'Ted Chiang's stories are lean, relentless, and incandescent.' - Colson Whitehead 'We all know Ted Chiang is a fucking genius, but: Ted Chiang is a fucking genius.' - Carmen Maria Machado An immensely pleasing book.' - San Francisco Chronicle 'A beguiling mix of compassion and awe, worthy of comparisons to the work of Philip K. This book is as generous as it is marvelous, and I'm left feeling nothing so much as grateful for it.' - New York Times 'Beautifully written and conceived, this is a marvellous, astonishing collection that we would do well to read before the worlds it conjures are upon us. The best kind of science fiction.' - Barack Obama 'A collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. Publisher: Pan Macmillan ISBN: 9781529014495 Number of pages: 368 Weight: 264 g Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 23 mm MEDIA REVIEWS And, each in its own way, the stories prove that complex and thoughtful science fiction can rise to new heights of beauty, meaning, and compassion. In Exhalation, Ted Chiang wrestles with the oldest questions on earth - What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be human? - and ones that no one else has even imagined. Also included are two previously unpublished stories: 'Omphalos' and 'Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom'. And in 'The Lifecycle of Software Objects', a woman cares for an artificial intelligence over twenty years, elevating a faddish digital pet into what might be a true living being.

In the epistolary 'Exhalation', an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. In 'The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate', a portal through time forces a fabric-seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and the temptation of second chances. From the acclaimed author of Stories of Your Life and Others - the basis for the Academy Award nominated film Arrival - comes a groundbreaking second collection of short fiction: nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories.

Chiang short stories