Better Living Through Algorithms

May 25, 2023 11:38 AM

Naomi Kritzer has a new story out. An app that tells you what to do? Turns creepy, then beneficial/friendly, takes turns that fit with our era. Somewhat reminiscent of Cat Pictures Please.

Previous Naomi listings here.

posted by jenfullmoon (21 comments total)

Outside of the sci-fi writing, Naomi Kritzer has for almost two decades produced the best election guide in the Twin Cities. I cannot emphasize enough how important her work is to understanding the candidates for local elections in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. There aren't enough gold stars for this effort, I read every single word of her election guide posts every inglorious cycle.
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:27 PM on May 25, 2023 [14 favorites]

Is it wrong that I'd actually be down to use an app like this for a while?
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:33 PM on May 25, 2023 [9 favorites]

I enjoyed that--thank you for posting!
posted by indexy at 12:42 PM on May 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

Honestly thought this was going to be about Randonautica...
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 12:58 PM on May 25, 2023

I enjoyed the story. There's a lot of similarities with the show Mrs. Davis.
posted by justkevin at 1:09 PM on May 25, 2023 [4 favorites]

What I liked best was when the app started subsidizing people when they were out of work, and told Linnea that Kevin was going to be out, so she could go sketch for awhile.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:21 PM on May 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

What a fascinating and... pleasant story. I like the anarchist vibe of a distributed, mutual aid oriented benevolent society.
posted by doctornemo at 2:16 PM on May 25, 2023 [5 favorites]

Interesting to compare with A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer.
posted by doctornemo at 2:17 PM on May 25, 2023 [4 favorites]

they had me at

“You have to use your phone as a phone? I’m out,” I said.
posted by chavenet at 2:48 PM on May 25, 2023 [3 favorites]

"You have to use your phone as a phone? I’m out,” I said.

I heard some comedian joke that someone called her on her smartphone. "As a Millennial," she said, "it was like a marriage proposal."
posted by doctornemo at 3:55 PM on May 25, 2023 [6 favorites]

I love how everyone haaaates having to make actual calls.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:33 PM on May 25, 2023 [3 favorites]

That was fantastic!
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:58 PM on May 25, 2023

Is it wrong that I'd actually be down to use an app like this for a while?

Saaaame!!! Or like a human version of this app, because privacy concerns. Though maybe the app might be more able to financially tide me over during transition times.
posted by creatrixtiara at 9:28 PM on May 25, 2023 [3 favorites]

This is a great read, thank you for posting it!
posted by Brioche at 9:42 PM on May 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

All The Birds in the Sky has a similar plot element with its "caddy" devices.
posted by one for the books at 11:28 AM on May 26, 2023

It reminded me of a Bruce Sterling story, Maneki Neko
posted by boogieboy at 12:52 AM on May 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

I enjoyed the story. There's a lot of similarities with the show Mrs. Davis.

Quite the understatement. It's like the author just glommed the basic concept of Mrs. Davis and wrote a brief story using it.

No nuns or anything though.
posted by Ayn Marx at 11:30 AM on May 27, 2023

“So it’s a capitalist cult. Like that book about the mice. Be a good little corporate drone.”

That got a laugh.

Man, fuck that cheese book.
posted by Artw at 11:50 AM on May 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

This is a good post and you should feel good.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:29 PM on May 27, 2023 [4 favorites]

So what about this story makes it a win? Is it the idea itself? The hyper accurate Gen Z voice and concerns? Those are my guesses but I'm genuinely curious what people think.
posted by newdaddy at 8:49 AM on May 30, 2023

This was delightful, and I'm not at all surprised, since I loved Cat Pictures Please - but I don't really keep up with what delightful authors are publishing, so I'm especially glad to find out about this through MetaFilter.

So what about this story makes it a win?

That's not really the sort of thing I usually think about, but since you ask:

One of the big things, for me, is just the idea of things being better, easier, more filled with pleasure and delight, and seeing a portrayal of that world.

I've talked about this some elsewhere on MetaFilter, but for me, the typical elements of successful storytelling don't really apply: I don't care what happens. I don't care how well plotted it is or whether the characters change and grow or achieve something. I just want likeable people to hang out with, ideally in a likeable world.

(I also overlaid some of the AI in Cat Pictures Please onto this, even though it seems clear late in this piece that Abelique is not AI and doesn't have any sentience, but since I'm fond of the AI in Cat Pictures Please, having that echo of that AI in my head made me like this all the more.)

It's interesting to me that you name "the hyper accurate Gen Z voice and concerns," because I'm not Gen Z and yet I totally related to Lianna (even though my life is nothing like hers - I'm self employed, so no Keith, and I'm ordinarily fairly good at making time for my creative pursuits). I think we're ALL so completely overwhelmed by the number of decisions we have to make each day that having a bunch of those taken care of in a way that does lead to a happier life is a very attractive idea.

Anyway -

I really enjoyed this, and I'm delighted I got to read it. Thanks so much for posting it, jenfullmoon!
posted by kristi at 2:03 PM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]