42 Comments
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Melissa Fountain's avatar

Thanks. I read it out loud to my dog who loved it too.

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Sally Newland's avatar

Thanks, Walter! I'll have to read this several more times to catch it. It seems ephemeral. The caged raven in a virtual world. Prison for an unnamed crime and a virtual prison? The reader becomes disoriented, because we don't know where we are, but we do understand that we all may be caged like the raven, but we are not sure where. We do understand that the world described is not free and in fact, may be a series of cages. You've been projecting, I think! After reading this, I may need to step outside of my rural Arizona home for a bit of fresh air. I feel happy to do that.

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Don Lueders's avatar

A terrific story, Walter. I'm looking forward to your discussion with Matt tomorrow.

I think we're closer to this world than most people understand. I realize it may sound trivial, but Microsoft just rebranded 'Microsoft Office' - the suite of office applications most of us have used for decades - 'Microsoft Copilot', after its ChatGPT4-based AI solution. Now when any of us want to create a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint presentation, or even send an email, we are forced into Microsoft's AI-driven metaverse, whether we like it or not.

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PFC Billy's avatar

@Don Lueders

Bill Gates' Microsoft can stuff its metaphorical microcephalic micropenis up its own micro coccyx.

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Sheldon Norberg's avatar

Poke Eye a lot

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Keltie Zubko's avatar

I love this so much. Thank you for writing it.

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Claire Waters's avatar

This is the beginning of a serial novel, right?! Loved it and waiting for the next installment please :) The raven has a role!

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Jason Brain's avatar

Amazing story. I'll never forget how Chinese prisoners were forced to mine virtual gold in World of Warcraft back in in the late-aughts and early 2010s. I wrote a paper about it while at school titled “Et in Azeroth Ego” (Azeroth is the fantasy world of Warcraft, which is styled as a sort of Antoni Gaudi architectural chivalrous dreamscape; medieval roleplaying video game).

Here is an article about this dystopian situation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/06/02/chinese-prisoners-forced-to-farm-world-of-warcraft-gold/

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Ken Bashford's avatar

So.

All these years Montana native David Lynch was channeling Walter Kirn.

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ken saucke's avatar

hurrah, like the message of 1984,regardless the method of control human nature/spirit will not submit. or per cummings, "there is some shit I will not eat".

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Bandit's avatar

Loved it! Ready to read the rest of the book. Hint, hint.

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Mr. Raven's avatar

Yes, please do a sci fi Walter, would buy, or trade one of my paper cuts for a signed copy.

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MrsWu's avatar

Bradbury lives!

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Mark Blair's avatar

Loved this story, and how you've taken us a few steps ahead.

The only problem with it is that now I'm going to miss not having a cafe like The Orbiter in real life.

Putting this on my Kindle, as I know I'll be coming back to it.

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Keith Davis's avatar

Ominous and haunting. Great writing, Walter.

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Glitterpuppy's avatar

I hope this writing persists. Enjoyable

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Evil Harry's avatar

An excellent read.

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Gulag de Cali's avatar

"...he lacked a vocabulary for higher things." That slayed me. I work in a high poverty school and I have been talking about this gap for so long. It's nearly impossible for some of our kids to thrive, even with intense therapy and support, simply because they do not have the words to articulate their pain and their needs.

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Marti Caskey's avatar

Almost felt like walking through the future Palisades, through I pray California does not plunge into that level of dystopian existence.

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Gulag de Cali's avatar

We're on our way. I just read that Kamala is the current clear frontrunner for our next governor. I thought nobody could be worse than Noosem.

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