Exhalation

In these nine very sad, thought-provoking, and inventive tales, Ted Chiang addresses both fresh and ancient human concerns that only he could have imagined.

In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," a cloth vendor in prehistoric Baghdad is forced to consider second chances and regrets from the past due to a time portal. In the film "Exhalation," an extraterrestrial scientist discovers something startling that has practically global implications. In "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," the capacity to see into parallel worlds demands a whole fresh analysis of the ideas of free will and choice.

Exhalation features previously unpublished pieces by Ted Chiang in addition to some of his rare and famous uncollected work. Ted Chiang is insightful, compassionate, and revelatory at his finest.