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A review by juliette_dunn
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
5.0
Now this was incredible, and I aim to read Chiang's other short stories as soon as possible. Not one of these stories was bad. Some of them seemed to resemble Black Mirror or Twilight Zone-esque scenarios, but the ultimate messages sent were a twist upon that sort of story in a great way. For example, one of the stories deals with a new technology capable of recording every memory with perfect, objective accuracy. This concept was used in Black Mirror, to, predictably, highlight why this would be terrible and relationship ruining.
Chiang brings up this issue but also questions our assumptions about technology that alters the mind as inherently bad, and takes a nuanced approach which showcases the ways in which it could be a new stage of human evolution, not good or evil, just something entirely different.
He creates similar nuance in most of these, not taking a strongly pro or anti tech stance, but a view which explores both of these potentials. It's refreshing after story after story which slams us over the head with the evils of technology.
The longest story, The Lifecycle of Software Objects, was a novella and was unafraid to venture into the strange and controversial. What starts as a straightforward story about the commodification of sentient digital pets takes a philosophical dive into the nature of free will, autonomy, and sexuality. The story approaches wildly contentious areas and many would find it appalling, but it is no doubt interesting and bold in its thoughts. It also makes for some wonderful satire, as the digital creatures aim to register as legal corporations, given that this would ensure them far more rights to life and personhood than would be granted to even the most beloved of non-human creatures, the dog.
The stories I didn't talk about were all wonderful as well, this was a wonderful collection of science fiction which uses the genre to explore the emotional and cultural impact rather than any hard technology. Chiang is brilliant as a writer.
Chiang brings up this issue but also questions our assumptions about technology that alters the mind as inherently bad, and takes a nuanced approach which showcases the ways in which it could be a new stage of human evolution, not good or evil, just something entirely different.
He creates similar nuance in most of these, not taking a strongly pro or anti tech stance, but a view which explores both of these potentials. It's refreshing after story after story which slams us over the head with the evils of technology.
The longest story, The Lifecycle of Software Objects, was a novella and was unafraid to venture into the strange and controversial. What starts as a straightforward story about the commodification of sentient digital pets takes a philosophical dive into the nature of free will, autonomy, and sexuality. The story approaches wildly contentious areas and many would find it appalling, but it is no doubt interesting and bold in its thoughts. It also makes for some wonderful satire, as the digital creatures aim to register as legal corporations, given that this would ensure them far more rights to life and personhood than would be granted to even the most beloved of non-human creatures, the dog.
The stories I didn't talk about were all wonderful as well, this was a wonderful collection of science fiction which uses the genre to explore the emotional and cultural impact rather than any hard technology. Chiang is brilliant as a writer.