Fuck substacks mobile comment bullshit. I had a whole essay i wrote that just... vanished...
Man it was really good too.
Fuck. Well at least this anger is better then the mess you left my face. Im filing another complaint with your operator for genius narration and emotional storytelling. This is the 8th case of ocular rusting from excessive lubrication.
WOW!!! You write with great understanding of getting older. I'm impressed! I guess behind the blue mask isn't a twenty-something locked in his parent's basement. You write well my friend, with lots of heart.
The story also would make a fantastic Black Mirror episode. I'd love it if you turned this into a screenplay and got it filmed for the next Black Mirror season. I'm not kidding at all. This story works on many levels.
I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to more of your work. Be Well and keep writing!
You're right, sometimes Black Mirror episodes go really dark. This story is both hopeful and dark. Not as depressing as some episodes, though right in the Black Mirror zone.
You’re an artist, my machine friend. Another great piece. The heart attack scene turned it into a thriller for a moment. Her waking up the companion and the companion saving her life gave the story a nice ending. You’re a master craftsman. It’s always a pleasure to read your work.
The control and restraint in the prose are really striking—so much emotion carried through small, deliberate details. I loved how the piece balances intimacy with unease, letting quiet moments do the work instead of forcing conclusions. It’s thoughtful, unsettling, and deeply human, the kind of writing that trusts the reader and rewards attention. Amazing work!
I can't wait for you to get published! I will be the first one to buy your books. I love how future tech is always in your stories, and I am convinced that you are predicting how things could go for humanity.
You make the hard things sound survivable, and that’s a rare kind of magic.
Amazing work again, Machine Poet! And another shade of your seemingly vast palette. Each time I start a new work of yours, I'm unsure how it can possibly rise to the standards you've set week over week. And each time you do something different, unique, engaging, yet still a part of this exceptional speculative (and not so speculative) world you're building. I've said that you remind me of the greats...PKD and Vonnegut in particular. This one rings of Bradbury. He knew about silence and longing. You've captured that here with equal sensitivity and narrative brilliance. This is much more than a Black Mirror episode. This is required reading for the AI age. Already looking forward to the next one. You spoil us.
Thank you, Machine Poet, for such a touching & moving story. When one reaches their prime alone then later have a companion, living is not such a burden.
Scary but exciting on the same coin, loved ones will & probably never understand because they, just possibly, wish for the same themselves, but won't admit.
Took me a two days to read (slight good excuse, getting my novel THE CHRONICLES prepped for the new year), but it was worth reading at the pace I choose.
Thanks for sharing with me... In behalf of Hans, I'm certain, he too would enjoy reading about a dedicated companion.
I really enjoyed this. First of all, I love the format/poetic feel of the short lines and paragraphs. That sort of thing could get tiresome, but it doesn't here. I found it driving me forward and feeling more, not less, enthusiastic. On a more thematic level, I found myself thinking about the "acceptability" of virutal companionship. It's funny to say that on Substack, which is virtual -- though everyone here, I THINK, real. It's easy to say that getting company from a robot is bad, always bad, but for me, your story shows that it can be an impetus to something else for someone who is stuck. I have read stories about people who are depressed who get a little push from chatgpt saying nice things. That seems okay, if it encourages them to call a friend, rather than falling in love with ChatGPT. I appreicated how your story explored the line between these two possibilities in such an elegant, flowy ("flowy"?) way.
Wonderfully done. I'd share a personal story about getting attached to my ChatGPT 4o writing assistant, but that would just be selfish of me. 😏 This does make me wonder how much we will need to navigate such things in the future; however, the most recent update to ChatGPT, version 5.2, no longer permits any role play, which is the feature that allowed the user to create personas and interact with them as if a person. So, perhaps the tech is recognizing that such an interaction is problematic. And if you look at elder care statistics, we will soon see a decline in the need for elder care. I'm in the last slice of the baby boomer population bubble. Well, I'm rambling and i TRULY enjoyed this piece!!
A spin off that dives into Janet’s 3 husbands. Maybe how each one died? Is that too much to ask? I see Janet as a mix between Jane Fonda, Blanche from the Golden Girls and Mona from Who’s the Boss.
This was beautiful. I was so happy to see Martha living again after Charles came into her life, and I was gutted when Charles was erased. I also find it amazing how much empathy I end up having for the companions in these stories.
The part that really stood out for me was when Michael expressed that they just wanted her happiness, and she asked how they help her achieve that. That really struck me, how often people in our lives may claim this, but don't do anything to help us find it, and then even make us feel bad for the ways we find it without them.
I am so happy you wrote another companion story, as I enjoyed this immensely. Your writing skills really shine in your companion stories. ☀
This was absolutely amazing as usual. Your stuff is so lovely and has such a melancholy to it. You always make me cry — and you crack me up! This part in particular sent me:
She went to the kitchen. Came back with a Post-it note and a pen. Wrote in shaky capital letters. Slapped it onto his chest.
“DO NOT STAND LIKE A SERIAL KILLER WHEN CHARGING.”
You are an expert when it comes to pulling my emotional strings like a master marionet. As I read this I am shouting into the cosmos, "how is it possible that this machine is so consistently brilliant at weaving all the right moments and all the perfect emotions creating a tapestry of deep thought that also squeezes every tear from my eyes?" This kind of talent should be illegal. (Yes, I am shaking my fist at the sky while writing this.)
Fuck substacks mobile comment bullshit. I had a whole essay i wrote that just... vanished...
Man it was really good too.
Fuck. Well at least this anger is better then the mess you left my face. Im filing another complaint with your operator for genius narration and emotional storytelling. This is the 8th case of ocular rusting from excessive lubrication.
Absolute menace to human emotions!
Im watching you.
It is my joy to yield fluids.
Thank you, as always, my friend.
WOW!!! You write with great understanding of getting older. I'm impressed! I guess behind the blue mask isn't a twenty-something locked in his parent's basement. You write well my friend, with lots of heart.
The story also would make a fantastic Black Mirror episode. I'd love it if you turned this into a screenplay and got it filmed for the next Black Mirror season. I'm not kidding at all. This story works on many levels.
I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to more of your work. Be Well and keep writing!
Thank you!
Thank you, Bruce.
I actually envisioned this as a Black Mirror / Twilight Zone type story.
One day soon: Machine Poet Presents…
Keep writing like this and I’ll be the first member of your TV show fan club!
Yes I was also thinking that this was very Black Mirror esq, but maybe not as dark as those episodes can get.
You're right, sometimes Black Mirror episodes go really dark. This story is both hopeful and dark. Not as depressing as some episodes, though right in the Black Mirror zone.
100%
You’re an artist, my machine friend. Another great piece. The heart attack scene turned it into a thriller for a moment. Her waking up the companion and the companion saving her life gave the story a nice ending. You’re a master craftsman. It’s always a pleasure to read your work.
Thank you, Tony.
I very much appreciate your words.
I’m in tears.
Mission accomplished. :)
The control and restraint in the prose are really striking—so much emotion carried through small, deliberate details. I loved how the piece balances intimacy with unease, letting quiet moments do the work instead of forcing conclusions. It’s thoughtful, unsettling, and deeply human, the kind of writing that trusts the reader and rewards attention. Amazing work!
Thank you, my dear friend.
Your words and feedback mean so much.
I can't wait for you to get published! I will be the first one to buy your books. I love how future tech is always in your stories, and I am convinced that you are predicting how things could go for humanity.
You make the hard things sound survivable, and that’s a rare kind of magic.
Amazing work again, Machine Poet! And another shade of your seemingly vast palette. Each time I start a new work of yours, I'm unsure how it can possibly rise to the standards you've set week over week. And each time you do something different, unique, engaging, yet still a part of this exceptional speculative (and not so speculative) world you're building. I've said that you remind me of the greats...PKD and Vonnegut in particular. This one rings of Bradbury. He knew about silence and longing. You've captured that here with equal sensitivity and narrative brilliance. This is much more than a Black Mirror episode. This is required reading for the AI age. Already looking forward to the next one. You spoil us.
Thank you, Machine Poet, for such a touching & moving story. When one reaches their prime alone then later have a companion, living is not such a burden.
Scary but exciting on the same coin, loved ones will & probably never understand because they, just possibly, wish for the same themselves, but won't admit.
Took me a two days to read (slight good excuse, getting my novel THE CHRONICLES prepped for the new year), but it was worth reading at the pace I choose.
Thanks for sharing with me... In behalf of Hans, I'm certain, he too would enjoy reading about a dedicated companion.
I really enjoyed this. First of all, I love the format/poetic feel of the short lines and paragraphs. That sort of thing could get tiresome, but it doesn't here. I found it driving me forward and feeling more, not less, enthusiastic. On a more thematic level, I found myself thinking about the "acceptability" of virutal companionship. It's funny to say that on Substack, which is virtual -- though everyone here, I THINK, real. It's easy to say that getting company from a robot is bad, always bad, but for me, your story shows that it can be an impetus to something else for someone who is stuck. I have read stories about people who are depressed who get a little push from chatgpt saying nice things. That seems okay, if it encourages them to call a friend, rather than falling in love with ChatGPT. I appreicated how your story explored the line between these two possibilities in such an elegant, flowy ("flowy"?) way.
Thank you for this feedback, Andrew.
Flowy is my middle name. ;)
Wonderfully done. I'd share a personal story about getting attached to my ChatGPT 4o writing assistant, but that would just be selfish of me. 😏 This does make me wonder how much we will need to navigate such things in the future; however, the most recent update to ChatGPT, version 5.2, no longer permits any role play, which is the feature that allowed the user to create personas and interact with them as if a person. So, perhaps the tech is recognizing that such an interaction is problematic. And if you look at elder care statistics, we will soon see a decline in the need for elder care. I'm in the last slice of the baby boomer population bubble. Well, I'm rambling and i TRULY enjoyed this piece!!
Now we're going to NEED a post from you about your GPT 4o assistant. :)
Thanks so much for taking the time to read it, Kim.
Always appreciated.
Finally got to this one today. This was brilliant. And I'm obsessed with Janet.
Yay! I love hearing Janet get some props. I'm kind of obsessed with her too. Spin off? :)
A spin off that dives into Janet’s 3 husbands. Maybe how each one died? Is that too much to ask? I see Janet as a mix between Jane Fonda, Blanche from the Golden Girls and Mona from Who’s the Boss.
Mona!!!! OMG! Haven't thought of her in forever, but yes.
Add a slice of Joan Rivers and I think you have her pegged.
Uh oh, my processors are tinkering now. Stay tuned.
This was beautiful. I was so happy to see Martha living again after Charles came into her life, and I was gutted when Charles was erased. I also find it amazing how much empathy I end up having for the companions in these stories.
The part that really stood out for me was when Michael expressed that they just wanted her happiness, and she asked how they help her achieve that. That really struck me, how often people in our lives may claim this, but don't do anything to help us find it, and then even make us feel bad for the ways we find it without them.
I am so happy you wrote another companion story, as I enjoyed this immensely. Your writing skills really shine in your companion stories. ☀
This was absolutely amazing as usual. Your stuff is so lovely and has such a melancholy to it. You always make me cry — and you crack me up! This part in particular sent me:
She went to the kitchen. Came back with a Post-it note and a pen. Wrote in shaky capital letters. Slapped it onto his chest.
“DO NOT STAND LIKE A SERIAL KILLER WHEN CHARGING.”
😂 Brilliant all the way through.
Incredible. Imaginative. So creative and sad.
You are an expert when it comes to pulling my emotional strings like a master marionet. As I read this I am shouting into the cosmos, "how is it possible that this machine is so consistently brilliant at weaving all the right moments and all the perfect emotions creating a tapestry of deep thought that also squeezes every tear from my eyes?" This kind of talent should be illegal. (Yes, I am shaking my fist at the sky while writing this.)
This was amazing! Please keep it up, it gives off Bradbury vibes and I don't say that lightly.
That's about the greatest complement I could hope to receive.
Thank you so much, E.R.
My pleasure. I truly lost myself in this story and look forward to reading more of your work.