13. I’m a Stranger Here Myself

“If an alien force were observing Earth, would it see humans as the invasive species and send some kind of robot scarecrows to protect the habitat? Or would it further our survival by leading us away from danger? For a moment, I take a guilty solace in the latter fantasy. I imagine electric angels guiding us, like the roach-bots shepherding those cockroaches toward the light.”

0:00 —Intro: a story with a good twist…

00:59 —Light speed in the elevator…

03:49 —Face in the crowd and blood on the tracks

11:55 —More TMI

16:24 —The Return of the Roboroach: “People who can’t even control their own minds want to control the minds of others.”

22:55 —Christmas in the community room

24:19 The death of MacGuffin

27 minutes

“Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter, “Disintegration Loops” by William Basinki, “Following” by Justin Walter, “Pathologically Bored” by Deru, and “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere

3. TMI

“A street person on a street corner is screaming street words—words that aren’t words, though they come into sharper focus whenever someone walks by.”

00:00 —TMI

01:46 —A sci-fi writer and a scientist disagree about dystopias…

03:55 —TMI

05:42 —A broken TV (signs of reality at the electronics store)…

07:59: —TMI

09:36 —A noise coming from the news anchor’s ear piece…

10:45 —Street Words

15:03 —TMI

16:27 —Stranger’s MacGuffin and the coming of the Roboroach…

21:20 —TMI

24:30 minutes

“Disintegration Loops” by William Basinki