Kimberly T’s Reviews > Stories of Your Life and Others > Status Update

“Penetrating computer security is really quite dull; I can see how it might attract those who can’t resist a challenge to their cleverness, but it’s not intellectually aesthetic at all.”

Ooookay my guy. Look at all your neurons.

Second story, called “Understand”: someone who essentially drowned after falling into ice gets Hormone K and has an increase in intelligence. And now he’s gonna get more.

The earth is a CYLINDER???? He popped out on THE GROUND after being in the SKY? I forgot this was a time where we didn’t know the earth has another dimension / is round etc. this was a cool short story! I’m in, Ted Chiang, I am in.

“Yahweh had not asked men to build the tower or pierce the vault; the decision to build it belonged to men alone, and they would die in this endeavour just as they did in any of their earthbound tasks. Their righteousness could not save them from the consequences of their own deeds.”

Oh shit.

Wait now they’re on the level of the sun, and also the stars. Where’s the atmosphere???

“Now light of the day shone upward, which seemed unnatural to the utmost… the plant grew sideways and downward, bending to catch the sun’s rays.”

Wait there’s agriculture and families living up in this tower crazy high up. Oh that’s just a skyscraper … could not be me