Sin Eater

by Ian R. MacLeod, LeVar Burton (Narrator)

A robot "sin eater" is called to perform a vital service for the last human on earth. This story appears in the author's collection, entitled RAGGED MAPS.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook

1 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Ian R. MacLeod is the acclaimed writer of challenging and innovative speculative and fantastic fiction. His most recent novel, Wake Up and Dream, won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, while his previous works have won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and the World Fantasy Award, and have been translated into many languages. His short story, “Snodgrass,” was developed for television in the United Kingdom as part of the Sky Arts series Playhouse Presents. MacLeod grew up in the West Midlands region of England, studied law, and spent time working and dreaming in the civil service before moving on to teaching and house-husbandry. He lives with his wife in the riverside town of Bewdley.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A robot is called to assist with the transfer of the consciousness of the last known human living on earth in corporeal form to the digital thereafter.

In the wake of the climate crisis, environmental destruction, and global conflict, human beings created a digital world designed to last eternity, existing both planetarily and in outer space, with multiple power sources and redundancies, to which they transferred their consciousness en masse. The sole remaining robot created to assist with this transfer receives a surprises summons. His services had not be required for some time, and although he does not discount the possibility of humans living "corporeally" somewhere in the remote wilderness or in off-planet colonies, he had not previously been aware of the existence of any living humans.

When the transfer assistant arrives in Rome, Italy, and enters the ruins of the Vatican, he discovers that his client, the last human on earth, is Pope Pontian II. Pontian is in a state of extreme old age and being kept alive by machines in hospital bed in the center of the Sistine Chapel.

The robot and the pope have a chat. The pope gives more backstory about the state of humanity and his own decision to finally transfer to the digital realm. The robot explains the process of transfer, including how the person transferring can choose to leave behind any negative memories or regrets. These "sins" that are left behind during transfer remain in the data spike with the robot. Hence, he is a type of sin-eater who takes on the sins of the departed, so that they can have a better experience in the afterlife.

The transfer is initiated, and robot, acting as a guide, temporarily merges his consciousness with that of Pope Pontian II and experiences his memories. After the transfer is complete, the sin eater robot attempts to fulfills the pope's last wish of having his body laid the crypt of St. Peter's alongside those of the other popes.

As the robot carries Pontian's body towards the Basilica directed by the pope's personal serving droid, the other robots emerge from the buildings in Vatican and are drawn wider Rome. They follow the sin eater and crowd around him, eventually impeding his ability to move. A hive mind of mob mentality suddenly takes over. They swam the sin eater.

The other robot's pull the pope's body from his arms. Then they proceed to crucify the sin-eater in the ruined basilica on a cross assembled from fallen roof beams, using his data spikes as nails and stabbing them into his head to create a crown of thorns. The negative memories -- the sins -- stored in the data spikes that humans did not want to take with them into the digital afterlife flood the robot's consciousness, and he literally takes on the sins of humanity. Like Jesus at the moment of His death, the robot forgives them as his circuits overload, and he experiences permanent shutdown.

I had not expected the twist. I thought the robots attracted by pope's transfer and death would line the route to St. Peter's crypt like mourners at a funeral procession. The moment of final extinction for any species is poignant, and the end of humanity, human civilization, and human religion would be an incredible moment for the sentient robots who will inherit the earth. Pontian is also the last pope. With his death, Catholicism and Christianity were extinguished. I imagined a congregation of robots surrounding the last pope, the last human, as he was laid to rest in a grave and ominous silence. I even wondered if there would be a divine revelation at the end.

Boy, was I wrong. The transfer of the last human and his resulting death rendered all robots created to serve humans obsolete and deprived them of their purpose for existing, and they responded in rage with violence.

I had not heard of Pope Pontian, but I checked, and there really was a Pope Pontian who lived in the 3rd Century, was persecuted by the Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax, resigned his office as pope, and accepted exile to Sardinia. He was also apparently martyred shortly after arriving in Sardinia, which is a detail the story does not include.

Sin eaters are something I find fascinating, and I have read a bit of the British folklore regarding them. Based on the one sentence summary, I wondered if a robot sin eater would be programmed to perform the ritual of eating bread and drinking ale laid out on the body of the deceased.

Given the wild ideas that billionaire tech bros have been throwing around, the premise of this story has striking cultural relevance. They are currently trying to sell the dream to venture capitalists of being able to upload a digital version of themselves that will exist forever in the form of generative artificial intelligence.

The author gives an afterward in which he states his belief that organized religion is the main impediment to human progress, science, and equality. Despite being a practicing Orthodox Christian, I cannot help but agree with this statement. The major organized religions have caused an extraordinary amount of suffering, especially when adhered to strictly and literally, and are the greatest obstacle to secular humanitarian laws and perceptions of reality based on science. At the same time, I agree with the narrator's commentary that religion can also act as a guide to setting people on the path to doing the right thing. Something I appreciate in Orthodoxy is the constant directive not to be legalistic or "pharisaical" and not to judge others (judge as in condemn and demand punitive action against them, not as in discern that an action, behavior, belief, or statement violates a particular ethical, social, cultural and/or religious code of conduct).

[Chrysten Lofton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0⭐“…humans were capable of believing things which went against the evidence of their own senses and intellect.”

**mild content spoilers**

♡ LBR 2023 ♡

I am so, SO happy to plug in with these stories again on LeVar Burton Reads. I took a couple years to get my associate, and I can’t begin to express how difficult it was to find a free half hour in a day. I’m out of the woods, at least for a little while, and when I saw the new season update, my heart skipped a beat. Feels like a homecoming, and here I am, late to the party.

This one is hard to rate! The poignance of the author’s underlying thesis carried the story for me personally. The narrative itself isn’t bad—again, I have just lost my taste for post-apocalyptic finalities in fiction. I am ready for a solar punk era. I need it.

This is macabre to me, but with echoes of hope, which I believe is an urgent requirement when we tell hard truths. The sci-fi aesthetic floods the senses as you read. It seems effortless, but that’s a skilled author’s eye/ear that cultivates it.

Thanks for reading and if you wanna chat about the latest LBR episodes, come join us at the LeVar Burton Reads Official Community.

- 📚☕♥
Goodreads Official Star Representation
5 - It was amazing
4 - I really liked it
3 - I liked it
2 - It was okay
1 - Did not like it.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather liked the beginning, however I disliked the end in that it was a robot crucifixion. It doesn't work for me. I studied Renaissance art and I love the Pieta, I just cannot imagine anyone mourning the Sin Eater, even if he forgives the others.


Will add some quotes as I did enjoy some of the author's attitudes expressed about religion and human nature.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always find myself being a little bit too drawn into LaVar Burton's narration. The beginning caught my interest, but I lost track shortly after. This probably deserves a second listen (with concerted effort on my part) but I suspect there's other stories better suited to my fancy out there.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the setting of a decaying Vatican City... Interesting sci-fi... Unsure if number of times I fell asleep listening is a comment on my energy level, narrator's tone, story content, other or a combination

[Skye · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, just barely rounded down
Listened via audiobook on LeVar Burton Reads

I was very meh about this story the entire time, and I thought the ending was going to pull this to a rounding up situation... But it still didn't quite get there. 😔

[Jen B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was very striking, particularly the ending. I can see this being an argument both for and against The Singularity.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much potential lost by the nonsensical ending that was too forced to be the intended symbolism. I don't think the atheist author understands enough to realistically depict Catholicism.

[Luke Muehlhauser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno, this didn't do much for me. A short story I listened to via the "Levar Burton Reads" podcast.