This book review is about 'The Year's Best Science Fiction Stories' edited by Gardner Dozois. The book consists of short stories from big names in Sci-Fi, modern legends, and rising stars. The review notes that while there are no bad stories, they are not the 'best of the best'. Some of the best stories are not standalone and may spoil events in the series. The reviewer recommends picking some stories to read instead of reading the entire book.
# Short stories
Exhalation is a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang, a renowned sci-fi writer. The stories are engaging and meticulously built, exploring various aspects of original ideas. The central piece, 'The Lifecycle of Software Objects', is a novella about artificial intelligence, which won both Locus and Nebula awards. While it may not be the most exciting story in the collection, it is still a good piece of literature. Overall, Exhalation is a highly recommended read for those who enjoy good sci-fi stories that are not too complicated or too 'scientific'.