5 stars, no notes. Exhalation is extremely thought provoking. Ted Chiang's prose is phenomenal, and his exploration of sci-fi tropes is wonderful. Exhalation explores time travel, determinism, free-will, alternate timelines, what it means to be sentient, the definition of intelligent life, child-rearing, what our place is in the universe, and more. His book, The Stories of our Lives and Others is going to the top of my books-to-purchase list.
I don't know how he does it, but Ted manages to cover difficult sci-fi topics, in great depth, using short stories. Each story manages to have a twist that redefines your understanding of the entire narrative. The stories do not overstay their welcome, and most are under 30 pages.
I think my favorite story was What is Expected of Us, but every story in this book is a masterpiece.
I cannot recount the number of times I chuckled out loud, due to the pure clever writing and story-telling on display. And I cannot stop thinking about topics explored, and the characters he creates.
You be good now, I love you...
Rating: 5/5