wonderfully crafted and the characters therein help you dive deep into unexpected areas of thought, all while being thoroughly entertained. Superb.