23 votes

Learning to Be Me (1990)

8 comments

  1. [4]
    lou
    (edited )
    Link
    "Learning to Be Me" is a short story by Australian author Greg Egan. People are implanted with a device that will eventually take over their consciousness. That story had a profound effect on me....

    "Learning to Be Me" is a short story by Australian author Greg Egan. People are implanted with a device that will eventually take over their consciousness. That story had a profound effect on me. I think about it from time to time.

    8 votes
    1. lynxy
      Link Parent
      All I've read so far of Egan's work is Diaspora, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This one is a little more existentially terrifying, thanks.

      All I've read so far of Egan's work is Diaspora, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This one is a little more existentially terrifying, thanks.

      5 votes
    2. DefinitelyNotAFae
      Link Parent
      I'll almost certainly think about this one a lot too The "teacher" reminded me of the monitors in Ender's game but the entire implant made me think of the imago from A Memory Called Empire (with...

      I'll almost certainly think about this one a lot too

      The "teacher" reminded me of the monitors in Ender's game but the entire implant made me think of the imago from A Memory Called Empire (with just a touch of the Trill from Star Trek)

      4 votes
    3. Hobofarmer
      Link Parent
      I read this before bed last night and it was all I could think about when I should have been sleeping. It provides a similar thought experiment to the whole process of teleportation - are you...

      I read this before bed last night and it was all I could think about when I should have been sleeping. It provides a similar thought experiment to the whole process of teleportation - are you still you?

      3 votes
  2. [3]
    trefulo
    Link
    I really enjoyed that. In particular, the experience of going in blind. I didn't know what the story was about or what to expect. I expect that not only will the story stick with me for some time,...

    I really enjoyed that.

    In particular, the experience of going in blind. I didn't know what the story was about or what to expect. I expect that not only will the story stick with me for some time, but the experience of reading it for the first time. If you're reading this but haven't read the story, just do it.

    Spoilers, not for the story but for the experience of going in blind I did not see the switch to becoming a psychological thriller coming but very powerful. It was a fun story element to have the 'author' going through their own realizations, several throughout the story, as we followed along in their own psyche, however the final horror realization we have for the fate of the organic version of the author is left largely unmirrored and unsaid.

    I don't know how to pitch this story to others without detracting from that part of the experience.

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      lou
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      That is the experience of talking about the works of Greg Egan. (1) There are no words to convey it without simplifying to a criminal extent. And (2) when you do find some barely adequate words,...

      I don't know how to pitch this story to others without detracting from that part of the experience.

      That is the experience of talking about the works of Greg Egan. (1) There are no words to convey it without simplifying to a criminal extent. And (2) when you do find some barely adequate words, you feel that it is best to say nothing at all.

      EDIT: simplified the prose.

      4 votes
      1. Hobofarmer
        Link Parent
        "hey you should read this" If they don't, eh If they do, great!

        "hey you should read this"

        If they don't, eh

        If they do, great!

        3 votes
  3. Hobofarmer
    Link
    Thank you for sharing this.

    Thank you for sharing this.

    3 votes