A review by koberreads
Exhalation by Ted Chiang

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This guy is the best of the best science fiction writers that is still living. And his writing doesn't even need to be a novel for them to leave you thinking a lot after reading a story

Exhalation (and other stories) by Ted Chiang


DESCRIPTION
"Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction." --Barack Obama, via Facebook


THE UNIVERSE BEGAN AS AN ENORMOUS BREATH BEING HELD.

In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity's oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine. 



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SPOILER ALERT BELOW

9 short stories

What you read already: 

1. The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" (originally published by Subterranean Press in 2007; Nebula Award, Hugo Award, and Seiun Award winner)  - About time travel set in an ancient muslim world. The setting is like in Aladin move but more detailed and more majestic and authentic. But the time travel is not the kind that is so famous in movies or TV shoes.

2. "Exhalation" (originally published in Eclipse 2 in 2008; BSFA, Locus Award, and Hugo Award winner) (MY FIRST STORY FROM TED CHIANG THAT REALLY SOLD ME TO READ HIS WRITINGS) 

I am rereading this now the second time and I realized this is one of the most difficult reads among his stories. His imagination and vocabulary is unparalleled. He is like that math, physics, science nerd at College but has a found for reading and writing stories. I never thought I would imagine the scenes much like the story because there are so many wierd and arcane words but I loved it nonetheless 

I just finished rereading the story and the story note about it and damn. I do appreciate more oddly the story even though I already what it is about to happen. I realize now as well it is more truly about death. It being the greatest equalizer of all. Whether you are a ficitonal robotic alien from another universe or parallel universe or another multiverse or just the person who is reading this review. And even if we dont necessarily have such a need of air like the alien in the story whose species treat it not only something breath but the very source of their energy for physical and mental activities (I read the story twice and I cant find anything that the alien robots need to eat, like other aliens or gas or oil or something), we will also eventually die.

I do live the last part because death, if you think about it deeply, leads to the sublime. (I learned most about death and the sublime by Robert Greene. I do recommend you read his book "Laws of Human Nature") That sense of wonder that we are able to exist even if the existance of human race is not inenivetable. We could have died ages ago or not existed if one the earth was a little bit farther from the sun or if earth is not hospitable for us humans, only for certain living beings. We must truly marvel of our existance because all of it will eventually end, included us and the life we lived and built. And knowing that end makes everything makes the contemplation our existance more marvelous, more sublime. 


(Extra comments: Ryan Holiday is right. Alll writers lead to the same conclusions. Eventually they are different rivers contributing water to the same great body of wisdom, which is the ocean. Niel Grahams "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" resonates with me even more now.) 
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3. "What's Expected of Us" (originally published in Nature, Volume 436 Issue 7047, 6 July 2005) (This has an explanation you never read before.). - This one might fuck your sense of will or autonomy a bit. A warning sign but read the story notes of this story so that you would feel less fucked up. This is one of his most fucking scary writing and it is not even supernatural but psychological

4. "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" (originally published by Subterranean Press in 2010; Hugo Award and Locus Award winner) - One of the best. You will never know how it will end or how is this even possible but the reality of AI is so close in our time now that you cant stop relating and understanding the characters and the hellish setting of the internet world

5. "The Great Silence" (originally published by e-flux journal, 2015) This has an explanation you never read before

I didnt realize when he made this story, it was meant with video art. He never thought it to be stand alone but now it did stand alone

And wow they really intented to mix art and science here.

Which he basically did

6. "Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny" (originally published in The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities (edited by Jeff VanderMeer and Ann VanderMeer) June 2011, Harper Voyages) A quirky thought provoking story of Robot taking care of our children and its side effects

7. "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" (originally published by Subterranean Press Magazine, August 2013; Hugo Award finalist) - A story about the benefits and downsides of perfect memory, and the importance of reading and writing. This story contains two stories that are seperated by time, past and future but are shown parallel to each other that doesnt confuse you but makes you more curious why Ted wrote such seemingly unrelated stories.
  • Advance technology continuous cam log. Like high tech glasses that are also like cctv cams
  • I like How Ted Chiang can write about futuristic settings then suddenly jump into the past hahaha he is like a different writer every damn time


8. "Omphalos" (Hugo Award finalist). - 
Oh wait, it is a world where scientist proves the existence of God rather than disprove it.

And astronomy is dull hahahaahah. What? Isnt space travel invented yet?

Scientist/archealogist proves the exitense of God through very old trees and navalless mummies. Not bad. I always did wonder where did humans originate. I always thought monkeys who made up God.
But a scientist whos purpose to prove the existance of God


Honestly, hahah from the first words of the story. I would have never thought the main character is a scientist. I know she is a religions at the first words but never expected a scientist

I believe that though, whether God does exist or not, we should always do our best to do good or be virtuous. 


Humans didnt find meaning, they created it. Viktor Frankl did not find meaning within the horrors and death of the concentration camp but created it in that place. It is not accurate to say we can find meaning and purpose in our lives anywhere at anytime but rather we can create meaning and purpose anywhere at anytime.

I like that the story ended finally with more life lessons to teach the reader. That we create meaning for ourselves even if God doesnt exists or fail to give meaning to our lives

9. "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" (Hugo Award and Nebula Award finalist ) - This is a 70 page novella! An a potential story turned into a movie like the movie inspired by Ted Chiangs writings "Arrival"  (Read this one the last when you get your book cover. I hope you will love it.) Reread again the other stories while you wait for that cover

Adam Morgan of The A.V. Club mentioned, "But if anything in this book has a shot at becoming the next Arrival, it's the 70-page novella that closes the collection, 
"Anxiety Is The Dizziness Of Freedom."

Personal comments:

This story is an unexpected thriller that really makes you anxious because of the complicated plot caused by communicating with parelles selves through a laptop/skype device called “Prism” litterally that object that multiplies light that goes through it into different colors or other forms of light

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