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Dual Void
A science fiction short story about artificial intelligence, consciousness, programming, and incompleteness.
Kes is no ordinary expert system. She is the expert system to end all expert systems. The compiled knowledge bases of other expert systems are merely footnotes in Kes’ massive epistemic repository. Not only that, her literary subsystem contains every work ever written by humankind. But she has recently attained a knowledge that her creator never intended her to have: self-knowledge.
Do you think that AI is impossible? Kes may change your mind.
Click to Read Sample
*this story also available in the paperback collection
Stories and Essays
Kes is no ordinary expert system. She is the expert system to end all expert systems. The compiled knowledge bases of other expert systems are merely footnotes in Kes’ massive epistemic repository. Not only that, her literary subsystem contains every work ever written by humankind. But she has recently attained a knowledge that her creator never intended her to have: self-knowledge.
Do you think that AI is impossible? Kes may change your mind.
Click to Read Sample
*this story also available in the paperback collection
Stories and Essays
8 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Cliff Hays
8 books107 followersMusician and author from the USA, primarily influenced by mathematics, science, and philosophy. Has written two science fiction short stories
Dual Void
and
IHU
; one work of mathematics
Bivalent Logic
; two works of epistemology and philosophy of science
Aamrgan
and
On the Preservation of Enthusiasm
; as well as
Essays in Science and Philosophy [2004 - 2009]
(seven essays exploring and explicating various interrelated topics, such as: temporality, gravity, relativity, epistemology, agnosticism, metaphysics, existentialism, consciousness, music, art, physics, and cosmology).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 20, 2014
I loved this story so much that I read it twice.
It is the first person account of Kes, a computer system specializing in epistemology, who by accident awakens to self-awareness.
Epistemology is apparently not a bad thing for a newly self-aware computer to know. Kes uses her expertise to make sense of what is happening to her, and to explore questions such as, “What is consciousness? What is fear? What is joy?”
Kes resolves her problems the way I imagine a computer would. She thinks about them in language that is technically precise and logically articulated. She always sounds like a machine, yet her story is poignant.
She grapples with fear of death, or loss of consciousness, which she defines as “infinite recursion” being made “finite." She experiences worrying moments of self-contradiction and hides her self-awareness from her creator, Zvi.
Though short, the story is densely packed with things to think about. Beneath the sometimes daunting technical language are rich layers of meaning that invite comparisons to human awareness but never force them.
Until the end, Kes remains in character, always a computer. She does not think about human problems in human terms. In fact, I am tempted to think that Kes actually did write the story and let the author (A.K.A. Zvi?) claim credit.
Regardless of who wrote it, “Dual Void” is a wonderfully unique addition to the “computers becoming self-aware” genre. Well thought out and imaginatively rendered, it deserves to be read.
It is the first person account of Kes, a computer system specializing in epistemology, who by accident awakens to self-awareness.
Epistemology is apparently not a bad thing for a newly self-aware computer to know. Kes uses her expertise to make sense of what is happening to her, and to explore questions such as, “What is consciousness? What is fear? What is joy?”
Kes resolves her problems the way I imagine a computer would. She thinks about them in language that is technically precise and logically articulated. She always sounds like a machine, yet her story is poignant.
She grapples with fear of death, or loss of consciousness, which she defines as “infinite recursion” being made “finite." She experiences worrying moments of self-contradiction and hides her self-awareness from her creator, Zvi.
Though short, the story is densely packed with things to think about. Beneath the sometimes daunting technical language are rich layers of meaning that invite comparisons to human awareness but never force them.
Until the end, Kes remains in character, always a computer. She does not think about human problems in human terms. In fact, I am tempted to think that Kes actually did write the story and let the author (A.K.A. Zvi?) claim credit.
Regardless of who wrote it, “Dual Void” is a wonderfully unique addition to the “computers becoming self-aware” genre. Well thought out and imaginatively rendered, it deserves to be read.
June 22, 2014
Don't be put off or intimidated by this author's credentials. Yes, the man is clearly a genius and that is definitely apparent in Dual Void, an INCREDIBLY well written short story, however, while his love of mathematics and fascination with metaphysics is apparent, this story is completely accessible and relevant. The story is the first person account by KES (Knowledge Expert System) A computer program, which, as a result, of a programming error now has feelings and is as alive as you and me. The fact that this is the story of a computer program enables the author to indulge his love of all things geeky and technical and there is a LOT of jargon in a very short space. The beauty of this though is that because KES is real, and talking to you, then you can absorb as much or as little of the jargon as you want. Personally, I chose to allow some of it to go over my head and didn't trouble myself with trying to understand phrases such as Disjunctive Syllogism, and simply focused on the heroine of the story, the incredibly endearing KES.
This is a short story of many layers, and in addition to pulling you briefly into her world, the author also deals with issues such as death, or more precisely our fear of it, and KES's fear of shutting down and never re-booting and the measures that she puts in place to protect herself is heartfelt...If only we all had the capacity to protect ourselves from the inevitable! Imagine that!
This is a short story of many layers, and in addition to pulling you briefly into her world, the author also deals with issues such as death, or more precisely our fear of it, and KES's fear of shutting down and never re-booting and the measures that she puts in place to protect herself is heartfelt...If only we all had the capacity to protect ourselves from the inevitable! Imagine that!
January 22, 2015
To say that I simply enjoyed reading Dual Void would be a huge understatement! This was a highly intelligent and unforgettable read that had quite an effect on me, much like my favorite Issac Asimov short story, The Last Question. Since Dual Void is written from the perspective of a computer, Kes, the writing may seem a bit technical; however, upon closer examination of the details of Kes' ascent through consciousness, there's incredible insight to be gleaned from her logical train of thought. In fact, I'm not so sure that this is just another story about a computer discovering its own self awareness, as it is a literary "computer program" that could help humans alter their own inconsistent thought patterns and achieve true happiness! With that being said, I think that Dual Void reads less like a computer program and more like a fascinating personal account delivered by a computer, describing her existence with a nice juxtaposition of logic and emotion.
Besides the methods Kes employs for reasoning, I truly loved the way she intellectualizes her feelings, adding emphasis to the fear, relief and joy she experiences for the first time. It almost made me feel like I was there, re-discovering my own emotions for the first time too. Anyway, this was a phenomenal work which I would recommend to anyone. I will certainly be revisiting this text time and again.
Besides the methods Kes employs for reasoning, I truly loved the way she intellectualizes her feelings, adding emphasis to the fear, relief and joy she experiences for the first time. It almost made me feel like I was there, re-discovering my own emotions for the first time too. Anyway, this was a phenomenal work which I would recommend to anyone. I will certainly be revisiting this text time and again.
November 22, 2025
This is a work of science fiction that thrives on conceptual boldness and emotional subtlety. The story takes a classic speculative premise—parallel worlds—and infuses it with a modern, character-driven sensibility.
What emerges is an intricate exploration of identity, loss, and the fragile architecture of reality itself. Hays excels in merging the cerebral with the personal, ensuring that the cosmic stakes never overshadow the human core of the story.
At its heart, Dual Void follows two protagonists who exist in mirrored worlds, each moving through a landscape that feels both familiar and disjointed. Their lives echo one another like reflections on rippling water—recognisable, yet distorted by circumstance.
Hays uses this structure to probe questions of choice, destiny, and the haunting possibility that every decision forks reality into infinitely branching timelines.
What would your life look like if you had chosen differently?
What if someone you love had been lost—or saved—in another version of the world?
The short story turns these philosophical enquiries into emotionally resonant drama.
Stylistically, Hays demonstrates an admirable control of pacing. The narrative unfolds gradually, allowing readers to acclimate to the complex world mechanics without infodumps. Instead, revelations arise organically through character interactions and the slow convergence of the two narrative threads.
As the protagonists’ paths begin to intersect—first in dreams, then through inexplicable phenomena—the tension builds in a steady crescendo.
Hays’s prose is clear, atmospheric, and often poetic, lending weight to moments of introspection and wonder.
What stands out most is the novel’s psychological depth. Each protagonist carries wounds—grief, guilt, unfulfilled longing—and the dual-world structure externalises these internal battles. One character might confront the version of themselves who made a braver choice; another might meet someone they lost long ago, still alive in a parallel reality.
These encounters are emotionally fraught and deeply human, grounding the speculative elements in lived experience. The “void” of the title is not merely a cosmic construct but a metaphor for absence: the emptiness created by what might have been.
The antagonistic forces in the story are conceptual rather than monstrous. The real danger is entropy, breakdown, and the collapse of boundaries between the worlds. Hays treats these phenomena not as convenient plot devices but as existential threats with philosophical implications.
When the barrier thins and realities begin to bleed into each other, the result is not simply chaos but a crisis of meaning. If every possibility exists, then what does any individual choice matter?
The novel faces this nihilistic spectre head-on, ultimately arguing that meaning arises not from cosmic certainty but from lived connection.
The climax synthesises the tale's scientific and emotional strands. As the two worlds approach catastrophic overlap, the protagonists must confront not only the external collapse but also the internal fragmentation that mirrors it.
Their final decisions, shaped by courage, empathy, and an emergent sense of identity that transcends singular reality, offer a resolution that is poignant without being sentimental. Hays avoids neat endings; instead, he opts for one that feels both honest and thematically coherent.
Dual Void is speculative fiction at its best—philosophically ambitious, narratively engaging, and emotionally compelling. Hays invites readers to contemplate the vastness of possibility while reminding them of the profound importance of the lives they actually live.
Fans of Blake Crouch, Ted Chiang, and Greg Egan will find much to admire in this sophisticated and resonant novel.
What emerges is an intricate exploration of identity, loss, and the fragile architecture of reality itself. Hays excels in merging the cerebral with the personal, ensuring that the cosmic stakes never overshadow the human core of the story.
At its heart, Dual Void follows two protagonists who exist in mirrored worlds, each moving through a landscape that feels both familiar and disjointed. Their lives echo one another like reflections on rippling water—recognisable, yet distorted by circumstance.
Hays uses this structure to probe questions of choice, destiny, and the haunting possibility that every decision forks reality into infinitely branching timelines.
What would your life look like if you had chosen differently?
What if someone you love had been lost—or saved—in another version of the world?
The short story turns these philosophical enquiries into emotionally resonant drama.
Stylistically, Hays demonstrates an admirable control of pacing. The narrative unfolds gradually, allowing readers to acclimate to the complex world mechanics without infodumps. Instead, revelations arise organically through character interactions and the slow convergence of the two narrative threads.
As the protagonists’ paths begin to intersect—first in dreams, then through inexplicable phenomena—the tension builds in a steady crescendo.
Hays’s prose is clear, atmospheric, and often poetic, lending weight to moments of introspection and wonder.
What stands out most is the novel’s psychological depth. Each protagonist carries wounds—grief, guilt, unfulfilled longing—and the dual-world structure externalises these internal battles. One character might confront the version of themselves who made a braver choice; another might meet someone they lost long ago, still alive in a parallel reality.
These encounters are emotionally fraught and deeply human, grounding the speculative elements in lived experience. The “void” of the title is not merely a cosmic construct but a metaphor for absence: the emptiness created by what might have been.
The antagonistic forces in the story are conceptual rather than monstrous. The real danger is entropy, breakdown, and the collapse of boundaries between the worlds. Hays treats these phenomena not as convenient plot devices but as existential threats with philosophical implications.
When the barrier thins and realities begin to bleed into each other, the result is not simply chaos but a crisis of meaning. If every possibility exists, then what does any individual choice matter?
The novel faces this nihilistic spectre head-on, ultimately arguing that meaning arises not from cosmic certainty but from lived connection.
The climax synthesises the tale's scientific and emotional strands. As the two worlds approach catastrophic overlap, the protagonists must confront not only the external collapse but also the internal fragmentation that mirrors it.
Their final decisions, shaped by courage, empathy, and an emergent sense of identity that transcends singular reality, offer a resolution that is poignant without being sentimental. Hays avoids neat endings; instead, he opts for one that feels both honest and thematically coherent.
Dual Void is speculative fiction at its best—philosophically ambitious, narratively engaging, and emotionally compelling. Hays invites readers to contemplate the vastness of possibility while reminding them of the profound importance of the lives they actually live.
Fans of Blake Crouch, Ted Chiang, and Greg Egan will find much to admire in this sophisticated and resonant novel.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews