Exhalation

Synopsis: A collection of 9 short stories, described as science fiction to which I would say, maybe. Each story is based on a thought or premise about how technology has the potential to impact our lives. For TV fans, think of this as the literary equivalent of Black Mirror. I suppose it is science fiction, though not in quite the way I usually think of that. Science fiction to me is the incredible. These stories are quite credible. They range in length from extremely short, to novella length, and all beautifully written.

Review: I am not a reader of science fiction, so I found the label a bit off-putting. However, I would encourage anyone else as close minded as I am about the genre to give this a try. My favorite story in the collection is titled The Great Silence, another name for the Fermi paradox. This essentially is a meditation on two contradictory truths. One, the idea that we represent the only intelligence in the universe is preposterous. Two, despite the increasing range of our extraterrestrial search, we have found only silence. Chiang’s story makes you question why we are so interested in finding intelligence in the stars, but so uninterested in the many species that manifest it here on earth. His story has placed in juxtaposition the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico with the endangered parrots in the forests nearby. As you might guess, the story is from the perspective of the intelligent parrot that we overlook as we scan the stars. This one is sticking with me. You have to wonder how much we overlook in the natural world, or simply fail to appreciate.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: One of my favorite stories in the collection is called the Great Silence, based in Puerto Rico. One of the most important elements of Puerto Rican cuisine (so I am instructed) is sofrito, a seasoning sauce used as the base for lots of recipes including rice, beans, stews, or sometimes even a sauce for meat or fish.

Ingredients:

1 large green pepper, finely diced

1 large Spanish onion, finely diced

5 aji dulce or 1 red pepper, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic finely chpped

3/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

5 leaves culantro, chopped (if you can get it, which I cannot where I live). This is particular to Puerto Rican sofrito apparently.

Once prepared, this can make the base for lots of other dishes. Sofrito is usually the first thing to go in the pot, sauteed as the base for rice or beans. Like a Latin mirepoix! Or sautee and use as a sauce over fish, or however you imagine using it.