Exhalation

Chiang isn’t afraid to make his main characters non-human. These non-human characters effectively develop the themes of his collection.

A robot narrates “Exhalation,” and a parrot narrates “The Great Silence.” “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” likewise gives the artificial digients personality and human desires. Anthropomorphism allows Chiang to tackle climate change, technology ethics, and parenting, from fresh and engaging perspectives. Furthermore, Chiang is capitalizing on the tools available to him in science fiction. Science fiction promotes a suspension of disbelief, and Chiang uses that to his advantage. 

The stories in Exhalation veer on the longer side, including two novellas. This can largely be attributed to many of the stories featuring other stories within them and having multiple points of view. Structuring the stories this way allows for more exploration on the same theme, as different characters can offer varying opinions and learn different lessons.

Despite their length, Chiang also uses these structural choices to build a steady pace in the stories. Multiple stories and points of view allow for more cutting and scene breaks, giving scenes dramatic finishes and building tension for the reader.

Additionally, the author uses the first-person perspective in six of the nine stories.