Exhalation

‘Ted Chiang is one of the most exciting writers in science fiction . . . These parables are filled with hope and humanism.’ – The Daily TelegraphFrom the acclaimed author of Stories of Your Life and Others – the basis for the Academy Award-winning film Arrival – comes a groundbreaking second collection of short fiction.'Will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction' – Barack ObamaA portal through time forces a fabric-seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past errors and the temptation of second chances; an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality; a newfound ability to glimpse into alternate universes forces a radical re-examination of the concepts of choice and free will.In Exhalation, Ted Chiang addresses the most fundamental of issues – What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be human? – alongside others that no one else has even imagined. 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.‘Deeply beautiful stories' – The New York Times 'The 10 Best Books of the Year'‘Chiang’s writing . . . inspires awe for the natural properties of the universe; it renders the fundamentals of science poignant and affecting.’ – Economist ‘A scintillating cavalcade of ideas’ – Financial Times, 'Books of the Year'

A collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction., Beautifully written and conceived, this is a marvelous, astonishing collection that we would do well to read before the worlds it conjures are upon us. Urgently recommended., One of the most exciting writers in science fiction . . . Although dark in premise, these parables – threaded through with references to ancient mythology and folklore – are filled with hope and humanism: a balm for anxious souls., Deeply beautiful . . . This book is as generous as it is marvelous, and I’m left feeling nothing so much as grateful for it., Chiang’s writing . . . inspires awe for the natural properties of the universe; it renders the fundamentals of science poignant and affecting., A collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction., Beautifully written and conceived, this is a marvelous, astonishing collection that we would do well to read before the worlds it conjures are upon us. Urgently recommended., One of the most exciting writers in science fiction . . . Although dark in premise, these parables – threaded through with references to ancient mythology and folklore – are filled with hope and humanism: a balm for anxious souls., Deeply beautiful . . . This book is as generous as it is marvelous, and I’m left feeling nothing so much as grateful for it., Chiang’s writing . . . inspires awe for the natural properties of the universe; it renders the fundamentals of science poignant and affecting.

Ted Chiang’s fiction has won four Hugo, four Nebula, and four Locus awards, and he is the recipient of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. His debut collection, Stories of Your Life and Others, has been translated into twenty-one languages. He was born in Port Jefferson, New York, and currently lives near Seattle, Washington.