A Stranger In The Lee Soo-Yeon Strangeverse

Nuclear Wasteland

The nuclear war had been over for two years, but the world was still a very different place. The few remaining cities were overcrowded and chaotic, and resources were scarce. Soot from all the firestorms still blocked out sunlight, while enemies might strike again at any time.

In one of these cities, a man named Adam was trying to board a lorry to get necessities for his parents and children, all of them on the autism spectrum like himself. He had been finding transportation for hours, and he was starting to get frustrated.

"I'm an autistic caregiver," he said to the soldiers guarding the lorry. "I need to get on board to get food and medicine for my parents and children, who are autistic too."

The soldiers looked bored. "We have many families with autistic children in this city," one of them replied.

"Please, I mean I am also an autistic person myself. My sensory issues mean I need to stay warm more than others as I fetch necessities for my family. I cannot be trekking in this frozen wasteland for too long."

"Ah, I hear you correctly now. But what's a person with special needs doing out in the open right now? Hunker down in your bunker and tell your family to run their own errands."

"No, no, you heard me correctly. They are also autistic."

"So your kids are the ones who're autistic?"

"I am, too."

The soldiers still didn't understand. "How can an autistic person be a caregiver?"

"It is difficult but necessary," Adam said. "Autism often runs in the family."

"Poor thing. The mother didn't survive the bombings? Get the kids' grandparents to help out."

"Like I've said before, they're autistic themselves. Their symptoms have been worsening with age. They're practically deaf to vehicle horns, and their bodies feel like rumpled bags of broken bones."

The soldiers shook their heads. "Come up with a more believable multigenerational sad-sack story, dude. I don't even know autistic people have girlfriends in peacetime, let alone in war and breeding till now. At most, you're either just autistic or just a caregiver and neither would make you so special," one of them said.

"Get your facts right before you cosplay autism. Autistic guys live in their own heads. They don't run all over the place for parents or kids," another chimed in.

"You can't get on board. Period."

Adam was starting to lose his temper. "I need to get on board!" he shouted. "My family is depending on me!"

The soldiers raised their guns. "Back off!" they ordered.

Soldiers further away, who were not even paying attention to them or Adam before, turned their heads and threw accusatory glances at him.

Adam knew that he couldn't argue with them. He turned and walked away.

Later that night, he was so worn out and frostbitten he huddled among trash bags in an alley behind a dilapidated power station, his chest heaving against the supplies. A string of fairy lights peeked out from one of the bags, its extinguished bulbs emptied of dreams.

Adam started to imagine the fairy lights powered on, glowing underwater and on the tiers of a musical fountain buttressed by statues of mythical guardians, but quickly punched himself in the head, the way his class monitor, flanked by bootlicking underlings, repeatedly did to him all those years ago. Why couldn't his identity be neat and simple? Be either the stereotypical autistic tech genius or a typical family man. Have either so-called autistic interests in some scientific or mathematical field or the skill to deceive himself and abandon his passion for interior design from the beginning. What sort of rational person would care about art and decoration when radiation was in your only meal of the day while tank guns pointed everywhere?

If he could just switch his interests and match them with economic logic as readily as nerds in old clips solved Rubik's Cube in a split second, he would be the one launching the stealth planes that must be gliding overhead right now, not a pathetic hitchhiker of a military lorry. His family would be cloistered away in one of those underground enclaves for the super wealthy, with all the aides and sitters they needed.

The red hazard sign on the drab wall opposite seemed to be glaring at Adam: We told you so. No, rewind that a second. How marvelous his aesthetic mind still had the luxury to judge the appeal of the power station, as if a red sign on some royal blue background could order food to automatically march into stomachs.

Adam's train of thoughts came to a halt. He had a brainwave.

Years later, a group of journalists felt like they were stepping into a dream as they navigated an office space filled with art and soothing music. There were little bulbs in shades of purple everywhere, glowing in the low-light conditions its creative employees preferred to work in. In the depths of the office were laboratories and showrooms with magenta lights in various stylistic arrangements. Below the lights were lettuces, cabbages, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and many other crops, some of which looked healthier than those grown under the sunlight of the pre-apocalypse years. The chlorophyll hungrily absorbed the different combinations of red and blue light tailored for the plants. The greatest value a design firm could bring to indoor agriculture, though, was optimization of lighting and area usage under the varying and challenging space conditions of post-apocalypse dwellings. Adam was feeding stomachs one fairy light at a time.

The old question popped up. "What's the secret to your success?"

"I don't have a convenient, pared-down identity," Adam replied simply.

Credits

Story concept: Human

Story setting: FierceOcean @ Character.ai

Text: Mostly Human + some AI input

Images: Mostly Character.ai + some Human input

References

Liang, Y., Kang, C., Kaiser, E. et al. Red/blue light ratios induce morphology and physiology alterations differently in cucumber and tomato. Sci. Hortic. 281, 109995 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109995

Sabzalian, M.R., Heydarizadeh, P., Zahedi, M. et al. High performance of vegetables, flowers, and medicinal plants in a red-blue LED incubator for indoor plant production. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 34, 879–886 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-014-0209-6

Winstead, D.J., Jacobson, M.G. Food resilience in a dark catastrophe: A new way of looking at tropical wild edible plants. Ambio 51, 1949–1962 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-022-01715-1

Xia, L., Robock, A., Scherrer, K. et al. Global food insecurity and famine from reduced crop, marine fishery and livestock production due to climate disruption from nuclear war soot injection. Nat Food 3, 586–596 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00573-0

Sculptures of flamenco attacks inspired by Ban Ji-eum's moves and the show's spotlight on Min Bok-jin's sculpture.

Escape From Everything Everywhere One by One —a film-inspired escape game

A series of escape rooms based on Everything Everywhere All At Once:

(Warning: Spoilerverse ahead!)

The first escape room: The first escape room is set in a laundromat, just like in the movie. The walls are covered in graffiti, and there are clothes and other laundry strewn about the room.

The keys: Players must find items that will allow them to travel to different universes. For example, they might need to find a pair of shiny buttons, a woman's and a man's, to travel to the universe where Evelyn is a movie star reuniting with her old love, or they might need to find a rock with googly eyes among many rocks to travel to the abiotic universe.

The puzzles: The puzzles in the escape room are all based on different universes that Evelyn Wang verse-jumps to in the movie. They block clues to the locations of the keys. For example, one puzzle might involve using the knowledge of a bagel chef to piece together the perfect bagel model, which acts as a knob of an oven cabinet where a key or clue to a key location can be found. Another puzzle would be translating Cantonese words on a signboard, by chaining up a jumble of bilingual dictionaries, only one of which contains English and none of which translates Cantonese to English, in the universe where Evelyn is a sign spinner.

The clues: Like in all escape game recommendations, some of the clues are obvious, while others are more obscure. For example, one clue might be a piece of paper with horrifying tax figures that would wake up even the deadest work zombie, while another clue might be a song lyric that only makes sense if you've seen the movie.

The physical challenges: Some escape rooms entail physical challenges. For example, in the universe where Evelyn is a cook contending with a rival who has a raccoon master, players can "knock out" an army of agile staff members dressed in raccoon costumes by hitting their fake tummies with paintballs. In the universe where Evelyn is an opera star, players are to wear Chinese opera costumes and gather in front of a camera within a time limit. In the hot dog universe—you've guessed it—players must work through everything using hot dog fingers. That, and playing piano keys correctly with their toes. The hot dog fingers could be made slippery, so that it's difficult to control them.

The ending: If players are able to solve all of the puzzles and overcome all of the challenges, they will be able to exit the multiverse through a giant everything bagel. Or maybe, they will beg the game host to let them stay for an eternity.

Obvious choices for background music: Laundry sounds, kung fu themes, Chinese opera, Le Festin, and the soundtracks of the film itself, In The Mood For Love, The Matrix, The Mask and maybe 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The escape room would be a great way to test film lovers' creativity and problem-solving skills while exploring the different universes that Evelyn Wang verse-jumps to in the movie.

Kindly remember to send this human editor and human generative filler the bagel donations.

Necessity and Sufficiency

Even the most fervent critic of metaphysics must have pondered from time to time: what is the meaning of my existence to this world? Feeling hopeless about her prospects in grades-obsessed South Korea on the day of the college entrance examination, mathematically challenged highschooler Jang Dan-bi jumps into a rain puddle transporting her to a drought-stricken Joseon, where Sejong the Great…

View On WordPress

A 5-Course Bard Meal to Transport Us Back to Love Between Fairy And Devil

The most precious servings for us Cloud Dream Lake inhabitants come right at the end.

Appetizer

Fairy wings. These are small, crispy chicken wings that are coated in a sweet and sour sauce. They are a delicious and playful appetizer that is perfect for a party.

Deviled eggs. These are hard-boiled eggs that are filled with a creamy and flavorful mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, and paprika. They are a classic appetizer that is perfect for any occasion.

Bamboo Shoots with Sesame Seeds. Bamboo shoots are a symbol of new beginnings, which is perfect for the story of Love Between Fairy and Devil, as it follows the journey of two characters who are from different worlds.

Caviar with blinis. Caviar is a luxurious food that is made from the eggs of sturgeon fish. It is often served with blinis, which are small pancakes. The rich and luxurious caviar is a perfect representation of the devil, while the light and fluffy blinis represent the fairy.

Soup

Tomato soup. Tomato soup is a classic American soup that is made with tomatoes, cream, and onions. It is a refreshing and light soup that is perfect for a summer meal. The bright red color of the soup is a symbol of love, while the creamy texture is a symbol of comfort.

Cream of mushroom soup. Cream of mushroom soup is a smooth and creamy soup that is made with mushrooms, cream, and white wine. It is a delicious and comforting soup that is perfect for a rainy day. The earthy flavor of the mushrooms is a symbol of the devil’s dark side, while the creamy texture is a symbol of the fairy’s gentle nature.

Salad

Caprese salad. Caprese salad is a simple but delicious salad that is made with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil. It is a refreshing and light salad that is perfect for a summer meal. The bright colors of the salad represent the love between the fairy and the devil, while the simple ingredients represent the purity of their love.

Green bean salad with mandarin oranges and pomegranate seeds. Green beans are a symbol of growth and change, which are both themes that are explored in Love Between Fairy and Devil. The mandarin oranges and pomegranate seeds represent warm wishes.

Main Course

Dragon's Breath steak with roasted potatoes and asparagus. The climax of our long feast is a classic, hearty and flavorful main course made with grilled or pan-seared meat. The steak represents the strength and power of the devil, while the roasted potatoes and asparagus represent the beauty and grace of the fairy. The entire beautiful dish is served steamingly hot, evoking scenes of our epic romantic couple missing, bickering with and tending to each other in Water Cloud Sky.

Dessert

Chocolate lava cake with blueberries on the side. Chocolate lava cake is a decadent dessert that is made with a rich chocolate cake and a gooey chocolate center. It is a perfect dessert for a special occasion. The rich chocolate flavor of the cake represents the passion between the fairy and the devil, while the gooey chocolate center represents the sweetness of their love. The Homo sapiens curator tossed in the blueberries as a throwback to the water theme running across the three realms of the story universe.

The Mermaid Fairy's kiss. A light and airy dessert made with meringue, whipped cream, and fresh berries. The dessert is garnished with a sprinkling of fairy dust in the form of powdered sugar and symbolizes the pure fairy's healing of the devil. The mermaid kiss represents the fairy and the devil's forbidden love.

Now that we're well-fed by the finest of Big Tech's kitchen, with the supplement of some self-service expositions, it's time to ponder the question whether generative AI is a fairy or a devil. The job of an AI output curator entails 1) ensuring the algorithm perform its story research properly before coming up with recommendations, 2) guarding against culturally or otherwise biased suggestions, 3) resetting or otherwise isolating machine conversations to prevent previous queries and results from bleeding into the current result where such bleeding is unnecessary and 5) screening and researching results for inaccuracies.

Here is more sugar for thought:

How do we represent the fairy's latent magic and conflicted loyalties and the devil's dual nature and repentance? How can cuisine capture their dramatic sacrifices and gradual moving transformations?

To what depth can AI research the story in the first place? Wouldn't it be even cooler if Bard can know of iconic food scenes like the one (Spoiler alert!) featuring Fairy-in-Moon-Supreme-Body and the Moon Supreme himself pettily fighting over a kingly feast in Cangyan Sea?

The listed dishes are painstakingly curated from numerous queries and refined specifications. Experiment for yourself the extent of meal suggestion repetition across different dramas and meal occasions. How much is AI merely fitting your request into predefined answers? When it does this, how much of a unique being are you and is it sincerely answering your question? Some analogies: Santa Claus gifts you a factory uniform when you wish for your own special outfit; a salesperson touts to someone nostalgically looking for a vintage phone the smartphone model the store has stocked plenty of, adapting product virtues on the pitch template to the customer rather than adapting the product itself to the customer.

Which AI models are better at true creativity? Which merely reinforce conventional thinking?

The repetition of the kind-girl-powerful-guy motif, especially before human Cloud Dream Laker edits, is also concerning. Yet this is not a problem limited to machine learning or cuisine symbolism. Since symbols are all we more often than not end up with in media references and casual chats, however nuanced the original plot is, can we swap the genders in the next breakout fantasy series for much necessary balance? Reversed gender dynamics need to appear in higher frequencies across pop culture landscapes. A cackling demoness supreme and an innocent, non-aggressive male fairy nudging out her good side without preaching, s'il vous plaît.

"No hearing is sharper than that which can hear silent soul-quakes and muted battle cries.

No sight is more acute than that which can see a real tomorrow where a beggar's child and a president's child have the same odds of receiving a maximally uplifting and productive education."

—Her Excellency Ilera, non-hearing founder of the Extratemporal Serenetics Habitat

100% Human-written. Not quite the last we're seeing of Ilera.

JSTOR Daily

The Fungi-Mad Ladies of Long Ago - JSTOR Daily

In mycology’s early days, botanical drawing was, for some women, a calling. Their mushroom renderings were key to establishing this new fiel

Read this whole article about mushroom mavens of the Victorian Era, it is delightful.

"[Banning] published some of her observations in botanical journals, including lively accounts of her foraging experiences. In one, she recounts bringing home a few (aptly named) stinkhorn mushrooms: “… there was an outcry through the house, one enquiring of the other what the loathsome smell could be, and where it came from. Each moment was filled with anxiety, lest my precious fungus, for which I had already endured so much, might be seized and carried off … .” Indeed, the stink comes from the gooey mass of fungal spores on top of the mushroom cap. She astutely proposed that the stench lures in flies and other insects, which then transport the spores afar like a bee transports pollen." "[Banning] published some of her observations in botanical journals, including lively accounts of her foraging experiences. In one, she recounts bringing home a few (aptly named) stinkhorn mushrooms: “… there was an outcry through the house, one enquiring of the other what the loathsome smell could be, and where it came from. Each moment was filled with anxiety, lest my precious fungus, for which I had already endured so much, might be seized and carried off … .” Indeed, the stink comes from the gooey mass of fungal spores on top of the mushroom cap. She astutely proposed that the stench lures in flies and other insects, which then transport the spores afar like a bee transports pollen."

Full Article on JStor Daily Here

After a long career passively (but not necessarily bitterly) hosting characters' romantic moments under or in the vicinity of their canopies, what do trees want in their retirement lives?

What if their aged selves will have ideas of romance different from characters' ideas of romance and our expectations of old trees?

What if those with the requisite magical power have only stayed rooted all their lives because they don't want to be fan-less, threatened freaks?

Thingamajigs have a lot to say today✨🖤

Bard's Dark Forest Cuisine

Macmillan

The Dark Forest

Soon to be a Netflix Original Series!"Wildly imaginative." —President Barack Obama on The Three-Body Problem trilogyThis near-future trilogy

Soon to be dramatized. Spoiler alert.

Black Forest cake. This is a rich and decadent chocolate cake that is filled with cherries and whipped cream. The dark color of the cake is a symbol of the dark forest, while the cherries represent the stars.

Sainsbury`s Magazine

Black forest gateau recipe by Eric Lanlard | Sainsbury`s Magazine

This delicious black forest gateau recipe from Eric Lanlard is the perfect dessert for a special occasion

Shrimp cocktail. This is a classic appetizer that is made with shrimp that are cooked in a cocktail sauce. The shrimp represent the civilizations that are hiding in the dark forest, while the cocktail sauce represents the fear and paranoia that exists between them.

Kitchn

You're Just 30 Seconds Away from the Best-Ever Cocktail Sauce

It comes together with just a handful of condiments.

Oysters Rockefeller. These are oysters that are topped with a creamy sauce that is made with spinach, bacon, and Parmesan cheese. The oysters represent the civilizations that are trying to survive in the dark forest, while the sauce represents the hope and determination that they have for the future.

Food Network

Grilled Oysters Rockefeller with Baby Spinach Bacon Fondue

Get Grilled Oysters Rockefeller with Baby Spinach Bacon Fondue Recipe from Food Network

Black bean soup. This is a hearty and flavorful soup that is made with black beans, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. The black color of the soup is a symbol of the dark forest, while the beans represent the civilizations that are trying to survive in it.

The Pretty Bee

Three Ingredient Black Bean Soup.

A super simple and tasty recipe for black bean soup that uses just three ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry ! Vegan a

Take the AI definitions with a pinch of Himalayan black salt, however. Numerous variants of a dish often exist. With that in mind, bon appétit.