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A review by brettpet
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
4.0
Exhalation was my first experience with Ted Chiang so I may have went in a little overhyped? There were some great stories here and some that fell flat for me. The opening story, "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate", was a lovely read that mixes classic fable with smart science-fiction elements. "Exhalation" is a horrifying look into alternative lifeforms dealing with resource management in a way eerily similar to ours, while "The Great Silence" is short yet brutal, combining themes of linguistics, the space race, and ecocide.
The longest story in the collection, "The Lifecycle of Software Objects", was the one I was most disappointed by. The premise starts off interesting enough (a combination of NeoPets and Black Mirror) but quickly falls into meandering and repetitive. I felt like it could have ended with the without losing much for me. "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" and "Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny" were a bit too bland as well.
Despite my criticisms, Chiang's writing is still really unique and well-structured, shining light on big-picture concerns that have never crossed my mind before. I appreciated the author's notes at the end of story to explain things I may have missed during my read.
The longest story in the collection, "The Lifecycle of Software Objects", was the one I was most disappointed by. The premise starts off interesting enough (a combination of NeoPets and Black Mirror) but quickly falls into meandering and repetitive. I felt like it could have ended with the
Spoiler
closure of Blue Gamma and Anna being reminded of her zoo closureDespite my criticisms, Chiang's writing is still really unique and well-structured, shining light on big-picture concerns that have never crossed my mind before. I appreciated the author's notes at the end of story to explain things I may have missed during my read.