The Lifecycle of Software Objects

Ted Chiang
The Lifecycle of Software Objects Cover

The Lifecycle of Software Objects

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5/6/2020
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As with all of the author's stories, this one is an extensive exploration of ideas and implications, with less emphasis on plot and very little on character development. Nevertheless, the exploration is an engrossing one: What really defines sentience? sapience? How much does one's upbringing override or direct free will and choice? When is it okay for one being's judgment to override another's personal agency?

In addition, the story does a great job of extrapolating the evolution of current-day technological environments to their possible future state, with the consequences engendered by obsolescence and shifting social values. Readers who prefer the usual story progression may be less satisfied by the author's tendency to not really have endings, but there is certainly much food for thought here.