Exhalation

The merchant and the Alchemist's gate 4.5⭐ - Loved it. No notes. It just wasn't my favorite from the collection. Exhalation 2.5⭐ - I genuinely don't think I'm smart enough/have the necessary attention span for this story. I liked the premise, but was completely lost and uninterested by the technological descriptions (which were around 50% of the story) What's expected of us 2.5⭐ - It was very short and I'm not entirely sure I understand (or agree with) how the device proves that free will doesn't exist. I read the entire story 4 times and it still doesn't click in my brain. The Lifecycle of Software Objects 5⭐ - Everything about this was absolutely fascinating. I found it captivating how this story managed to mix technology, complex feelings, human flaws and ethical dilemmas. I absolutely adored it. Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny 3.5 ⭐ - Really interesting premise and I wish it was developed further or in more depth. The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling 4⭐ - I wish the story was developed further, but I really appreciated the topics it addressed and the how they were approached. The implication that the maleability of memory prevents you from fully knowing yourself, as well as de discussion of "the truth" vs. "your truth" is really something everyone should explore with themselves.I also found it fascinating how the act of writing, the concept of written word was explained. The Great Silence 3⭐ - This was a surprisingly deep message (for a story that is 6 pages long) about extinction of a species, but even more so of the disappearance of culture, tradition, language, customs, that can be extrapolated very easily to our everyday life and current day society. Omphalos 4⭐ - Reading this as an agnostic was a very interesting experience. I neither accept nor reject the existence of a God, therefore my moral compass and my belief system isn't necessarily reliant on God's purpose/plan. The concept that the challenging of God's existence can wreak havoc in a person's mind was very hard to comprehend. Call it ignorance on my side, but it never occurred to me until this point that the whole basis of religion is the very egocentric concept that God had created the universe for us, that there is a plan in place for us, that we are the center of the universe, the sole purpose of this entire creation and the object of God's undivided attention. Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom 5⭐ - This story felt genuinely like a movie I would love to watch. I loved the exploration of free will and the butterfly effect theory. I found the entire story extremely complex and nuanced and a perfect ending for the collection. This feels like a 4.5 ⭐ collection and it genuinely made my mind go in so many different directions and explore so many different concepts that I feel richer for having read it.

Chiang brings such a fresh perspective to traditional science fiction plots, that you simply cannot put this book down.