Though I spend most of my time studying what is labelled “history” in some manuscripts and “malignant lies” in others and the “siren scrawls of that fell demon” by many more, I find myself more interested in those works which exist not to edify or inform but instead to entertain.
Very strong story imo. Great addition to Bjartur canon. Plot- and pacing- wise it's your best story so far? I especially enjoyed the way all the most important information is carefully revealed but not explicitly stated, fitting with the biblo-gnostic theme and Borgesian style.
World-building is top notch. Characters strong. Very feminist story, too.
You truly demonstrate a delightful ability to communicate stuff through a letter which is pretending at ignorance. For example, nowhere, does the letter come out and state that there is either no Julian or he’s happy to act as cover for his sister and of course, duty fully pretends that the recipient’s sister was just affected by jealousy, and yet it’s pretty clear what’s actually going on from the story. Those are just too obvious examples, but the whole story is full of these kind of things like the fact that obviously there was no Demon making up stuff, which is why randomised attempts at replication do not work. And of course part of the charm is that the whole conceit of the story is that it’s being narrated through a letter which is clearly attempting to do the same thing, but in fact, the stories able to communicate stuff to us, which even the letter Writer in universe has no clue about. So there are secret meanings to the letter which even it’s in universe writer is not previ to. In fact, most of the world building gets communicated without ever being mentioned. Absolutely brilliant work, it was a joy to read.
I agree it’s very good and skillful writing. But there is totally a Belial that wrote stuff, it’s talking about AI-generated works in a post-apocalyptic world. I really liked the detail about “Julian”’s strangely beautiful handwriting.
I consider that possibility, but thought that people coming up with theories based on paper and ink, and then not being able to replicate was an indication that we are supposed to conclude that there is no real difference. Although of course you can’t use paper and ink to separate an AI from human. It’s just that an inability to replicate the result with random inputs is exactly what you would expect if there is no Demon, especially since in practice, it often pretty difficult for even us to distinguish AI from human writing and I imagine they are less capable on account of not having technology as good. Also, AI would mostly write online and while obviously a lot of stuff would be published. I expect it won’t be 90% of written work unless whatever catastrophe happened pretty late into AI progress and if the 10% is actually AI, I think Elizabeth would have noticed discrepancies with her theory that the 10% is human even if a lot of the 10% is humans, pretending that the AI wasn’t the one writing. Though now, I’m wondering if Julian is actually an AI instead of just cover for Elizabeth. Almost, certainly, I am wrong, but just thought of the possibility.
You’re right that the ink doesn’t work and we would be able to tell them apart because the ink used for printing would not be systematically different.
My interpretation is Elizabeth is using her computer to run a classifier like Pangram (https://www.pangram.com/); the work says a “matrix”. If the AI has a style like current ones it seems possible (but difficult!) to engineer it after a hypothetical fall.
Periodically I wonder what Borges would make of our time. Now I wonder less! Wonderful homage. I love how full the world behind this little vignette feels, and how the latent story shifts around how we imagine the second person character's activities.
Very strong story imo. Great addition to Bjartur canon. Plot- and pacing- wise it's your best story so far? I especially enjoyed the way all the most important information is carefully revealed but not explicitly stated, fitting with the biblo-gnostic theme and Borgesian style.
World-building is top notch. Characters strong. Very feminist story, too.
I gasped at the part where the narrator revealed he is a labyrinth. I applauded when he revealed he is a dream.
thank you funny dog pfp man
You truly demonstrate a delightful ability to communicate stuff through a letter which is pretending at ignorance. For example, nowhere, does the letter come out and state that there is either no Julian or he’s happy to act as cover for his sister and of course, duty fully pretends that the recipient’s sister was just affected by jealousy, and yet it’s pretty clear what’s actually going on from the story. Those are just too obvious examples, but the whole story is full of these kind of things like the fact that obviously there was no Demon making up stuff, which is why randomised attempts at replication do not work. And of course part of the charm is that the whole conceit of the story is that it’s being narrated through a letter which is clearly attempting to do the same thing, but in fact, the stories able to communicate stuff to us, which even the letter Writer in universe has no clue about. So there are secret meanings to the letter which even it’s in universe writer is not previ to. In fact, most of the world building gets communicated without ever being mentioned. Absolutely brilliant work, it was a joy to read.
I agree it’s very good and skillful writing. But there is totally a Belial that wrote stuff, it’s talking about AI-generated works in a post-apocalyptic world. I really liked the detail about “Julian”’s strangely beautiful handwriting.
I consider that possibility, but thought that people coming up with theories based on paper and ink, and then not being able to replicate was an indication that we are supposed to conclude that there is no real difference. Although of course you can’t use paper and ink to separate an AI from human. It’s just that an inability to replicate the result with random inputs is exactly what you would expect if there is no Demon, especially since in practice, it often pretty difficult for even us to distinguish AI from human writing and I imagine they are less capable on account of not having technology as good. Also, AI would mostly write online and while obviously a lot of stuff would be published. I expect it won’t be 90% of written work unless whatever catastrophe happened pretty late into AI progress and if the 10% is actually AI, I think Elizabeth would have noticed discrepancies with her theory that the 10% is human even if a lot of the 10% is humans, pretending that the AI wasn’t the one writing. Though now, I’m wondering if Julian is actually an AI instead of just cover for Elizabeth. Almost, certainly, I am wrong, but just thought of the possibility.
Oh wait, the author liked your comment, so I suspect we have word of God on this.
You’re right that the ink doesn’t work and we would be able to tell them apart because the ink used for printing would not be systematically different.
My interpretation is Elizabeth is using her computer to run a classifier like Pangram (https://www.pangram.com/); the work says a “matrix”. If the AI has a style like current ones it seems possible (but difficult!) to engineer it after a hypothetical fall.
What delightful treachery.
Periodically I wonder what Borges would make of our time. Now I wonder less! Wonderful homage. I love how full the world behind this little vignette feels, and how the latent story shifts around how we imagine the second person character's activities.
New Thomas Bartender posting!