Omphalos was nominated for the Hugo for Best Novelette this year. At first it's hard to tell where the story is going, as it is done in the form of prayers. But it is soon apparent why the scientist author is devoted--this is a small universe where the act of creation is readily apparent in the fossil record and in the stars. The earliest trees have solid cores. Cliffs with exposed sediment layers have solid granite not far beneath. What is science like in a world like this? Basically an exposition of God's ideas.
But the people of earth are human, and have human conceits. They believe they are the pinnacle of creation and the center of the universe. But what if one of those incontrovertible facts is that we are not, in fact, in the center?
Another truly amazing read. It seems like everything Chiang writes gets nominated for multiple awards. In fact I think this is true, because he is not particularly prolific. He seems to write when he has something to say, and not otherwise. Always worth it.
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