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Exhalation / Ted Chiang.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2019]Copyright date: ©2019Edition: First editionDescription: 350 pages ; 22 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781101947883
  • 1101947888
  • 9781101972083
  • 1101972084
Uniform titles:
  • Short stories. Selections
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate -- Exhalation -- What's Expected of Us -- The Lifecycle of Software Objects -- Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny -- The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling -- The Great Silence -- Omphalos -- Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom -- Story Notes -- Acknowledgments.
Summary: This much-anticipated second collection of stories is signature Ted Chiang, full of revelatory ideas and deeply sympathetic characters. 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. In the epistolary "Exhalation," an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. 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. Also included are two brand-new stories: "Omphalos" and "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom." In this fantastical and elegant collection, 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. 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.
List(s) this item appears in: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library Science Fiction/Fantasy Chiang, Ted Available 33111009352382
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library Science Fiction/Fantasy Chiang, Ted Available 33111009157039
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * Nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories--two published for the very first time--all from the mind of the incomparable author of Stories of Your Life and Others

Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity's oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine.

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 second chances. In "Exhalation," an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications that are literally universal. In "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," the ability to glimpse into alternate universes necessitates a radically new examination of the concepts of choice and free will.

Including stories being published for the first time as well as some of his rare and classic uncollected work, Exhalation is Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic--revelatory.

This much-anticipated second collection of stories is signature Ted Chiang, full of revelatory ideas and deeply sympathetic characters. 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. In the epistolary "Exhalation," an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. 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. Also included are two brand-new stories: "Omphalos" and "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom." In this fantastical and elegant collection, 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. 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.

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate -- Exhalation -- What's Expected of Us -- The Lifecycle of Software Objects -- Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny -- The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling -- The Great Silence -- Omphalos -- Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom -- Story Notes -- Acknowledgments.

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