I wrote about Chiang's first collection, Stories of Your Life, in February, and I could repeat much of what I said then for this review. Each of Chiang's stories have a strong core idea, a premise that finds "the intersection of science, society, and philosophy", and once again I found the collection to be something of a mixed bag. My only recommendation is the story "The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling", which had the ring of a disappointing sophomore album yet turned out to be my favorite work from the collection (1). In fact, I should clarify that there is nothing disappointing about Exhalation - these passed my most important criteria for short fiction, readability; I'm looking forward to his next book.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang (April 2021)
I don't have enough knowledge of science fiction to know this for certain, but I sense that Chiang's writing departs from the tradition of the genre whenever he explores the behavior rather than the environment of the imagined world. I think this is why his writing has appealed to so many readers. It may also explain why I found myself unmoved by many of his stories - the central idea is the catalyst not just for the story but within it, and unlike in other short fiction it's the premise rather than the characters that drive the growth of the protagonists. I'm reminded of something Paul Graham mentioned about paintings - all things equal, paintings with people in it are more interesting than paintings without, for the most interesting thing to people is other people. The crux of any story is a decision, which is another way of describing behavior; I wonder if, all things equal, a story about behavior driven by other people is more interesting than one driven by the premise.
The extent to which strong ideas drive the narratives is reflected in my book notes. There are some favorites - for example, that certain ideas have no danger until they are believed, or that in the long run purely intellectual rewards lose their appeal. I thought the observation that experience makes people more valuable than software was an especially important point in this time when many speculate about AI without knowing exactly what it will look like in daily life. The lesson that resonated with me was a definition for taking responsibility - it means acknowledging errors, then taking those into account while making the next decision.
TOA Rating: Three robots out of four.
Footnotes
1) I do make this joke with endearment, for any artist or author referenced in the quip.
1a) By the way, those interested in reading the short story can follow the links at the bottom of the story's Wikipedia entry.
