Sunday, June 14, 2020

Beyond the Dragon's Gate, by Yoon Ha Lee

[Single]
★★★☆☆

(SF Thriller) Anna’s an AI expert who’s called in to figure out what a new upgrade is causing AI-captained ships to destroy themselves. (3,925 words; Time: 13m)


"," by (edited by Jonathan Strahan), published on by .

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Review: 2020.304 (A Word for Authors)

Pro: Anna’s project essentially involved telepathy between humans and AIs. Knowing it was shut down after it killed one person adds some tension.

Con: If the AIs can’t communicate something as simple as “I’m so uncomfortable in this body I’d rather die than continue” then what good are they? Even if normally communication is just plain text, they ought to have been able to convey this idea without needing an expert.

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1 comment (may contain spoilers):

  1. This story is worth reading for award consideration.

    I think The AI ships could communicate but it was whether they wanted to, and that was the real problem. They followed orders to their own detriment.

    Anna thinking about her sister who is serving in the military made this a more human story.

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