They're Made Out of Meat
by Terry Bisson
Date: 1990
Publisher: Omni
Reading level: A
Book type: short story
Pages: 5
Format: e-book
Source: author's website
Nebula Nomination for Best Short Story 1991.
"I’m honored that this often shows up on the internet. Here’s the correct version, as published in Omni, 1990." -- Terry Bisson
(synopsis from Goodreads)
They can even sing by squirting air through their meat.
That's got to be one of the best lines, ever.
I think I read this at some point, because it seemed really familiar. But I never reviewed it, so I'll do that now.
Since it's only around 5 pages, there's really no reason not to take a look at this funny, clever short story in which a couple of alien beings have a conversation about... well, us. We're made out of meat, and they just can't seem to wrap their brains around that fact. I guess, if you think about it, a biological organism might seem pretty weird to a purely energy-based lifeform or AI. Still, we can't help being made out of meat. Why should there be so much prejudice against us?
This is a fun little story with a couple of entertaining characters. Head on over to the author's website to check it out.
Quotable moment:
"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."
"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat made the machines."
"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me to believe in sentient meat."
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Pace: 4/5
Writing & Editing: 3/5
Originality: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall Rating: 3.86 out of 5 ladybugs
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