In this episode we review the story The Lifecycle of Software Objects from the collection Exhalation by Ted Chiang. The story is about a pair of startup employees who train and bond with software beings created by the company they work for. It's a metaphor for parenting, but being a longer story with several breaks in time, it also contains a richly detailed speculative world. We use it as a jumping off point to discuss ovafusion, uploaded mammals, paths to AI, and more.

093: Review of EXHALATION, Part 2

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Armed with a completed second outline, we return for our 50th episode! This episode begins with a summary of the key changes planned for our second draft. In the next script, we’ll be fully integrating voiceover from page 1 and streamlining the way we present lobbies and the exec. We’ll also be revising Zoya’s plotline […]

c50: Second Draft Outline and Bonus AI Discussion

Script Content:-Zoya and Csaba attend the Katallian service. They discover the portal door is locked and one way (but Ocean Songbird has a key). As early attendees they are drafted into a confession ritual.-Meanwhile the priests discover an unauthorized conjuring, which leads them to find Cranium tied up.-A struggle ensues in the church as Zoya […]

c49: Script Draft 1, Beat 42

Script Content:-Zoya gets caught by Alltaf and assigned the task of killing Tim-The leadup to Tim’s death from Zoya’s perspective-The aftermath of Tim’s death: burying the body and lying to Cranium-Caught by Cranium, Csaba knocks out Cranium and takes his conjuring stone-Armed with the stone, Tim and Zoya head for the portal inside the church […]

c48: Script Draft 1, Beats 37-41

Another double episode with pages from both Ted and Jon. Script Content:– Richard and Alexis urge Zoya to take Tim’s deal at the Gaia awards-Zoya is initiated into Alltaf-Zoya witnesses Tim trying to force his way through the Alltaf lobby-Richard and Alexis coach Zoya to have Tim complete the first task for her-Zoya shows Applonia […]

c47: Script Draft 1, Beats 32-36

In this double episode, we get pages from both Ted and Jon. Script Content:-Tim, Zoya, and Csaba build shelters on Katall-Tim hunts for a suitable murder target-Zoya offers Tim an out (he doesn’t take it)-Tim discovers Cranium’s secret TV lair and decides to make Cranium the target-Tim goes to murder Cranium, while Zoya and Csaba […]

093: Review of EXHALATION, Part 2

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