Ted Chiang's bibliography consists of two short story collections: this one and Stories of Your Life and Others. One of the stories in Stories of Your Life and Others was adapted into the movie Arrival. He lives near Seattle in the state of Washington.
Exhalation collects nine stories and an afterword. What follows is a synopsis of each story.
1. The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
A (very) observant Muslim stumbles upon a gateway to the past and future in the back of an alchemist's shop.
This story reminded me of Stanislaw Lem. I liked both its historical setting and its sense of whimsy.
2. Exhalation
This story's a little tough to explain, but it involves lifeforms which operate on "air" living in an enclosed space.
It was my favorite story here by far. Very weird but satisfyingly so.
3. What's Expected of Us
A story too brief to leave much of an impression, this one involves a gadget which challenges people's conceptions of their own free will.
4. The Lifecycle of Software Objects
It's the near future, and several tech industry types develop maternal (or paternal) feelings for the versions of AI in their charge. This story brought Greg Egan's Permutation City to mind, though it lacked the resounding ending of that novel.
5. Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny
An eminent Victorian develops an automated replacement for nannies. In my opinion this is the weakest story here, and it would have benefitted from a venture into still darker territory. As it is it's neither jokey enough nor disturbing enough to elicit much feeling on the reader's part.
6. The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling
An exploration of memory's role in human relationships. I liked the juxtaposition of the advent of writing in a small village and a father's reevaluation of his relationship with his daughter. This tale makes a nice point about the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of memories and how this (in)accuracy is often self-serving.
7. The Great Silence
Endangered parrots and the possibility of life beyond Earth. It tries to pull at the heartstrings but leaves you feeling annoyed with the parrots.
8. Omphalos
An archaeologist living in a world where Darwin never formulated his famous theory confronts some disturbing facts. I liked this one a lot.
9. Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom
The last story here. In a world where people are in constant contact with "paraselves" living in parallel universes, a recovering drug addict tries to get ahead. It works well enough, but I think the point it tries to make about free will and character is a bit labored.
10. Story Notes
This section should have been left out. It's not usually a good thing when an author explains what his/her/their stories are about and why. Let the reader decide that. Some of his asides are mildly interesting, but overall this section felt like padding.
On the whole I enjoyed this book and found it to be an easy read. Ted Chiang is certainly one of the best science fiction writers working today, and I can't help but wonder if he'll ever sit down and write a novel to truly cement his reputation.
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