Plano Reads: Exhalation: Stories

“Contemplate the marvel that is existence, and rejoice that you are able to do so.”

Join the Brown Bag Book Club for a discussion of Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang. The Brown Bag will meet at Parr Library on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at noon.

Nine stories packed with ideas and covering a wide range of themes are contained in this thought-provoking book that tackles some of the modern dilemmas of the technical age. The author challenges us to think about what it means to be sentient in “The Lifecycle of Software Objects”, the longest story in the collection.  What gives us the capability to make decisions; what is the meaning of love: love of pets, love of each other, and love of AI pets/children. In “Dacey’s Patent Automatic Nanny” Ted Chiang dives further into the human relationships with machines, asking questions about who can raise a child better, man or machine? 

The author also dives into questions around memory. What is more true, fact or feeling? In “The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling” the author asks – If two people view events differently, where is the truth? What determines fact? The collection of notes from the author on each of the stories are insights into what inspired the author to write the story.

It is a marvelous compilation of ideas and stories that will make you think and see the world around you differently. Find it in our collection: Book | Large Print | e-Book | e-Audiobook

“Visionary speculative stories that will change the way readers see themselves and the world around them: This book delivers in a big way.” Kirkus Reviews, 2019

Chiang remains one of the most skilled stylists in sf, and this will appeal to genre and literary-fiction fans alike.

Booklist, 2019

Ted Chiang’s Soulful Science Fiction by Joshua Rothman on The New Yorker
With just fourteen short stories and a novella, the author behind the recent film “Arrival” has gained a rapturous following within the genre and beyond.

Ted Chiang’s author page on Penguin Random House

Join the Brown Bag Book Club for a discussion of Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang.  The Brown Bag will meet at Parr Library on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at noon.