A portal through time forces a fabric-seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past errors and the temptation of second chances; an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality; a newfound ability to glimpse into alternate universes forces a radical re-examination of the concepts of choice and free will.In Exhalation, Ted Chiang addresses the most fundamental of issues – What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to behuman? – alongside others that no one else has even imagined. And, each in its own way, the stories prove that complex and thoughtful science fiction can rise to new heights of beauty, meaning, and compassion.