15.1: Exhalation by Ted Chiang, pre-read: Philosophical thought experiments & short stories
Adrian & Matt are back on their own this month, reading & talking about the short story collection Exhalation, by Ted Chiang. A wonderful collection of short fiction, we've decided to do something a little bit different from the usual.
With this episode we talk about the power of short-form fiction, why we love Chiang's work so much, and (starting at 43:25) ask each other a couple tough philosophical questions of the type Chiang's stories attempt to answer.
Books & movies mentioned include (links help support Spectology, go to spectology.com if they're not showing up):
- Exhalation, by Ted Chiang
- Stories of Your Life & Others, by Ted Chiang
- Store of the Worlds, by Robert Sheckley
- The Best Stories of JG Ballard
- Her Smoke Rose up Forever, by James Tiptree, Jr
- Tobias Buckell's Patreon
- Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, ed. NK Jemisin
- The Best SF&F of the Year series, ed. Jonathan Strahan
- Interview w/ Chiang at Powel's
- Interview w/ Walter Mosley at Paris Review
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Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.
