Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom
| "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Ted Chiang | |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Exhalation: Stories |
| Publication type | Book |
| Publication date | 7 May 2019 |
“Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom” is a science fiction novella by American writer Ted Chiang, initially published in 2019 collection Exhalation: Stories.[1][2] The novella's name quotes a proverb by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in his work The Concept of Anxiety.[3] An abridged version of the novella was also published under the title "Better Versions of You" in the literary supplement to The New York Times.
Plot summary
In the near future, quantum mechanics and computer technology have discovered parallel realities to humanity, creating divergent timelines and allowing communication between them. The old dream of knowing your own fate and that of the whole world, if you had chosen a different path one day, comes true. The ability to access alternate timelines causes existential crises for many people: “Many worried that their choices were rendered meaningless because every action they took was counterbalanced by a branch in which they had made the opposite choice.” The story is narrated from the view of two women: Nat, who works in a shop selling "parallel reality" devices, and Dana, a psychologist who treats people struggling with this new technology.[4][5]
Awards
| Place | Year and Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2020 Locus | Best Novella[6] |
| 5 | 2020 Hugo | Best Novella[7] |
| Nomination | 2020 Nebula | Novella[8] |
See also
- Alternate history
- Coherence, a 2013 film about people who must deal with reality-bending events following a comet sighting.
- "The Garden of Forking Paths", a 1941 short story by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges.
- Many-worlds interpretation
- Everett phone
References
- ^ Crichton, Danny (March 8, 2020). "If we could see alternate realities, would we want to take a look?". TechCrunch. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Oates, Joyce Carol (May 6, 2019). "Science Fiction Doesn't Have to Be Dystopian". The New Yorker. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Axvig, Matt (11 August 2019). "Quantum Mechanics, Contingency, and Freedom in Ted Chiang's "Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom"". Veritas Journal. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Lohier, Patrick (October 4, 2019). "Exhalation by Ted Chiang". Harvard Review. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Sheehan, Jason (May 10, 2019). "Take A Breath And Dive Into 'Exhalation'". NPR. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "2020 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "2020 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "sfadb: Nebula Awards 2020". sfadb.com. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
External links
- Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom". Online copy at OneZero
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