Voile vers Byzance

by Robert Silverberg, Pierre-Paul Durastanti (Traduction)

La Terre, d’ici trois mille ans.
Si le monde est dépeuplé, les ultimes représentants de l’humanité, immortels, vivent dans l’oisiveté, partageant leur quotidien entre visites de cités légendaires recréées de toutes pièces et fêtes fastueuses débridées. Un monde aux mœurs étranges et libres que découvre Charles Phillips, natif du New York de 1984, projeté dans ce futur radicalement autre pour des raisons qui lui échappent. Il y rencontre Gioia, sa guide, et bientôt sa compagne, avec qui il navigue d’Alexandrie à Xi’an en passant par Asgard. Vive et magnifique Gioia, qui tait le plus terrible des secrets dans cette société hédoniste où, pour tromper les errances d’une vie sans fin, on rebâtit les civilisations, passées comme mythiques, avant de les faire retourner au néant. Or, Charles, lui, l’enfant du xxe siècle, n’a rien oublié de ce que signifie la fin…

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Novella, Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel, Short Stories

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1985

About the author

There are many authors in the database with this name.

Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.

Reviews

[Nikola Pavlovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ima nesto kod ovog Roberta Silverberga, nesto tako jednostavno a tako zarazno.
Pise sa tolikom lakocom!

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le tengo en una d esas ediciones dobles de la Editorial Robel que no encuentro por aquí.

7/10 en 2006. Media de los 30 libros leídos del autor : 6/10

Leí mucho a Silverberg de chaval. Junto a joyas como "Tiempo de mutantes" o "El hombre en el laberinto" (o incluso la saga e Majipur) tiene libros normalitos o malos-malos. Este está bien.

En el futuro visitan el pasado (sí, una vez más). Y hay amores y manipulaciones en ese pasado que producen (o no) las famosas paradojas temporales.

Le dejo en tres estrellas porque es la media del autor y cuatro me parecen muchas para cómo está escrito.

[Benjamin - Les Mots Magiques · Rating 5 out of 5]

Propulsé dans un futur très lointain, Charles Phillips découvre un monde bien différent où l’on vit éternellement dans des villes mythiques recréées de toutes pièces pour divertir la population. S’il prend beaucoup de plaisir à vivre ainsi, notamment grâce à la compagnie de Gioia, certains non-dits finissent par le pousser à s’interroger sur le mode de vie de ces citoyens du futur.
⠀
J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé cette novella, même si je dois dire qu'on se rend bien compte par moments qu'elle a été écrite il y a un petit moment. En effet, la description des relations hommes-femmes est parfois un peu datée (et limite) lorsqu'on a un regard plus moderne sur la chose. Rien de tellement choquant non plus, certains auteurs contemporains font bien pire aujourd'hui, mais ça mérite malgré tout d'être mentionné (d'après moi). 
⠀
Une chose qui m'a un peu plus gêné en revanche c'est la mention du fait que l'ensemble des citoyens, à l'exception de notre personnage principal venu d'une autre époque, ont physiquement l'air d'avoir entre 12 et 20 ans. L'auteur fait notamment régulièrement remarquer que Gioia, avec qui Charles a une relation (et des rapports sexuels) a l'air particulièrement jeune. Dans la mesure où on parle d'êtres immortels et où on n'adresse jamais plus que ça cette différence d'âge perçu (en tout cas pas pour critiquer quoi que ce soit), je me pose la question de l'intérêt d'avoir fait cet ajout dans le texte. Je ne sais pas comment ça a été reçu il y a 40 ans, quand le texte a été écrit, mais aujourd'hui, ça donne quand même une dimension assez malsaine à la relation.
⠀
Cependant, si l'on fait abstraction de ça, la lecture a été vraiment intéressante. J'ai particulièrement apprécié les réflexions sur ce que c’est que d’être humain/vivant et sur le sens de la vie d’une manière générale. On a aussi pas mal de questionnements éthiques au sujet de l'IA (même si les IA ne sont pas nommées comme telles ici), des réflexions sur le lien amoureux qui est quand même pas mal désacralisé ici avec des relations humaines complètement interchangeables, ainsi qu'une approche intéressante de la perception de l'histoire qui peut vite devenir une masse d'informations difficile à concevoir et à organiser dès lors que ça se situe suffisamment loin dans notre passé.
⠀
Malgré les défauts mentionnés, en grande partie dus à l'époque à laquelle a été écrit cette novella je pense, j'ai trouvé cette histoire vraiment riche et finement menée, avec en plus une certaine poésie franchement appréciable par moments. A découvrir absolument !

[George K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the story "Sailing to Byzantium".

"Αρμενίζοντας για το Βυζάντιο", εκδόσεις Alien.

Πρόκειται για μια αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα και πρωτότυπη νουβέλα, μείγμα φαντασίας και επιστημονικής φαντασίας. Ο Τσαρλς Φίλιπς είναι άνθρωπος του εικοστού αιώνα, που βρέθηκε ξαφνικά στον πεντηκοστό, σε μια Γη εντελώς διαφορετική από την δική του, όπου το φυσικό περιβάλλον έχει για τα καλά αλλοιωθεί και η γεωγραφία εντελώς αλλαχτεί. Μόνο πέντε πόλεις υπάρχουν ταυτόχρονα, πόλεις από διάφορες εποχές, οι οποίες δημιουργούνται με σκοπό την διασκέδαση και την ψυχαγωγία, θα έλεγε κανείς, των λιγοστών κατοίκων της Γης, και μετά από λίγο παίρνουν την θέση τους άλλες πέντε πόλεις, και πάει λέγοντας. Ο Φίλιπς είναι κάτι σαν επισκέπτης, ο οποίος συνήθισε τον περίεργο τούτο κόσμο...

Τραβηγμένη η κεντρική ιδέα, όμως σίγουρα όμορφη. Φυσικά δεν υπάρχει ο χρόνος και ο χώρος για εξηγήσεις και απαντήσεις σε καίρια ερωτήματα, όμως μου άρεσε η όλη αίσθηση, η κοσμοπλασία, η ατμόσφαιρα και η γραφή, η οποία ήταν ωραία και ευκολοδιάβαστη. Με λίγα λόγια η νουβέλα αυτή βασίζεται περισσότερο στην πρωτοτυπία της κεντρικής ιδέας, στις περιγραφές των διάφορων τοπίων και στην ξεκούραστη γραφή, παρά στην πλοκή αυτή καθαυτή. Ο Σίλβερμπεργκ θα μπορούσε σίγουρα να επεκτείνει την νουβέλα σ'ένα μυθιστόρημα με τριπλάσιες σελίδες, για μεγαλύτερη εκβάθυνση σε χαρακτήρες και κοσμοπλασία, και με περισσότερες εξηγήσεις για σημαντικά ζητήματα της ιστορίας. Πάντως πέρασα καλά. (7/10)

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ακόμα μια φορά προσπαθώ με ανοιχτό μυαλό να απολαύσω τον Σίλβερμπεργκ. Ακόμα μια φορά επιβεβαιώνεται η άποψή μου ότι είναι ο πιο βαρετός συγγραφέας εφ που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ. Τελειώνω τα βιβλία του μόνο και μόνο γιατί είναι μικροσκοπικά (των 100 σελίδων) κι επίσης επειδή η ιστορία που περιγράφουν είναι καταπληκτική. Εξ ου και τα 4 αστέρια, παρά τη βαρεμάρα που με δέρνει.

[Josh Hedgepeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5 star (closer to 5, I think)

This might be the first book (or novella technically) that I've loved this year. I really didn't expect this, but I'm very happy for it.

Imagine a far future where society lives in prehistoric cities, recreated for the joy of the populous. Except, you are not a member of this society, you are member of the past (our present), plucked from your time and forced to live, more as an artifact for their enjoyment than an actual person.

The book is under 100 pages, and I wish it was much longer. Nevertheless, what's there really packs a punch. I was very satisfied with the way the world was created, and the rules slowly divulged to the reader (there is a bit more than what I've described here).

[Oziel Bispo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine você acordar no século L, onde existem apenas 4,5 milhões de pessoas, apenas 5 cidades temporárias , que vão sendo substituídas de tempos em tempos, onde há inúmeros tipos de pessoas, robôs, habitantes temporários !? É nesse mundo que acorda um dia Charles! Solidão, paixão, surpresas é o que ele vai descobrindo com o passar do tempo ali, muitas surpresas!!

Uma história magnífica de Silverberg, me prendeu completamente!!  Simplesmente incrível.!!

[jaroiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zdá se, jako by se cestovatel časem projížděl po uměle vybudovaném světě. Ale ono je to nakonec možná trochu jinak...
Možná je víc v hlavě čtenáře, než na papíře. Otázky, které autor předkládá, jsou spíš filozofického rázu. Ač čistá sci-fi, při čtení se to tak nejeví.

[Ayn Bland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun take on the fish-out-of-water time traveler trope.

[Tim Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites novellas ever, I read it years ago in an anthology, back in the 1980s when it first came out, and was excited to listen to it read again. I was pleased it was even better than I remembered it and I had forgotten just enough to still have a few surprises.

The setting is one of my favorites of all time, the 50th century on Earth, all the world is reduced to five cities at any one time, each city a wholesale reconstruction of some fabled city from Earth’s past, be it Alexandria of the Ptolemies (where the story begins) or the Saharan trade city of Timbuktu or Rome of the Caesars or completely fictional cities like Asgard (but based on Norse mythology). A relatively small number of Citizens exist, who live lives of untroubled leisure as they travel from city to city, spending days, weeks, months (no one seems troubled to keep track of time) partying, resting, taking in the sights, gossiping with each other, no one actually working nor particularly curious as to the source of the lovingly crafted cities. They spend time in the Chinese imperial capital city of Chang-an for a time, then move on to 25th century New Chicago for days or even months, then go to other places as they or their friend group wish, no money required, their every need fulfilled, doing whatever they like, whether luxuriating in the city’s baths or being the guests of honor of imperial feasts or climbing the lighthouse at Alexandria or anything they like. After a time, months, maybe years, each city is eventually torn down and replaced by another city, with Rome one day being replaced by Venice or Byzantium.

Though there are relatively small number of citizens, maybe a few million at most, the cities are bustling, but not with living humans, but rather Temporaries, who look exactly like humans that would have inhabit the city and the role they are assigned, but aren’t actually human, just sentient enough to fulfill whatever role is needed to maintain the illusion of the real city, whether as dancer or lighthouse keeper or street sweeper or gladiator or servant or emperor or whatever is needed. They aren’t real people, they don’t have any real autonomy, they aren’t self-aware, and they have no capacity to do much of anything beyond their assigned role.

And then there is Charles Phillips, a man from 1984 New York, unsure of how he got to the 50th century, continually surprised by this world, at a loss to explain what happened between the 20th and 50th centuries, a man very much of his time. Most Citizens look nearly alike (to the point Charles often confuses them, as they all look like shorter than him, slim, dark-haired, Mediterranean types who never, ever age past what looks like late teens). Charles is with one of the Citizens, a woman named Goia, who starts out the book experiencing Alexandria with Charles, a woman frantic to take in as much of the sights as she can, to see everything today if at all possible, seemingly unaffected by the timeless and endless patience of the other Citizens who know there is all the time in the world to see all they want of each city.

The novella focuses on both Charles coming to understand the world he is in, how it works, are there others like him, can he return to 1984, and with understanding Goia, why she is different from the other Citizens, how much she is like him and why, and how much they both mean to each other despite the 50th century’s very casual attitudes to commitment and monogamy. I enjoyed all the loving detail of each city that Charles visits, both their striking attention to detail (surprising in that the average citizen often seems to know relatively little ancient history, though someone in the world clearly does) and their occasional anachronisms, whether a Christian church or a mosque in Ptolemaic Alexandria or in the Alexandrian zoo mythical creatures like hippogriffs and unicorns alongside the real world camels and hippos (though all equally fascinating to the Citizens as are all equally mythical). You don’t get a lot of answers as to how the world works, though some is revealed as the book progresses, especially when Charles finds more people like himself. The heart of the book though is Charles and Goia and what they mean to each other.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man from the 20th century wakes up in the 50th century where the population has recreated various cities of the past including Alexandria complete with people. Most humans are now immortal and their every whim is satisfied. Apparently this includes knowing down old cities and building new ones (from the past) as authentically as possible. It's like a moving feast... only something is wrong. The man from the 20th century has fallen in love with the woman from the 50th and all she can think to do is to run.

Any modesty issues? Well... there was a lot of sex and nakedness in the story. They didn't go into a lot of detail but clearly it happened... without benefit of marriage.

Great story. The ending was forced but still very good. I'd read this book again.

[j · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute novella. What I like most is the way the combination of the setting and elements of the plot uncannily remind me of dreams I have had throughout the years -- particularly the way a romantic longing is staged in a sprawling environment that combines abstract imagined celestial spaces of sparse loneliness with snatches of familiar real-world spaces. Brisk and charming.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread. One of my favorites from Silverberg’s 1980s period. Rich in detail and observation, with smooth prose and acute insight.

[Mendousse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un UHL plutôt mineur à mon goût, même si, comme toujours, la production reste de qualité.
J'ai lu et apprécié plusieurs romans de Silverberg par le passé, sans que ce soit un de mes auteurs fétiche.

[Creotivemedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dans Voile vers Byzance, Robert Silverberg imagine une humanité projetée dans un futur lointain, trois mille ans après notre époque. La Terre n’est plus peuplée que par quelques survivants devenus immortels. Libérés de la mort et de la nécessité de travailler, ils vivent dans une société hédoniste où le temps n’a plus vraiment de valeur. Leur existence se déroule entre fêtes extravagantes et voyages à travers des cités du passé recréées artificiellement : Alexandrie, Byzance, Xi’an ou encore des villes mythiques surgies de l’imaginaire collectif.

Au cœur de ce monde étrange se trouve Charles Phillips, un homme originaire du New York de 1984. Transporté mystérieusement dans cet avenir radicalement différent, il observe avec étonnement une humanité qui semble avoir perdu toute notion de limite. Dans cette société d’immortels, les civilisations sont reconstruites comme des décors temporaires avant d’être volontairement détruites, simplement pour rompre l’ennui d’une existence sans fin.

Charles découvre cet univers aux côtés de Gioia, une femme fascinante qui devient sa guide puis sa compagne. À travers leurs voyages et leurs rencontres, le roman explore un paradoxe central : que devient l’humanité lorsque la mort disparaît ? Dans ce monde où rien ne se termine vraiment, la vie semble avoir perdu une part de sa signification.

Silverberg développe ainsi une réflexion mélancolique sur la mémoire, le temps et la finitude. Charles, contrairement aux immortels qui l’entourent, appartient encore à un monde où tout avait une fin. Cette différence de perspective fait de lui un témoin lucide d’une civilisation qui, malgré sa splendeur, semble condamnée à l’ennui et à l’oubli.

À la fois récit de voyage futuriste et méditation philosophique, Voile vers Byzance s’inscrit dans la grande tradition de la science-fiction spéculative. Silverberg y interroge ce qui donne véritablement un sens à l’existence humaine, suggérant que la fragilité de la vie — et la conscience de sa fin — est peut-être ce qui lui confère toute sa valeur.

[Mattie]

As a first introduction to Robert Silverberg, this was promising. I imagine that the twist would have been more surprising to a reader in 1985, before the 21st century versions of Battlestar Galactica and Westworld, though perhaps it’s a more prevalent idea in classic* science fiction than I’m giving it credit for.

While the female characters could perhaps have been better developed, I don’t think this is a chauvinist book; Gioia and Belilala are distinct and sympathetic, and Gioia at least has agency and a motivation that makes sense within the story. Some of the language is dated, but I don’t think there’s any outright bigotry here.

The idea that a 16th century Englishman wouldn’t understand the concept of time travel is an interesting one. I know that time dilation is something that crops up in mythology and folklore, and proto-science fiction dates back to at least the 17th century (Margaret Cavendish’s The Blazing World), and earlier if you count something like Utopia.

With a few modernising tweaks, I could definitely see this making a good TV movie or episode of a sci-fi anthology show.

*My understanding of sci-fi eras is really patchy. It seems like most of my reading has been in the “New Wave” era and has dated from the 60s onwards, though I’m unclear on whether people like Heinlein and Vonnegut are considered part of the “New Wave”, let alone Lem or the Strugatskys. I’m using “classic” here as a lazy shorthand for, I guess, “before I was born”.

[Robin Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This 1985 novella is another in my reading (listening) thread revisiting some of the ‘Masters of SF/F’, continuing from works by Larry Niven (The World of the Ptavvs, 1966) and Poul Anderson (Brain Wave, 1954). Also, I am listening through Jack Vance’s Demon Princes series (1964 to 1981), which benefits from an excellent new audio adaptation of each of the five books.

Sailing to Byzantium (1985) is another work from this period in which the female characters all are beautiful to behold, objects to be desired, rescued, and, in this one, they are wont to take their clothes off from time to time, totally in character of course, as they are all hedonists.

And our protagonist has been “trapped” in this idealistic and idealised word to which he has been transported, but spends very little time (almost none) questioning why he is there, how he got there, or considering whether or not he has any interest in going back to his real life. At one point, there is a sudden emotional outburst, and it is so unexpected, unearned by any foreshadowing, that it rang hollow for me. We are almost three-quarters of the way through the story before any explanation, any justification, is offered for the protagonist’s position. By then it was far too late for me to find any sympathy for him, or to care how the story turned out.

Disappointing, but I’ve read other Silverberg books that I like, and will read more again. This one did not work for me though.

[Fra Kraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne m’attendais pas à une telle claque.


Une nouvelle d’une qualité folle, subtile, très bien écrite (Chapeau bas pour la traduction à Monsieur - avec un grand M- Pierre-Paul Durastanti !!).
Cette histoire de pélerinage des merveilles du passé, reconstruites pour le bon plaisir des hommes du futur, m’a emporté d’un bout à l’autre, avec un sens du rythme géré au scalpel, des retournements très bien amenés qui m’ont scotché, même si un élément se sent venir un peu à l’avance.
Bravo Mr Silverberg, je sens que nous allons nous entendre…

Comme quoi, contrairement à ce que certains peuvent penser de la SF et la dénigrer (il est vrai qu’il y a son lot de nanards… y compris en littérature générale qui s’essaye à flirter sur ce domaine…), il existe , heureux hommes et femmes qui aimons ce genre, des romans et nouvelles de vraie littérature d’où émane cette magie que l’on recherche, appelée Sens of Wonder, celle qui vous fait clore un livre et rester béatement 10 bonnes minutes à cogiter après sa lecture…

A LIRE, Indispensable (… comme un certain L’Homme qui mit fin à l’Histoire de Ken Liu, également traduit avec bonheur par… le même PPD ;) , dans cette même superbe collection UHL, qui combine superbe objet livre et nouvelles de grande qualité !!)

[Maciej Sz. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smutna ale pouczająco opowieść, która za sprawą połączenia postmodernistycznych i fantastycznonaukowych rekwizytów kontestuje idee nieśmiertelności, brak zarówno biologicznych jak i kulturowo-interpretacyjnych ograniczeń. Świat będący lunaparkiem dla ponadczasowych bytów staje się igraszką w rękach kafkowskich konstruktorów. Nie ma w nim podstaw, nie ma odniesień, nie ma kanonów, a co za tym idzie również kultury zdolnej budować trwałe tożsamości i doświadczenia historyczne. Wszystko migoce, opalizuje i zlewa się w palimpsest przypadkowych miast, konsumpcji oraz pozbawionych głębszego sensu uciech. Znamienny to moment, w którym bohater wchodzi do gmachu wskrzeszonej Biblioteki Aleksandryjskiej licząc na odnalezienie zagubionych dzieł Sofoklesa, Odyseusza czy Katona, dowiadując się, że pracownicy są zbyt zajęci żeby mu pomóc, a nawet gdyby mogli, to on sam nie zna przecież greki. Historia przestaje być w tej rzeczywistości busolą, a przechodzi w stan ponowoczesnej fikcji. “Pożeglować do Bizancjum” to mądra, ładna i niezwykle subtelna krytyka, przynajmniej niektórych postulatów postmodernizmu, która jednocześnie nie boi się czerpać z jego estetyki.

[Paliosec Λογιώτατος · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μετά από την τυχαία και θαυματουργή εύρεση του παρόντος αδιάβαστου βιβλίου στα ανήλιαγα βάθη της βιβλιοθήκης μου, θεώρησα σημαδιακό το γεγονός και αποφάσισα να το διαβάσω. Η νουβέλα του σπουδαίου μαιτρ Ρόμπερτ Σίλβερμπεργκ οφείλει την ύπαρξή της στα ελληνικά, τόσο στη μετάφραση της Χρύσας Μανώλη το 1994, όσο και στις ηρωικές εκδόσεις Alien. Εκδόθηκε αρχικά το 1985 στα αγγλικά και έχει πάρει βραβείο Nebula. Βασίζεται στο ομώνυμο (Sailing to Byzantium) ποίημα του W. B. Yeats (δυο σπουδαίες μεταφράσεις στα ελληνικά δείτε εδώ: https://www.lifo.gr/blogs/imerologio/...). Πραγματεύεται με το απαράμιλλο ποιητικό ύφος του μεγάλου συγγραφέα, τα θέματα της αθανασίας, της θνητότητας και του επινοημένου παραδείσου που για κάποιους είναι κάτι σαν κόλαση.
Λόγω μεγέθους και λόγω ποιότητας γραφής, διαβάστηκε μονομιάς και σας το συνιστώ!

[Caleb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well that sucked, a lot. I probably should have just DNF'd it, but I had a couple hours of time left in my work shift and figured I could squeeze this audiobook in. Now I wish I'd just listened to some music on Spotify instead.

I'm sure this is probably a fine novella for some, but for me it just didn't click at all. The whole thing reads like a book several decades older than it actually is, and all ends up being a rather bland tale of existentialism that I just wasn't feeling total sincerity in. It had too many moments that just felt forced, lazy or outright contradictory to who the characters were built up to be. They end up contradicting themselves for no good reason, and it actually took away from the message as I understood it.

Add to this some rather bland narration and it just wasn't worth the time. I'm only glad that this was a free audiobook so I'm not out any money. I'll definitely be wary of this author in the future though.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the novella "Sailing to Byzantium" reminded me so strongly of Westworld that I wonder if the writers for the show had read this as well. Among the artificial recreations of olden times, artificial servants, what-is-real themes, and who-is-a-robot plots, the biggest difference was at the end - no rebellion, no smash-the-evil-computer, no uprising or massacre, just two people in love sailing off into the sunset with hope in their hearts they will both see tomorrow together. Very sweet and especially refreshing amongst the darker fact and fiction of today.

[Robert Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

And the original poem: https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/will...
Someday, this story will form part of AI's origin story.

Samuel's review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Although dated, enjoyed the story. Easily updated as I read to current technology and the explosion of AI possibilities.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by WB Yeats Poem of the same name.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect from this. It was short, but deep. I will probably need to listen to it more.

[Rojuroem · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book story is great

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"The artifice of mortality."

[Sam T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella has a great concept of mixing the world of antiquity with that of the far future. The reveal at the end was also superb and was a thoroughly engaging experience. Wonderful.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little rambling

[cypher · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting short story, portraying a futuristic, dystopian Heaven, titled after Yeats' famous poem.