Exhalation: Short Stories
By Ted Chiang
Published Year : 2019 (Alfred A. Knopf)
Page Count: 317 pages
Medium Used: Kindle PW
Genre : Science Fiction, Multiverse, Technology, Time Travel, Aliens, Robots, Humanity, Theology, 2024-read.
Rating : 5/5
These stories will remain with the reader long after the book is put aside. I feel, as humanity makes more strides in the direction of developing AI and realizing their dreams of contact with Aliens or making time/multiverse traveler feasible, they become less 'human'. That they embrace the culture and outlook of people who wouldn't attribute much to a God or divine plan or work on cultivating 'generosity'. But Ted Chiang has shown precisely thats where I could be wrong in my visions/fears for the future. He has,through this set of brilliant,articulate and lurid story collection, tried to cross 'theology' and 'humanism' with hard core 'science' using fiction as a vehicle.
All the stories are very well thought out and cerebral. They make us think. Not just for a little while, either. There is also an element of satire in his writings - humans, spending so much time and effort in looking for non human intelligence outside are missing out with the most human like intelligent species going extinct on this very planet. He has the audacity to imagine a world where Robots have dreams, plans and self reflections. Where they hope that some other race, might, at a future point become aware of their existence - when they no longer are!
The story where there is time travel - how there is no way a past or future can be changed despite these travelers trying, and how everything is fated and probably happens for the best - made me dream of being a time traveler myself and experience the stuff upfront. Then there is a story where software programs create AI digients, which make emotional connections to its human trainers, that sexualizing them give a visceral feeling of betrayal and dishonesty. The story about connecting with parallel selves from multiverse and some people trying to make monetary gains, some others getting a hang on their moral choices is very interesting.
These are short but gave me satisfaction and fulfilled my intellectual thirst while also making me look at a future with more acceptance and relief, kindness. They are not boring in the least. Highly,highly recommend! Ted Chiang is a multiple Hugo and Nebula award winner. He is born in the USA and currently resides near Seattle.
Cheers!
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