Ahoy there me mateys! Yesterday I reviewed a short story from Emily St. John Mandel commissioned by Future Tense Fiction. Future Tense Fiction is “a series of short stories . . . about how technology and science will change our lives.” It was formed in a partnership by Slate, New America, and Arizona State University. This story, mika model, was the first story of the series.

For those familiar with Paolo Bacigalupi’s work the wind-up girl, there are similarities here. This story explores an AI called a mika model and what happens when one shows up to a detective’s office with a unique problem. There are the usual elements here about sentience, liability, personhood, guilt, and responsibility. But damn this story was engaging and wonderful. It is how difficult questions are explored that make Bacigalupi’s work so compelling.

I am not sure how many stories Future Tense has written but I will certainly be seeing if there are more. Arrr!

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