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Exhalation
Night Shade Books Presents
For your 2009 Hugo Award
"Best Short Story" consideration
Ted Chiang’s "Exhalation"
As Published in
Eclipse Two:
New Science Fiction and Fantasy
Edited by Jonathan Strahan
For your 2009 Hugo Award
"Best Short Story" consideration
Ted Chiang’s "Exhalation"
As Published in
Eclipse Two:
New Science Fiction and Fantasy
Edited by Jonathan Strahan
32 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2009
45 people are currently reading
2051 people want to read
About the author
Ted Chiang
112 books10.6k followersTed Chiang is an American science fiction writer. His Chinese name is Chiang Feng-nan. He graduated from Brown University with a Computer Science degree. He currently works as a technical writer in the software industry and resides in Bellevue, near Seattle, Washington. He is a graduate of the noted Clarion Writers Workshop (1989) and has been an instructor for it (2012, 2016). Chiang is also a frequent non-fiction contributor to the New Yorker, where he writes on topics related to computing such as artificial intelligence.
Chiang has published 18 short stories, to date, and most of them have won prestigious speculative fiction awards - including multiple Nebula Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, and British Science Fiction Association Awards, among others. His short story "Story of Your Life" was the basis of the film Arrival (2016). He has never written a novel but is one of the most decorated science fiction writers currently working.
Chiang's first eight stories are collected in "Stories of Your Life, and Others" and the next nine, in "Exhalation: Stories".
Chiang has published 18 short stories, to date, and most of them have won prestigious speculative fiction awards - including multiple Nebula Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, and British Science Fiction Association Awards, among others. His short story "Story of Your Life" was the basis of the film Arrival (2016). He has never written a novel but is one of the most decorated science fiction writers currently working.
Chiang's first eight stories are collected in "Stories of Your Life, and Others" and the next nine, in "Exhalation: Stories".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
February 5, 2025
داستانهای تد چیانگ کمی سخت و پیچیدهان ولی ذهن رو خوب درگیر میکنن
از این لینک میتونید بخونید
بازدم - فضای استعاره
از این لینک میتونید بخونید
بازدم - فضای استعاره
May 31, 2022
Exhalation - title story from Chiang's 2019 collection
A dangerously literal sort of introspection.
“Contemplate the marvel that is existence, and rejoice that you are able to do so.”
Self-awareness is a fundamental attribute of intelligent life, but the converse is more unsettling: conscious intelligence that does not fit our usual definition of “life”.
The narrator challenges the assumption that air is the source of life and investigates that, and the mystery of memory, in a shocking, risky, and very personal experiment. This challenges readers’ assumptions about the narrator (who and what they are), as well as the readers themselves (what makes us human).
It’s also a metaphor for pollution and climate change, along with the panic or denial that can arise from realising the inevitability of death (as individuals, or life as we know it). Thus, it leads naturally to the next story in the Exhalation collection, What’s Expected of Us, which also considers the impact of faith in our future on our present.
“Even if a universe's life span is calculable, the variety of life that is generated within it is not… None of them could have been predicted, because none of them was inevitable.”
This story was published in Chiang’s collection, Exhalation. See HERE for my reviews of the other stories.
A dangerously literal sort of introspection.
“Contemplate the marvel that is existence, and rejoice that you are able to do so.”
Self-awareness is a fundamental attribute of intelligent life, but the converse is more unsettling: conscious intelligence that does not fit our usual definition of “life”.
The narrator challenges the assumption that air is the source of life and investigates that, and the mystery of memory, in a shocking, risky, and very personal experiment. This challenges readers’ assumptions about the narrator (who and what they are), as well as the readers themselves (what makes us human).
It’s also a metaphor for pollution and climate change, along with the panic or denial that can arise from realising the inevitability of death (as individuals, or life as we know it). Thus, it leads naturally to the next story in the Exhalation collection, What’s Expected of Us, which also considers the impact of faith in our future on our present.
“Even if a universe's life span is calculable, the variety of life that is generated within it is not… None of them could have been predicted, because none of them was inevitable.”
This story was published in Chiang’s collection, Exhalation. See HERE for my reviews of the other stories.
June 19, 2021
2.5 stars
I liked the idea but not the writing.
Winner of the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
You can read it here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
I liked the idea but not the writing.
Winner of the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
You can read it here: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
May 30, 2022
While this story is philosophical in nature, I am able to relate to it in a way that I am unable to connect with Borge's "The Library of Babel."
Here Chiang is asking the reader to understand something about the nature of the universe. In "Exhalation" the beings rely on the natural world for their existence just as we do.
Chiang's protagonist dissects his own brain looking for clues to memory. Instead, he finds that his world is moving toward a final equilibrium. With the realization that eventually he and all of his kind will die, he takes this opportunity to reflect on life and its value.
Because even if a universe’s lifespan is calculable, the variety of life that is generated within it is not. The buildings we have erected, the art and music and verse we have composed, the very lives we’ve led: None of them could have been predicted, because none of them were inevitable. Our universe might have slid into equilibrium emitting nothing more than a quiet hiss. The fact that it spawned such plenitude is a miracle. . . ."
What are we doing with our lives? Are we living our values?
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
Here Chiang is asking the reader to understand something about the nature of the universe. In "Exhalation" the beings rely on the natural world for their existence just as we do.
Chiang's protagonist dissects his own brain looking for clues to memory. Instead, he finds that his world is moving toward a final equilibrium. With the realization that eventually he and all of his kind will die, he takes this opportunity to reflect on life and its value.
Because even if a universe’s lifespan is calculable, the variety of life that is generated within it is not. The buildings we have erected, the art and music and verse we have composed, the very lives we’ve led: None of them could have been predicted, because none of them were inevitable. Our universe might have slid into equilibrium emitting nothing more than a quiet hiss. The fact that it spawned such plenitude is a miracle. . . ."
What are we doing with our lives? Are we living our values?
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
December 29, 2019
Short story is free online at http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
This story is set in a world filled with an argon atmosphere encased in solid chromium. The intelligent, social beings in this civilization are machines who recharge their lungs each day with an underground source of argon under higher pressure. The scientist narrator has been investigating how their brains function. The scientist wonders how memories are made as tiny capillaries of pressurized argon go through their brains, so he decides to dissect his own head. As the pressurized argon is used, the atmospheric argon is gradually rising in this closed system. How much longer can their civilization survive with the pressure differential changing, moving into equilibrium? "Exhalation" is an elegant story that provides lots of food for thought.
This story is set in a world filled with an argon atmosphere encased in solid chromium. The intelligent, social beings in this civilization are machines who recharge their lungs each day with an underground source of argon under higher pressure. The scientist narrator has been investigating how their brains function. The scientist wonders how memories are made as tiny capillaries of pressurized argon go through their brains, so he decides to dissect his own head. As the pressurized argon is used, the atmospheric argon is gradually rising in this closed system. How much longer can their civilization survive with the pressure differential changing, moving into equilibrium? "Exhalation" is an elegant story that provides lots of food for thought.
January 3, 2024
An interesting premises and a parallel to our own search for answers, and new habitable planets, and extraterrestrial life.
“Because even if the universe is lifespan is calculable, the variety of life that is generated within it is not. The buildings we have erected, the art and music and verse we have composed, the very lives we’ve led: none of them could have been predicted, because none of them was inevitable. Our universe might have slid into equilibrium admitting nothing more than a quiet hiss. The fact that it spawned such plenitude is a miracle [...]
I offer to you a valediction. Contemplate the marvel that is existence, and rejoice that you are able to do so. I feel I have the right to tell you this because, as I am inscribing these words, I am doing the same.”
June 9, 2022
Exhalation by Ted Chiang is the title story of the collection of science fiction short stories.
The story involves the science behind atmospheric pressure, and how, in a fictional setting, the continuous reduction in the said pressure can be fatal for life forms. The symbolism is hard hitting, and makes one really think about the gift that is life.
The story involves the science behind atmospheric pressure, and how, in a fictional setting, the continuous reduction in the said pressure can be fatal for life forms. The symbolism is hard hitting, and makes one really think about the gift that is life.
February 3, 2020
Such a strange tale, told from what I think is the perspective of some type of robotic scientist in another universe searching to uncover the mysteries of what makes his kind tick, and in doing so probing into the mysteries of the birth and death of the universe and the beauty and purpose of life. Short and highly recommended! Free audio available on Escape Pod.
December 14, 2021
A strange and fascinating story of introspection. Read it here in Lightspeed Magazine: https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fi...
Btw, this is only the short story called Exhalation, not the book of short stories.
Btw, this is only the short story called Exhalation, not the book of short stories.
January 27, 2023
An afternoon rereading this meditative sci-fi story that heightens my breathing awareness. One of my favorites short fiction for sure.
May 26, 2022
Loved the idea!
March 18, 2023
I found this to be an incredible short story, narrated by a robot, who describes their enclosed world where the robotic beings breathe through mechanical lungs that are replaced in filling stations.
In studying the anatomical nature of memory by auto-dissection of his own brain, the narrator realizes that the air pressure that keeps everyone alive is slowing equalizing, and that eventually, many years in the future, he and his robotic people will cease to function.
Chiang's ability to create depth of meaning, insight, to communicate such mind-opening ideas, in short stories is truly incredible. I am awed by the talent of this writer.
In studying the anatomical nature of memory by auto-dissection of his own brain, the narrator realizes that the air pressure that keeps everyone alive is slowing equalizing, and that eventually, many years in the future, he and his robotic people will cease to function.
Chiang's ability to create depth of meaning, insight, to communicate such mind-opening ideas, in short stories is truly incredible. I am awed by the talent of this writer.
December 28, 2023
CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
🔲 mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgettable side characters
🔲 well-written
✅ complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are fictional
PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
🔲 nothing memorable
🔲 gripping
✅ exceptional
🔲 mind=blown
WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
🔲 OK
🔲 nicely detailed
✅ meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story
ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
🔲 immersive
✅ you forget you are reading a book
PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
🔲 picks up with time
🔲 page-turner
✅ impossible to put down
So much told in such a short story.
🔲 mary-sue party
🔲 mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgettable side characters
🔲 well-written
✅ complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are fictional
PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
🔲 nothing memorable
🔲 gripping
✅ exceptional
🔲 mind=blown
WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
🔲 OK
🔲 nicely detailed
✅ meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story
ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
🔲 immersive
✅ you forget you are reading a book
PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
🔲 picks up with time
🔲 page-turner
✅ impossible to put down
So much told in such a short story.
September 26, 2021
This is my second time reading this and I enjoyed just as much (if not more than) the first time I read it 🥰🥰. It's the second person POV that gets me everytime. Love it!
May 13, 2020
I was conflicted about Stories of Your Life and Others, Ted Chiang's much lauded first collection. There's something about this guy: he can write - but are these really, truly stories?
So at first I decided to skip Exhalation: Stories, his second collection, published in 2019. But then I read a glowing review on Speculiction that dubbed the title story "one of the greatest science fiction stories ever written". As it is available for free on Lightspeed Magazine's site, I decided to read just that.
It turned out to be a typical Chiang story: exquisitely crafted, good prose, convincing atmosphere, smart ideas. But sadly, for my taste, it's also a bit too didactic, for two reasons.
It tries to convey a message - the clichéd 'be thankful for the wonder of existence', but more importantly, because it follows the typical Chiang template: he read some interesting stuff, and tries to mold his newfound wisdom into a story.
This time the main focus is on neuroscience, and the debate on the classic boxological Theory Of Mind: do our brains have representations of their content inside their brains, or not? The Nobel Prize winning research by Kandel and O’Keefe & the Mosers on rats has proven the classic T.o.M. wrong, and Chiang has managed to translate that into a kind of steampunk-ish robot setting. At least, that's my guess, as I haven't read any author notes. I know Chiang included those in this first collection, but I'm not sure if they exist for this particular story. (If they do exist, and somebody could prove or disprove my hypothesis in the comments, that would be great.)
The other focus is a classic cosmology conundrum: is our universe finite, and will it get to a final (dead) state of equilibrium? He cleverly inserts a bit of speculation about possible multiverses too.
What Chiang does absolutely brilliantly is marry these two ingeniously via a subdued steampunk setting, and as such this is a truly great science fiction story indeed. It is really a tour de force.
What Chiang fails to do, is tell a compelling story about characters. As the story progresses, the clinical, mechanical nature of his modus operandus becomes clear. One could say: it suits this particular story about automatons, and that's definitely true, but for my tastes Exhalation lacks emotion & something resembling a real character - instead of a mouthpiece for ideas. I even dare to claim that 'Exhalation' lacks a real plot, and at times it felt a bit drawn out. As such, it kinda reads as something formulaic, written for a creative writing class - however brilliantly done.
So where does that leave me re: Exhalation: Stories? I might try and source a few of the other recommended stories for free online, but at the moment I'm not buying the collection.
More speculative fiction reviews on Weighig A Pig Doesn't Fatten It
So at first I decided to skip Exhalation: Stories, his second collection, published in 2019. But then I read a glowing review on Speculiction that dubbed the title story "one of the greatest science fiction stories ever written". As it is available for free on Lightspeed Magazine's site, I decided to read just that.
It turned out to be a typical Chiang story: exquisitely crafted, good prose, convincing atmosphere, smart ideas. But sadly, for my taste, it's also a bit too didactic, for two reasons.
It tries to convey a message - the clichéd 'be thankful for the wonder of existence', but more importantly, because it follows the typical Chiang template: he read some interesting stuff, and tries to mold his newfound wisdom into a story.
This time the main focus is on neuroscience, and the debate on the classic boxological Theory Of Mind: do our brains have representations of their content inside their brains, or not? The Nobel Prize winning research by Kandel and O’Keefe & the Mosers on rats has proven the classic T.o.M. wrong, and Chiang has managed to translate that into a kind of steampunk-ish robot setting. At least, that's my guess, as I haven't read any author notes. I know Chiang included those in this first collection, but I'm not sure if they exist for this particular story. (If they do exist, and somebody could prove or disprove my hypothesis in the comments, that would be great.)
The other focus is a classic cosmology conundrum: is our universe finite, and will it get to a final (dead) state of equilibrium? He cleverly inserts a bit of speculation about possible multiverses too.
What Chiang does absolutely brilliantly is marry these two ingeniously via a subdued steampunk setting, and as such this is a truly great science fiction story indeed. It is really a tour de force.
What Chiang fails to do, is tell a compelling story about characters. As the story progresses, the clinical, mechanical nature of his modus operandus becomes clear. One could say: it suits this particular story about automatons, and that's definitely true, but for my tastes Exhalation lacks emotion & something resembling a real character - instead of a mouthpiece for ideas. I even dare to claim that 'Exhalation' lacks a real plot, and at times it felt a bit drawn out. As such, it kinda reads as something formulaic, written for a creative writing class - however brilliantly done.
So where does that leave me re: Exhalation: Stories? I might try and source a few of the other recommended stories for free online, but at the moment I'm not buying the collection.
More speculative fiction reviews on Weighig A Pig Doesn't Fatten It
September 3, 2022
The short story “Exhalation” by Ted Chiang examines the consequences to our actions, whether intentional or not, and subtlety explores the idea of taking a stand before it is too late.
The opening of the short story especially helps to establish a prominent tone that follows the narrator throughout his journey: “It has long been said that air (which others call argon) is the source of life. This is not in fact the case, and I engrave these words to describe how I came to understand the true source of life and, as a corollary, the means by which life will one day end.” (Chiang 22). Right from the start, the story disputes a widely known fact, that air is the “source of life”. This well-crafted manipulation intentionally confuses the reader, leaving them wondering and eager to keep reading. In other words, it serves as an extremely efficient hook. Additionally, the narrator’s usage of the phrase, “the means by which life will one day end,” foreshadows the following events and sets up an apprehensive tone. It is also important to note the specific use of diction by using the word “engrave” instead of speak or tell. This means the narrator isn’t directly recounting the story to the reader, rather we are reading a journal or account of what has happened. This leaves the reader wondering if the aforementioned end of life has already happened and helps emphasize the uneasy tone.
Next, comes the core of the story, which has strong ties to the theme of actions having consequences, deliberate or not. The text states, “With every movement of my body, I contribute to the equalization of pressure in our universe. With every thought that I have, I hasten the arrival of that fatal equilibrium.” (Chiang 37). This powerful revelation explains how this is a society doomed from the start, and they will bring about their own demise. Without knowing it, they’re slowly killing themselves. This is actually very similar to our multiple issues with climate change nowadays, leading to the question: are we perhaps bringing about our own end? Although this new bizarre world and our reality appear to be completely different and unrelated to each other, they are actually one and the same. These outlandish descriptions and details only serve as a facade to obscure the truth; that the story is a reflection of the world we live in now. We are facing the consequences to our very own actions just like this dystopian society.
This can be clearly seen in the ending of this rather eventful short story, “I wish you well, explorer, but I wonder: Does the same fate that befell me await you?” (Chiang 43). Now, the narrator directly calls humanity out for their mistakes and issues a warning to do something before it’s too late and we too bring about our own demise. So, the choice is ours, will we turn our backs to reality or will we finally do something about the problems in our world?
The opening of the short story especially helps to establish a prominent tone that follows the narrator throughout his journey: “It has long been said that air (which others call argon) is the source of life. This is not in fact the case, and I engrave these words to describe how I came to understand the true source of life and, as a corollary, the means by which life will one day end.” (Chiang 22). Right from the start, the story disputes a widely known fact, that air is the “source of life”. This well-crafted manipulation intentionally confuses the reader, leaving them wondering and eager to keep reading. In other words, it serves as an extremely efficient hook. Additionally, the narrator’s usage of the phrase, “the means by which life will one day end,” foreshadows the following events and sets up an apprehensive tone. It is also important to note the specific use of diction by using the word “engrave” instead of speak or tell. This means the narrator isn’t directly recounting the story to the reader, rather we are reading a journal or account of what has happened. This leaves the reader wondering if the aforementioned end of life has already happened and helps emphasize the uneasy tone.
Next, comes the core of the story, which has strong ties to the theme of actions having consequences, deliberate or not. The text states, “With every movement of my body, I contribute to the equalization of pressure in our universe. With every thought that I have, I hasten the arrival of that fatal equilibrium.” (Chiang 37). This powerful revelation explains how this is a society doomed from the start, and they will bring about their own demise. Without knowing it, they’re slowly killing themselves. This is actually very similar to our multiple issues with climate change nowadays, leading to the question: are we perhaps bringing about our own end? Although this new bizarre world and our reality appear to be completely different and unrelated to each other, they are actually one and the same. These outlandish descriptions and details only serve as a facade to obscure the truth; that the story is a reflection of the world we live in now. We are facing the consequences to our very own actions just like this dystopian society.
This can be clearly seen in the ending of this rather eventful short story, “I wish you well, explorer, but I wonder: Does the same fate that befell me await you?” (Chiang 43). Now, the narrator directly calls humanity out for their mistakes and issues a warning to do something before it’s too late and we too bring about our own demise. So, the choice is ours, will we turn our backs to reality or will we finally do something about the problems in our world?
April 14, 2019
เรื่องของเผ่าจักรกลที่ดำรงชีวิตด้วยแก๊สอาร์กอน ทิ้งคำถามเยอะมากๆๆ ทั้งเจตจำนงเสรี หรือแพล็ตเทิร์นที่ทำให้ชีวิตดำเนินไป ความสงสัยอยากรู้ตัวตน การดิ้นรนมีชีวิต และย้อนให้ตระหนักถึงทรัพยากรที่อาจหมดลงในอนาคตอันใกล้
ความเป็นมาและเป็นไปไม่มีเลยอ่า คือมันเกิดขึ้นมายังไงจนศิวิไลซ์ขนาดนี้ เป็นสมช.ในเวิร์สอื่นสร้างขึ้นหรือเปล่า แต่ถ้าอ่านเรื่องของ Ted Chiang มาสักหน่อยมันก็จะสไตล์นี้ ทิ้งช่องว่างมหาศาลให้เติมลงไปเอง
ความเป็นมาและเป็นไปไม่มีเลยอ่า คือมันเกิดขึ้นมายังไงจนศิวิไลซ์ขนาดนี้ เป็นสมช.ในเวิร์สอื่นสร้างขึ้นหรือเปล่า แต่ถ้าอ่านเรื่องของ Ted Chiang มาสักหน่อยมันก็จะสไตล์นี้ ทิ้งช่องว่างมหาศาลให้เติมลงไปเอง
June 19, 2019
We're forced to see the inevitability of our death, but we must appreciate the time we have. I'm glad to be alive at a time where Ted Chiang writes science fiction that feels not only human but true in it's message.
August 3, 2019
One of the best short stories I’ve ever read.
Read
March 7, 2023Great story, shoutout DJNana for sending me it
January 15, 2023
Great science fiction in my opinion always says something about the human condition.
Usually, I feel like Ted Chiang is succeeding in that regard, but not this time.
Ironic, considering that the story is very direct with its theme and message but maybe that's the reason why I don't find this story as interesting as the others.
Essentially, Chiang describes a civilization of (seemingly) robot-like beings whose brain mechanisms is an air-like analogue for how computers nowadays store (erasable) memory. Their world is, as it turns out, dictated by an air pressure difference of the world they are inhabiting versus the air reservoir from which they get their in-take of air. That difference is slowly but surely decreasing, similar to how entropy is always increasing in our universe.
The conclusion is similar, the death of all living things is inevitable, and as with humans, the narrator is trying to come to terms with that fact.
My problem with this story is that I don't feel like it gives any new perspective or angle on the question but rather re-hashes old ideas with scientific concepts. Like a mirror that only reflects what is on the surface, I feel that Chiang didn't go deep enough here.
Usually, I feel like Ted Chiang is succeeding in that regard, but not this time.
Ironic, considering that the story is very direct with its theme and message but maybe that's the reason why I don't find this story as interesting as the others.
Essentially, Chiang describes a civilization of (seemingly) robot-like beings whose brain mechanisms is an air-like analogue for how computers nowadays store (erasable) memory. Their world is, as it turns out, dictated by an air pressure difference of the world they are inhabiting versus the air reservoir from which they get their in-take of air. That difference is slowly but surely decreasing, similar to how entropy is always increasing in our universe.
The conclusion is similar, the death of all living things is inevitable, and as with humans, the narrator is trying to come to terms with that fact.
My problem with this story is that I don't feel like it gives any new perspective or angle on the question but rather re-hashes old ideas with scientific concepts. Like a mirror that only reflects what is on the surface, I feel that Chiang didn't go deep enough here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2021
An argon-breathing creature made of aluminum and gold studies its own brain and makes a discovery with high-stakes consequences for its whole universe.
I really liked the ending of this, it was bittersweet and affirming, and the story as a whole held up a mirror to humanity and our own strive for knowledge and self-discovery—and implies that perhaps all science is limited by us being human, with all its implications—in a really original way. There were just so many things left untold though, the story brought up more questions than it answered: Where are we? When are we? How did it all come to be? Who are they? Who built them?—unimportant details for the intention and scope of this short story, but I found them distracting omissions.
—————
This story is also published in Ted Chiang's collection Exhalation: Stories. You can read my full review here.
I really liked the ending of this, it was bittersweet and affirming, and the story as a whole held up a mirror to humanity and our own strive for knowledge and self-discovery—and implies that perhaps all science is limited by us being human, with all its implications—in a really original way. There were just so many things left untold though, the story brought up more questions than it answered: Where are we? When are we? How did it all come to be? Who are they? Who built them?—unimportant details for the intention and scope of this short story, but I found them distracting omissions.
—————
This story is also published in Ted Chiang's collection Exhalation: Stories. You can read my full review here.
June 15, 2019
4 ½ stars. This is a short story that you can read online for free.
I finished Stories of Your Life and Others yesterday and has been kind of indecisive about reading the new short story collections from this author. I was reading in a review that this was one of the better stories from the new collection, so I thought I'd give it a chance and I loved it.
It's creative and well written, and I love that it touches on so many topics that are so human even if the story isn't even about humans in the first place. It's about what keeps us alive, about exploring how life works and about the legacy that we leave behind. It's a really beautiful story.
I finished Stories of Your Life and Others yesterday and has been kind of indecisive about reading the new short story collections from this author. I was reading in a review that this was one of the better stories from the new collection, so I thought I'd give it a chance and I loved it.
It's creative and well written, and I love that it touches on so many topics that are so human even if the story isn't even about humans in the first place. It's about what keeps us alive, about exploring how life works and about the legacy that we leave behind. It's a really beautiful story.
June 10, 2019
Exhalation
Ten minutes after reading this, I'm still sitting there, in awe of what I just read.
When the author mentioned the fact that atmospheric pressure is increasing, I knew that my initial suspicion that "Well, maybe the brains were working slower", was not only right, but rather
right in the most tragic possible way it could be. My chest literally got tight as I read that.
And then, at the end, that tightness gave way to pure marvel and appreciation of the beauty contained in the universe.
And here I am, imagining that beautiful golden machinery, those intricate little sheets of gold that play, and that get in turn played by, the amazing patterns that they form, in that little universe some great mind made.
Ten minutes after reading this, I'm still sitting there, in awe of what I just read.
When the author mentioned the fact that atmospheric pressure is increasing, I knew that my initial suspicion that "Well, maybe the brains were working slower", was not only right, but rather
right in the most tragic possible way it could be. My chest literally got tight as I read that.
And then, at the end, that tightness gave way to pure marvel and appreciation of the beauty contained in the universe.
And here I am, imagining that beautiful golden machinery, those intricate little sheets of gold that play, and that get in turn played by, the amazing patterns that they form, in that little universe some great mind made.
June 24, 2018
Amazing exploration of exploration of science and thermodynamics (in a completely fictitional form)
December 6, 2021
Interesting, thought provoking, stories to devour then ponder for months.
July 13, 2024
I love Chiang and the way he marries science and wild ideas with fiction, which is why I always adore his author's notes.
Sometimes I enjoy his authors notes significantly more than his stories, but I always appreciate reading them all.
This one was just a little too mechanical and literal in its metaphor for me.
As a concept, I love it!
As a way of explaining the theory, I'm not sure...but that could be my lack of scientific understanding.
As a story, it's not for me. I am not a fan of a story being solely a vehicle for the idea without as much thought to the vehicle itself beyond the aesthetics.
Sometimes I enjoy his authors notes significantly more than his stories, but I always appreciate reading them all.
This one was just a little too mechanical and literal in its metaphor for me.
As a concept, I love it!
As a way of explaining the theory, I'm not sure...but that could be my lack of scientific understanding.
As a story, it's not for me. I am not a fan of a story being solely a vehicle for the idea without as much thought to the vehicle itself beyond the aesthetics.
October 4, 2022
I very much enjoyed this journey to the inventive fiction of Ted Chiang. Polished prose and facile storytelling and extraordinary imagination. I had to rate this book four stars, however, because the one story that didn't work for me on any level, The Lifecycle of Software Objects, sprawls across a third of the total pages of the volume. The last story, on the other hand, Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom, with a strong narrative (despite resting on a foundation of physics I had trouble grasping) and engaging characters, delivers a beautifully satisfying experience.
January 2, 2020
This was the first story I ever read by Ted Chiang, years ago, and it blew my mind. Still one of my favorite pieces of writing, period.
"The universe began as an enormous breath being held. Who knows why, but whatever the reason, I am glad that it did, because I owe my existence to that fact. All my desires and ruminations are no more and no less than eddy currents generated by the gradual exhalation of our universe. And until this great exhalation is finished, my thoughts live on."
"The universe began as an enormous breath being held. Who knows why, but whatever the reason, I am glad that it did, because I owe my existence to that fact. All my desires and ruminations are no more and no less than eddy currents generated by the gradual exhalation of our universe. And until this great exhalation is finished, my thoughts live on."
November 26, 2021
Intriguing, but ultimately a bit too science-heavy for my right-sided brain. A very interesting concept though, and a short story that I'd recommend for anyone who enjoys hard sci fi with an existential twist.
Full review to come... one day. If sheets of gold foil and copper stylus' allow.
Available for free online at: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
Full review to come... one day. If sheets of gold foil and copper stylus' allow.
Available for free online at: http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...
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