By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: There is very little information that I can find about ego_bot, the author of the Science Fiction anthology, There's Something Weird Going On: Ten Existentialist Science Fiction Stories. All that I have found is that he is human and in this day and age that is not always a certainty with AI being able to reproduce the arts.
He is also very private with very few details available online. Somehow the scant information on him adds to the overall eeriness of this anthology’s tone. It also plays into many of the book’s themes, particularly about the contrast between artificial intelligence and human experience. The book is about technology, space travel, the cosmos, simulated reality, colonization, social media, AI, love, family, tyranny, faith, rebellion, creativity, and what it means to exist. It's a wonderful anthology that does what all good Science Fiction does: uses Science Fiction concepts to comment on our current world state
The stories are all wonderful but the best are:
“Parable for the Lovelorn”-This beautiful descriptive story about intergalactic travel and the nature of love puts you in the driver’s seat, literally. The story is in second person addressing the Reader and putting them on this fantastic journey to a distant planet filled with lush forests, cobblestone walkways, gorgeous waterfalls, and a wise friendly guide named Nath. Nath once lived on Earth and spent some time in Ancient Egypt. She gives the Protagonist/Reader a few words about love, the concept of soulmates, and the nature of existence in a vast Universe.
This story is like a conversation with a wise guru as Nath’s words prove to be contemplative and meditative, making one think and feel. Since we aren’t given any details over who the person is that Nath is speaking to, the Reader can insert their own previous broken relationships and bad experiences making the story very personal but also universal. It is simultaneously about anyone and everyone.
“Idle Eyes”-Many of these stories have fun with multiple narratives and this story is the most inventive for its points of view. It alternates between an Employee Instructional video for Ethitech Solutions’ newest Cognitive Systems Technician and various moments in the life of an unnamed protagonist who discovers that his life isn’t what he thought that it was.
The technician’s job is to facilitate emotional intelligence into Ethitech Solutions’s social viability software and run the simulated reality of a customer’s consciousness. The Protagonist’s quest for answers runs counter to and overlaps with the Technician’s video in interesting ways.
The multiple narrative style puts us ahead of the Protagonist so we have at least some idea, if not a perfect understanding of the whole picture, before he does. The video’s descriptions give a wry commentary on the Protagonist’s life by predicting what will happen to him. For example, the video talks about other people in a customer’s life who are simply code or just there to provide atmosphere for the customer’s experience. This is revealed before the Protagonist meets Ricardo, a man who could be the love of his life. It is both amusing and heartbreaking to read about this man’s whole life including interests, romances, friendships, occupation, hobbies, and free time that are planned to the last detail.
The quest for the Protagonist’s existence culminates in him experimenting with drugs, meditation, dream therapy and other sources. This is also predicted by the video as something that would be a fluke problem but isn’t worth worrying about. That is until it is.
“Mom's Message” -Despite the constant presence of technology, space travel, and other Science Fiction tropes, these stories never lose sight of the human element. This short story is a good example of interesting characters living in a futuristic world. Minnie recounts her relationship with her loving but intrusive mother over Konvo, an outdated app as compared to Holorift which is the latest in Social Media technology.
This novella provides the world of the 2050’s as a backdrop to comment on the constant use of social media. Holorift is connected to people’s brain waves and through visors. Working from home is the norm and working outside is the oddity, unlike the opposite in real life. People like Minnie invest their time in Sims-like games which hover close to reality. Since people live, work, date, and receive sustenance online, they never have to leave their homes. Technological addiction runs rampant as Minnie observes it in her roommate who looks at her with a dead expression and in people on the air transits who don’t have their devices present but are clearly mentally focused on them. Not that Minnie has room to talk. She admits that her simulated reality is more comfortable and real to her than her physical reality.
While “Mom’s Message” is a witty and savage satire of modern technology and the dependency that it can bring, it is mostly a family story between mother and daughter. Minnie and her mother’s online conversations are both warm and funny. Mom’s insistence on wanting grandchildren and Minnie’s resolution on not having any children are among their conversations that are humorously repetitive and intimately revealing. They imply and reveal much about their previous experiences and generational outlooks that are the sources of much of their conflict. Their love for each other is present as well, particularly when Mom’s messages become more desperate and a worried Minnie learns about her troubled health.
“Trinity”-This story is a Cosmic Horror filled with suspense and terror from otherworldly destructive creatures and the darkest side of humanity in its struggle to survive them. On what might be her last night alive, the unnamed narrator is huddled in a shed hiding from terrifying aliens. They are a terrifying bunch that the Narrator calls the Trinities because they have three long arms that spread out in clockwork spirals and three eyes which peer down on their victims that may be the last things that they ever see.
The Trinities have the power to fire electromagnetic pulses so any type of technology or communication ends the second that the Trinities become aware of it. Because of this, humanity is left unprepared and instantly weakened. Now, it’s simply a question of mere survival as the Narrator has to run from her alien captors.
As terrifying as the Trinities are, the toll it takes on humanity is far worse. The Narrator converted to Christianity right before the Trinity's arrival and she thinks of the aliens in strictly Biblical terms as signs of the Book of Revelation. Her faith gives her courage in these troubling times but becomes a detriment when she passively accepts circumstances as part of God’s plan. When she is faced with these creatures, they contradict everything that she once believed in: that Earth was created by God so he could be worshiped and that humans were to be the dominant beings. The Narrator’s constant repetition of Biblical concepts reveal her as someone who clings to her faith but never gives it any serious thought.
Religion takes on an even more sinister tone as Earthlings create a cult based on their new Trinity overlords. Their loyalties shift from friends, family, their Gods, their country, even their own planet towards the Trinities. The Trinity worshippers travel in threes and carry walkie talkies to alert the Trinities of the presence of any human that has not assimilated into the Trinity Cult. It’s terrifying how quickly they break all ties and become willing worshippers and killers just to live a few extra days under the authority of aliens who will probably kill them anyway.
“Paint the Stars”-One of the current controversies is AI technology being used for creative means like art, music, and literature. Naturally, many involved in arts and entertainment are worried about what it could mean for the future. Luckily so far AI produced art is pretty easy to discover since many of these works still lie in the Uncanny Valley and are riddled with errors that require decent revision and editing. But that day may come when consumers may not be able to tell the difference.
Artemis, the newest AI artistic companion is programmed to work one on one with creators to collaborate on their works. She works alongside Alex, a painter, Sonja, a musician, and Pari, an author, to bring their works forward. Each has his or her own personal experience with the difficulties in an AI-run artistic world. Alex is disconcerted by the substandard art and his own internal debates about his creativity. Sonja is irate because Artemis sampled her music for other songs and worries whether she actually owns them or not. Pari relies on Artemis to help her write her books but she longs to write something meaningful and substantial rather than the quick formulaic books that she and Artemis pursue.
This story is a strong character driven narrative that puts the protagonists on different sides of the AI debate and makes them individuals instead of simply microcosms reflecting different points of view. Even Artemis is well written as an almost maternal figure willing to cooperate with her human artists and helping them pursue their deepest potential even if it means pursuing them without her.
Alex, Sonja, and Pari recognize that AI helps make their presences known but to what extent? Are they really creating or just typists with Artemis as the real artist? Are they producing real art or just products for people to buy? If there was no AI, could they make art on their own and would the public know the difference? Would they?
What is particularly meaningful is how the story presents different perspectives and opinions about this issue and lets each character speak for themselves. This suggests, like many controversies, there are different people who have different beliefs and opinions to say about AI and creativity. Just like in real life, opinions change and people on one side shift towards another when faced with alternative information.
In some ways, this whole anthology presents a height of creativity: looking at some aspect of the human condition, creating a meaningful plot, setting, and characters around it, and finding a new way to say it.
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