Exhalation
Ted Chiang
21 people recommended it in 14 threads, 2018–2024.
What people on Hacker News said
His stories, even if they are sketches instead of paintings, exhibit a far more heartfelt, human ethos. The characters are real people with wants and unfulfilled wishes. The subjects are both technology but also mortality, fate, raising children, loss. It's sci-fi, but also just good short story writing.
Full of interesting short stories, always thought provoking and entertaining.
Chiang in particular is an excellent writer who explores interesting concepts using speculative fiction. A lot of his stories stuck with me, like the one about lookism.
He's improved with time. I seem to recall 'The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling' having some distinct characters, and also a really neat setting.
The author has an absolute magic way of taking a kernel of an idea and spinning not only a whole world, but a whole new way of looking at the world – all in the span of a short story.
These collections of short scifi stories are stunning, and particularly the stories Exhalation and Story of your Life. They combine detailed technical descriptions of the science fiction aspects with raw emotional beauty.
I've read both "Stories of Your Life and Others" and "Exhalation" in the last month and I turned to my wife and said "that story just blew my mind" for probably 75% of the stories.
Where it comes up
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- Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before? 2020 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: Best books read in 2022? 2022 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life? 2020 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read? 2024 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Which are the most interesting books you have read in 2022? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Which books do you consider real gems in your field of work/study? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What is your favorite fiction book? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What Books Do You Recommend Reading for 2022? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021? 2021 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Hard comp-fi reading list 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Favorite fiction books of 2018? 2018 · 1 recommendation