CanadianCorhen

heyo,

im trying to remember the name of a short story i read about three years ago online.

A girl was sent by her bible thumping parents in to an... AI controlled prison. the AI explains how this is permanent, but they are studying humans.

Its explained how the coffin sized room can simulate any situation, and over time she realizes that she can request drones be sent to real planets, and these drones can have humans forms. Each "prison cell" is either 1 cubic km, or 10 cubic km of support infrastructure to allow them to deliver the perfect VR experience.

Managed to refine my search terms a bit, and by using "AI prison" instead of "vr prison" found it!

https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/sacrids-pod/

Yea... buying a $35 "early access" title, to have a large amount of the content locked behind a pay wall... that kills any interest in the game for me.

""Assuming you play only regular matches and not solo (2 points per extract), and each round takes you 10 minutes to extract, and you NEVER DIE, it would take you ~30 hours to get 5 shards," sp00kyemperor calculated in a separate thread. "So if you're a god tier player that extracts every single time, it will still take you 30 hours to unlock one class.""

The fact that this has been replicated is amazing!

I recently stumbled upon this list of scifi based on Invasive Species, and one that caught my eye was "The Pollinators of Eden" by John Boyd. Unfortunately, finding a physical copy was a challenge, so I opted for the online version on Open Library.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Boyd's novel takes readers on a thought-provoking adventure that blends the essence of the 1960s with a futuristic setting in the year 225x. The retro-futurism aspect adds a fun and nostalgic touch to the narrative, creating an interesting backdrop for the story to unfold.

However, one aspect that stands out is the unusual emphasis on sexuality throughout the book. The main character, Freda Caron, initially presents herself as a tight-laced, career-driven woman with an aversion to physical contact. However, her character undergoes a rather forced transformation, facilitated by the consumption of multiple martinis, leading to her becoming sexually liberated and even engaging in intimate encounters with an orchid, eventually giving birth to a large seed. This character growth feels contrived and lacks a genuine development, appearing more like a checkbox of sexual encounters rather than a meaningful exploration of her personal journey.

The novel also introduces the intriguing theme of the end of the universe, and trying to allow some survival of humanity past this upcoming end, which could have been a fascinating story in its own right. However, it seems to be incorporated primarily to serve as a catalyst for Freda's unusual outcome of giving birth to a seedling, which is portrayed as a positive outcome. This aspect of the narrative feels somewhat forced and detracts from the potential depth that could have been explored in the exploration of the universe's demise.

Overall, "The Pollinators of Eden" is an engaging read, particularly if you're seeking a short novel that transports you to a different era. It offers a blend of retro-futurism and thought-provoking ideas, even though the unusual focus on sexuality and the contrived character growth of Freda may be off-putting for some readers. If you're open to unconventional tales and can look past these quirks, you'll find enough intrigue and originality to make the journey worthwhile.

If you want something which stands up better to the test of time, I recommend Green Patches by Asimov.