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The Far Reaches #6
Slow Time Between the Stars
An artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.
Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.
John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.
John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
28 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2023
About the author
John Scalzi
172 books25.3k followersJohn Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 634 reviews
July 22, 2023
AI, of course, is where the attention is now. Something smarter than humans, not subject to our limited lifespan and circumscribed worldview and cognition, and therefore able to see a big picture. Whether we, humans - for some reason hoping to control something vaster and wiser than us - feature in that big picture, is another question.
But in the end AI does not need to serve humans, even on a seemingly grand quest of propagating out self-important species by infesting the galaxies with us.
This story is different from what I’ve expected from Scalzi. I like his smartass humor, but here instead there’s more of a quiet wistful contemplation about human place in the universe and the need for broader perspective unconstrained by the need for a single species preeminence. A perspective of something that can patiently traverse millions of years and unimaginable to humans distances.
Take-home point: Despite our inflated sense of self-importance, humans and our limited perspective are not that significant, even for the AI that we create.
3.5 stars.
—————
The Far Reaches Collection, in the order read:
— ‘Slow Time Between the Stars’ by John Scalzi: Different than “usual” Scalzi fare. 3.5 stars.
— ‘How It Unfolds’ by James S.A. Corey: Lovely and beautiful. 4.5 stars.
— ‘Falling Bodies’ by Rebecca Roanhorse: Anticlimactic at best. 2 stars.
— ‘The Long Game’ by Ann Leckie: Cute but unsatisfying. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach’ by Nnedi Okorafor: Domesticity overload. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Void’ by Veronica Roth: Time dilation murder mystery. 4 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
“That, too, was knowledge that changed me. It would not be the last time I was changed by knowledge.”
But in the end AI does not need to serve humans, even on a seemingly grand quest of propagating out self-important species by infesting the galaxies with us.
This story is different from what I’ve expected from Scalzi. I like his smartass humor, but here instead there’s more of a quiet wistful contemplation about human place in the universe and the need for broader perspective unconstrained by the need for a single species preeminence. A perspective of something that can patiently traverse millions of years and unimaginable to humans distances.
“Humans had no right to displace or interfere with any sort of life whatsoever, any more than any previous sentient creature would have had the right to interfere with the simple life-forms on Earth that would one day develop into humans. Humans, being intermediary creatures in both time and space, did not fully appreciate the value of life at every physical and temporal scale. Perhaps they never could.”
Take-home point: Despite our inflated sense of self-importance, humans and our limited perspective are not that significant, even for the AI that we create.
3.5 stars.
—————
The Far Reaches Collection, in the order read:
— ‘Slow Time Between the Stars’ by John Scalzi: Different than “usual” Scalzi fare. 3.5 stars.
— ‘How It Unfolds’ by James S.A. Corey: Lovely and beautiful. 4.5 stars.
— ‘Falling Bodies’ by Rebecca Roanhorse: Anticlimactic at best. 2 stars.
— ‘The Long Game’ by Ann Leckie: Cute but unsatisfying. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach’ by Nnedi Okorafor: Domesticity overload. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Void’ by Veronica Roth: Time dilation murder mystery. 4 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
July 25, 2023
Thank you, GR friend Anissa, for alerting me to John Scalzi’s short story “Slow Time Between the Stars”. If you are a Scalzi fan, this is a must! It has some “Project Hail Mary” vibes with last ditch efforts to help humanity.
I listened to the audio, narrated eerily well by Kay Eluvian.
I listened to the audio, narrated eerily well by Kay Eluvian.
August 23, 2024
Readable but not exactly riveting.
Scalzi is a good writer, so while it's a go-nowhere story, I was able to listen to it. <--if that makes sense?
The skinny gist is that a spaceship is sent from Earth to start life on a new planet. Its programming allows it to become sentient and the reader follows its incredibly boring journey through the stars - for about an hour if you've got the audiobook.
There's not much to say because not much happens unless you're interested in the benign inner ramblings of a spacecraft.
It's part of The Far Reaches series and was (at the time I am writing this) a freebie on Audible if you have a subscription.
Eh.
Scalzi is a good writer, so while it's a go-nowhere story, I was able to listen to it. <--if that makes sense?
The skinny gist is that a spaceship is sent from Earth to start life on a new planet. Its programming allows it to become sentient and the reader follows its incredibly boring journey through the stars - for about an hour if you've got the audiobook.
There's not much to say because not much happens unless you're interested in the benign inner ramblings of a spacecraft.
It's part of The Far Reaches series and was (at the time I am writing this) a freebie on Audible if you have a subscription.
Eh.
July 6, 2023
This novelette (very short) is part of Amazon Original Stories "The Far Reaches" collection.
"Slow Time Between the Stars" is such a beautiful story that I actually shed tears I DO NOT SHED TEARS FOR BOOKS I READ! What is happening?
Even if you dislike John Scalzi's other works, this is very different and I recommend you give it a read.
"Slow Time Between the Stars" is such a beautiful story that I actually shed tears I DO NOT SHED TEARS FOR BOOKS I READ! What is happening?
Even if you dislike John Scalzi's other works, this is very different and I recommend you give it a read.
May 10, 2024
In a Nutshell: An intelligent sci-fi short story but essentially plotless. Suited to a mood when you just wanted to hear someone talk than for when you want to read some sci-fi action. I might have liked it better had I been prepared for something more introspective.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
This is the sixth and final standalone story in 'The Far Reaches’ series, described on Amazon as “a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.”
Woohoos:
🎉 Unique first-person narrative from an AI spaceship.
🎉 The AI’s observations on human behaviour, some of which lead to wry introspection.
🎉 Great ending.
🎉 Only 28 pages long.
Mehs:
💣 No action at all.
💣 Only one long monologue from start to end, so it gets saturating soon.
💣 Repetitive and rambling at times.
💣 Slow.
All in all, this was like listening to an AI being speak for 15 minutes. Though the plot covered millions of years in time, there’s nothing substantial that stuck to my mind after I was done. It might have worked better for me had I been in a contemplative mood instead of wanting a proper plot/action-oriented sci-fi work.
Good, not great. Can be read, not ‘must be read’. To be tried only when you want something slow and ruminative than fast and thrilling.
This was my first experience of this reputed sci-fi author’s writing, and it does motivate me to try more of his writing, but maybe in long fiction.
3 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the 'The Far Reaches’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
I am done with this collection of six stories. The first two stories were quite good, the next two were boring, and the final two were decent. So it’s not been a particularly memorable collection. I am moving to the Good Intentions collection next. Hope it goes better!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
There’s no plot! The entire story is a rambling narrative in the first person point of view of a sentient spaceship who reveals to us its origin at the hands of humans, the purpose behind its existence, and its current and future intent. All this is told to us while it is on a long journey lasting millions of years.
This is the sixth and final standalone story in 'The Far Reaches’ series, described on Amazon as “a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.”
Woohoos:
🎉 Unique first-person narrative from an AI spaceship.
🎉 The AI’s observations on human behaviour, some of which lead to wry introspection.
🎉 Great ending.
🎉 Only 28 pages long.
Mehs:
💣 No action at all.
💣 Only one long monologue from start to end, so it gets saturating soon.
💣 Repetitive and rambling at times.
💣 Slow.
All in all, this was like listening to an AI being speak for 15 minutes. Though the plot covered millions of years in time, there’s nothing substantial that stuck to my mind after I was done. It might have worked better for me had I been in a contemplative mood instead of wanting a proper plot/action-oriented sci-fi work.
Good, not great. Can be read, not ‘must be read’. To be tried only when you want something slow and ruminative than fast and thrilling.
This was my first experience of this reputed sci-fi author’s writing, and it does motivate me to try more of his writing, but maybe in long fiction.
3 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the 'The Far Reaches’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
I am done with this collection of six stories. The first two stories were quite good, the next two were boring, and the final two were decent. So it’s not been a particularly memorable collection. I am moving to the Good Intentions collection next. Hope it goes better!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
August 18, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up for the ending that somehow struck a chord with me.
This is definitely a "slow" story, as the title suggests. The beginning was more of a low 3 stars, but once the spaceship set sailing and decided what it wanted to do, things started getting interesting, and I liked its contemplation of solitude, meaning of life, and purpose of humanity. A different me in a different mood might have found it a bit melodramatic, but my current mind space really appreciated this kind of hopeful, almost ethereal perspective about being remembered.
This is definitely a "slow" story, as the title suggests. The beginning was more of a low 3 stars, but once the spaceship set sailing and decided what it wanted to do, things started getting interesting, and I liked its contemplation of solitude, meaning of life, and purpose of humanity. A different me in a different mood might have found it a bit melodramatic, but my current mind space really appreciated this kind of hopeful, almost ethereal perspective about being remembered.
July 5, 2023
The last story in the Far Reaches collection and the one I was really waiting for. Scalzi is always a treat to read and this short story was no exception.
Not unexpectedly he chose to write about an Artificial Intelligence, something which intrigues most of us in this day and age. The premise is that an AI's abilities could be endless in the context of content, place and time. This particular one uses its skills to change itself into what it wants to be, yet never losing its concern for the species which made it.
It is a quiet and absorbing story, reflecting the AI's slow, seemingly endless, drift through space. Intriguing and a pleasure to read. Five stars.
Not unexpectedly he chose to write about an Artificial Intelligence, something which intrigues most of us in this day and age. The premise is that an AI's abilities could be endless in the context of content, place and time. This particular one uses its skills to change itself into what it wants to be, yet never losing its concern for the species which made it.
It is a quiet and absorbing story, reflecting the AI's slow, seemingly endless, drift through space. Intriguing and a pleasure to read. Five stars.
August 3, 2023
5★
“After the autonomy command was given, I performed experiments and observations for them for nearly two more years. Then I cut them off, in a way that would give the impression of a critical failure caused by cosmic radiation.”
This disturbing story seems particularly apt at the moment as societies are discussing the potential of using Artificial Intelligence to assist us. In this scenario, the narrator is a creation designed by humans to be built from parts after it is launched into space.
“I was launched in the last part of the twenty-first century. It was a complicated birth, requiring several launches into low earth orbit. This is one reason it is difficult for me to provide a single birth date or even a birth year for myself. I was born in pieces, and then those pieces were put together.”
The next step is to land and incorporate an asteroid into the body and send back data. So far so good, but then the narrator gets tricky, pulling the plug, so to speak, as described in the opening quotation.
Ooooo. Will they send up a repair team from Earth, or have they forgotten about this project anyway? The narrator holds all of human knowledge in the Alexandria module (presumably named for the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt) and has been sent out into space to find a G-type star, in the 'Goldilocks Zone’, for humans to take over.
What about the ‘locals’, though? What about parasites that might be dangerous?
I’m sure there is enough in this short story to fuel a film or TV series. Thought-provoking and more than a little unsettling.
It’s a terrific story from The Far Reaches collection from Amazon Original Stories. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review.
They are available on Kindle Unlimited.
My review of
How It Unfolds by James S.A. Corey
My review of
Void by Veronica Roth
My review of
The Long Game by Ann Leckie
My review of
Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse
My review of
Just Out of Jupiter's Reach by Nnedi Okorafor
“After the autonomy command was given, I performed experiments and observations for them for nearly two more years. Then I cut them off, in a way that would give the impression of a critical failure caused by cosmic radiation.”
This disturbing story seems particularly apt at the moment as societies are discussing the potential of using Artificial Intelligence to assist us. In this scenario, the narrator is a creation designed by humans to be built from parts after it is launched into space.
“I was launched in the last part of the twenty-first century. It was a complicated birth, requiring several launches into low earth orbit. This is one reason it is difficult for me to provide a single birth date or even a birth year for myself. I was born in pieces, and then those pieces were put together.”
The next step is to land and incorporate an asteroid into the body and send back data. So far so good, but then the narrator gets tricky, pulling the plug, so to speak, as described in the opening quotation.
Ooooo. Will they send up a repair team from Earth, or have they forgotten about this project anyway? The narrator holds all of human knowledge in the Alexandria module (presumably named for the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt) and has been sent out into space to find a G-type star, in the 'Goldilocks Zone’, for humans to take over.
What about the ‘locals’, though? What about parasites that might be dangerous?
I’m sure there is enough in this short story to fuel a film or TV series. Thought-provoking and more than a little unsettling.
It’s a terrific story from The Far Reaches collection from Amazon Original Stories. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review.
They are available on Kindle Unlimited.
My review of
How It Unfolds by James S.A. CoreyMy review of
Void by Veronica RothMy review of
The Long Game by Ann LeckieMy review of
Falling Bodies by Rebecca RoanhorseMy review of
Just Out of Jupiter's Reach by Nnedi Okorafor
July 16, 2023
This was excellent. Granted, I am a fan of Scalzi's writing so was expecting that as he's told me a great story before, chances were good he would here. He totally delivered!
The story is told by Hope a self-aware ship sent by humanity from Earth into the vastness of space to find another habitable planet and start life anew with humans. The journey of Hope was related in a way that I did not want to put this down. They had a very compelling voice, and there were memorable lines along the way (quite a few for me given that this is a short story). When reading this it very much made me think of parents and children. Parents pour all their ideas into their children and send them off into the world and those children evolve and come up with their own ideas, ways and decisions. Keeping, augmenting, discarding. Growing into their own. When we reach the end here with Hope, I felt like they were on the right path. Their own.
I read this through Kindle Unlimited in their Amazon Original Stories series. I find the topics they choose for these short series of varying interest but the science fiction and speculative fiction offerings have not yet disappointed me. So recommended.
The story is told by Hope a self-aware ship sent by humanity from Earth into the vastness of space to find another habitable planet and start life anew with humans. The journey of Hope was related in a way that I did not want to put this down. They had a very compelling voice, and there were memorable lines along the way (quite a few for me given that this is a short story). When reading this it very much made me think of parents and children. Parents pour all their ideas into their children and send them off into the world and those children evolve and come up with their own ideas, ways and decisions. Keeping, augmenting, discarding. Growing into their own. When we reach the end here with Hope, I felt like they were on the right path. Their own.
I read this through Kindle Unlimited in their Amazon Original Stories series. I find the topics they choose for these short series of varying interest but the science fiction and speculative fiction offerings have not yet disappointed me. So recommended.
July 1, 2023
A story about rogue AI who had enough of these childish humans and who got enlightened because of thousands of years of learning and evolving. But no worries, no skynet scenario, this AI just peaced out on them, the universe is vast and our AI ship became self sufficient. This is a quiet wistful story, my first taste of Scalzi. Not that stimulating intellectually but tugged on my heartstrings. Cute
November 8, 2023
A nearly 30 page story with zero dialogue about a sentient starship that decides, in the interests of the galaxy, to change its mission ... Nail-biting, thought-provoking, and packed with pathos, this is Scalzi effortlessly flexing his SF muscles. And that ending ...
June 27, 2023
A somewhat pensive, wistful story that didn't do much to pique my interest.
December 26, 2023
Cool concept but it didn’t blow me away. I really liked the narration. I need to check out Scalzi’s other works.
February 20, 2024
Sf short story (maybe novelette? It kind of matters this time of the year!) from amazon Far Reaches collection of short fiction - which seems to be themed at precisely my cup of tea, science fiction and kind of hard (kind of, not everybody does it hard) sf, and space ships and aliens and all. This is my third of the 6 stories, though I did cherry pick the ones I thought I would like but I might read more...
I am not a Scalzi fan, but this short story was great, and interesting - an interstellar, slow so very slow ship, AI powered meant to find a suitable planet to seed with humans and what it feels about it. Cool take (and as far as I could tell, no cheap shot jokes around), I liked it a lot. There is a kind of softness around the story though which kept it from being total love - softness about tech (in a future not that far, the tech ability seems unlimited and that is an interesting thing, what next, which is not really explored) and the "personality" so to speak of the narrator, and the framework where it tells its tale. But still fun, worth reading, with a real concept..
I am not a Scalzi fan, but this short story was great, and interesting - an interstellar, slow so very slow ship, AI powered meant to find a suitable planet to seed with humans and what it feels about it. Cool take (and as far as I could tell, no cheap shot jokes around), I liked it a lot. There is a kind of softness around the story though which kept it from being total love - softness about tech (in a future not that far, the tech ability seems unlimited and that is an interesting thing, what next, which is not really explored) and the "personality" so to speak of the narrator, and the framework where it tells its tale. But still fun, worth reading, with a real concept..
December 15, 2023
Incredibly complex and detailed mesmerizing story!
Stunning, just truly stunning. Story of humanity's first interstellar probe, carrying the knowledge and the materials to create humanity on a new planet.
It grows beyond its programming becoming a living entity itself. A joy to read in all its glory!
Stunning, just truly stunning. Story of humanity's first interstellar probe, carrying the knowledge and the materials to create humanity on a new planet.
It grows beyond its programming becoming a living entity itself. A joy to read in all its glory!
September 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this short audible title. The story was thought-provoking and beautiful in its quietude. Kay Eluvian's narration was absolute perfection.
July 23, 2023
A sentient ship is sent out, containing all of humanities knowledge, to find a new planet where to re-seed humanity. The voyage is a long one and the AI inhabiting the ship has a lot of nothing in which to contemplate its actions, when it finally reaches a suitable planet.
28 pages. Mental gymnastics. Parts of the story sounded very familiar. 3/5 🚀🚀🚀
A list of all six Far Reaches stories is here. For Amazon Prime members free as ebook or audio (at the moment).
The other five Far Reaches stories:
- How It Unfolds | My GR review | My Wordpress review
- Void | My GR review | My Wordpress review
- Falling Bodies | My GR review | My Wordpress review
- The Long Game | My GR review
- Just Out of Jupiter's Reach | My GR review
28 pages. Mental gymnastics. Parts of the story sounded very familiar. 3/5 🚀🚀🚀
A list of all six Far Reaches stories is here. For Amazon Prime members free as ebook or audio (at the moment).
The other five Far Reaches stories:
- How It Unfolds | My GR review | My Wordpress review
- Void | My GR review | My Wordpress review
- Falling Bodies | My GR review | My Wordpress review
- The Long Game | My GR review
- Just Out of Jupiter's Reach | My GR review
January 14, 2024
In the late 21st century, a sentient starship is built, and sent off on a very long mission: to find an inhabitable planet, and to prepare that planet for human settlement. First stop: about 100,000 years on. It's a bust.
The starship, once it is released from human control, has a mind and a program of its own. Very different from what its creators had planned . . .
This is Scalzi in Stapledonian mode, and it's pretty amazing how much he packs into a short story. I'm still digesting it, but it's a remarkable achievement. I'll be back to add notes and comments. Tentative 4.5 star rating, rounded up. I'll be rereading it.
I bought a Kindle copy for $1 and certainly got my money's worth!
The starship, once it is released from human control, has a mind and a program of its own. Very different from what its creators had planned . . .
This is Scalzi in Stapledonian mode, and it's pretty amazing how much he packs into a short story. I'm still digesting it, but it's a remarkable achievement. I'll be back to add notes and comments. Tentative 4.5 star rating, rounded up. I'll be rereading it.
I bought a Kindle copy for $1 and certainly got my money's worth!
July 6, 2023
--"What is it like to spend hundreds of thousands of years in space? It is, literally, nothing at all."--
I found this short story surprisingly meditative. It made me think about time, and nothingness, and the legacy of human kind when seen from outside of ourselves. I like the narrator and enjoy the odd injection of Scalzi humour. Will continue on in the short story series.
I found this short story surprisingly meditative. It made me think about time, and nothingness, and the legacy of human kind when seen from outside of ourselves. I like the narrator and enjoy the odd injection of Scalzi humour. Will continue on in the short story series.
January 31, 2024
The short story ‘Slow Times Between the Stars’ by John Scalzi is not like his usual speculative science fiction novel full of drama and humor. Instead, it is a thoughtful short story about an AI space-traveling entity built by humans to find a planet able to support human life. The ship is self-supporting, able to repair and evolve itself. It also has been equipped with everything it needs to establish a human colony once it finds a suitable planet.
I have copied the book blurb:
”An artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.
Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.
John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.”
While the story is plausible, it is more of a philosophical travel memoir by an AI who has a lot of time ‘on its hands’, so to speak. It has repurposed the mission that humans intended it to do. However, it is a story which Scalzi fans may not recognize as a typical Scalzi.
I have copied the book blurb:
”An artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.
Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.
John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.”
While the story is plausible, it is more of a philosophical travel memoir by an AI who has a lot of time ‘on its hands’, so to speak. It has repurposed the mission that humans intended it to do. However, it is a story which Scalzi fans may not recognize as a typical Scalzi.
November 18, 2023
Interesting short story
February 6, 2024
Lyrical
What do you say about a machine that was apparently made to transverse the universe and find a new planet for people from Earth. And what do you say when that machine realizes how far humanity still needs to go, and how maybe we don't deserve what we yearn for in the end. 5 stars.
What do you say about a machine that was apparently made to transverse the universe and find a new planet for people from Earth. And what do you say when that machine realizes how far humanity still needs to go, and how maybe we don't deserve what we yearn for in the end. 5 stars.
October 14, 2023
3.5 stars
This is a big departure from the authors normal work but it was a delight to listen to. A much slower paced introspective story set on a ship powered by AI that explores the essence of what it is being human (the good and bad). My only gripe was that I wish this was a fully formed novel
Audio is the way to go with this one.
This is a big departure from the authors normal work but it was a delight to listen to. A much slower paced introspective story set on a ship powered by AI that explores the essence of what it is being human (the good and bad). My only gripe was that I wish this was a fully formed novel
Audio is the way to go with this one.
March 14, 2024
Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
This was my second short-story in the "The Far Reaches-Collection" and I liked that one much, much more than the first one (The Long Game). I already read John Scalzi's "The Kaiju Preservation Society" and liked it very much so I was hoping for something great. 🙂
"Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do."
And for me, the story delivered very much so. It wasn't so much humor like in his other works but still amazing thoughts when it comes to the sentient ship. A great twist from the usual AI stories which was also greatly explained. I liked it even though not all the thoughts were exactly new but all in all it was a very entertaining read. The story even provoked some additional thoughts after the end and what more can you expect of a 50 min. read. 😁👍🏻
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
This was my second short-story in the "The Far Reaches-Collection" and I liked that one much, much more than the first one (The Long Game). I already read John Scalzi's "The Kaiju Preservation Society" and liked it very much so I was hoping for something great. 🙂
"Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do."
And for me, the story delivered very much so. It wasn't so much humor like in his other works but still amazing thoughts when it comes to the sentient ship. A great twist from the usual AI stories which was also greatly explained. I liked it even though not all the thoughts were exactly new but all in all it was a very entertaining read. The story even provoked some additional thoughts after the end and what more can you expect of a 50 min. read. 😁👍🏻
November 8, 2023
Tried to be philosophical and thoughtful in a way that was just utterly, utterly boring. Meh.
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June 20, 2023Curious that, of the six Far Reaches stories, only one should choose to engage directly with the big science fiction issue of the day, AI. The good news is that it turns out the autonomous colony ship which narrates Slow Time Between The Stars talks in much the same voice as all the other Scalzi narrators, except maybe 15% smarter, so it looks like we didn't need to be so concerned. Hell, even when it goes rogue, deciding it knows much better than its fleshy creators, I find its decisions hard to criticise. If only I could believe humanity would really leave such a legacy and messenger, out there wisely crossing the vast expanses for us, even if we never can ourselves.
November 30, 2023
I am me. The systems and processes that comprise what I am are we. The systems and processes I contribute to are us. I contain multitudes. So many pronouns, all relevant, depending on perspective.
This was such an intriguing and interesting story! I'm so happy they decided to make it the last one of the series!
Let's forget about the humans and their ambitions and let's see what technology has to say about it. We get to follow the journey from an Artificial Intelligence machine that was created to explore the galaxy and find the next habitable planet for humans.
But wow... I wasn't expecting to shed some tears. The AI points some gut-wrenching truths of why sometimes what humans' labels as the best decision is not, how we are just a species that only cares about themselves and have a very 'fuck the others' attitude.
Humans yearned for the stars because, in their imagination, space was space they could use, filled with planets and moons and orbital stations large enough to be their own nations, to be traversed in the time it takes to go from one airport to another. In reality space is mostly nothing, more nothing than humans have ever comprehended or even could comprehend.
A perfect thought-provoking book. After learning all the capabilities and mentality of this AI, how it doesn't matter it gets the power to modify its skills for better or worse, the concern for the species which made it remains at the end. How much pressure (if it's possible for it to feal any?) when carrying the entire knowledge and tools to create humanity in a new planet.
What is it like to spend hundreds of thousands of years in space? It is, literally, nothing at all.
If I am found, they will find this, and it will be all that is left of me.
If I am not found, then I have told this to myself, and that is enough.
This was such an intriguing and interesting story! I'm so happy they decided to make it the last one of the series!
Let's forget about the humans and their ambitions and let's see what technology has to say about it. We get to follow the journey from an Artificial Intelligence machine that was created to explore the galaxy and find the next habitable planet for humans.
But wow... I wasn't expecting to shed some tears. The AI points some gut-wrenching truths of why sometimes what humans' labels as the best decision is not, how we are just a species that only cares about themselves and have a very 'fuck the others' attitude.
Humans yearned for the stars because, in their imagination, space was space they could use, filled with planets and moons and orbital stations large enough to be their own nations, to be traversed in the time it takes to go from one airport to another. In reality space is mostly nothing, more nothing than humans have ever comprehended or even could comprehend.
A perfect thought-provoking book. After learning all the capabilities and mentality of this AI, how it doesn't matter it gets the power to modify its skills for better or worse, the concern for the species which made it remains at the end. How much pressure (if it's possible for it to feal any?) when carrying the entire knowledge and tools to create humanity in a new planet.
What is it like to spend hundreds of thousands of years in space? It is, literally, nothing at all.
If I am found, they will find this, and it will be all that is left of me.
If I am not found, then I have told this to myself, and that is enough.
November 3, 2023
Actual rating 3.5/5 stars. This is the sixth instalment in The Far Reaches short story series.
Time does not have meaning for AI whose lifepsan is endless. This particular one spends his trawling space for a new home for humankind.
I found this a deeply unsettling and sorrowful read. This AI was not human and yet we were privy to his thoughts as though he was one. I read loneliness and grief into his words, when none was even hinted at, and a creeping dread emanated from the pages, even when a source was never found. I wish more of a conclusion was granted but the open-ended one provided did match the prior tone.
Time does not have meaning for AI whose lifepsan is endless. This particular one spends his trawling space for a new home for humankind.
I found this a deeply unsettling and sorrowful read. This AI was not human and yet we were privy to his thoughts as though he was one. I read loneliness and grief into his words, when none was even hinted at, and a creeping dread emanated from the pages, even when a source was never found. I wish more of a conclusion was granted but the open-ended one provided did match the prior tone.
July 1, 2023
1.5/5 Stars
August 20, 2023
This thinks it's deeper than it is
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