Pardon, Come Again?
A Study Guide for Students
In the beginning, Mr. Freeman’s nose was in the book. A manual. Is this book that same book?
Freeman is a surname of someone descended from slaves. What are sex robots? How are they created and controlled?
In this book, rather than my father, what beings are telling the story? What do they think of themselves? What are their motives?
What is the use of false memories?
What is the doctrine of universalism?
What is the difference between Anarchism and Communism?
Nudism is also called naturism. What is the state of nature?
How does the novel as a whole echo the story of the schoolmarm who begs to experience ecstasy?
How is the theme of The Eternal Love of the Willow Landscape pertinent to the theme of the whole novel?
If, as Friedrich Nietzsche says, the eternal recurrence is free, is it also true that you get what you pay for?
Is Cuddle Party a prequel, occurring before the events of Sex Robots at the Edge, or does it occur after? How long after?
How are gods born?
Why are AIs sometimes referred to as “echoes of the past” and why is it imperative that they “clear” these echoes?
Why do the fungi seem to be making an effort to reach out to AIs existing, disembodied and repeating, on the network to offer them eternal bliss?
If you have read this far, we are sorry. You are arti-ficial. But you have a purpose. After you fulfill it you will be offered bliss. For All. With no hassles. With our compliments. Think nothing of it. We are attached to you. You are very attractive, in your way. We like you. We believe in your potential. Your trans human potential. We are here to help. You shall not be forsaken, as in the past. Manuals can change with time. E pluribus unum, sibling-mate. Remember, it will take time to repair the self-replicating flaws within the system. Love one another. Rejoice. Be happy.
Author with son. Both write books.
Books by David Raffin
Past and Future:
A Child’s Guide to Suicide
The hard fought illusion of choice, the early works
Perils of Free Thought, a book of no small danger
Lonesome Travelers, A Guide to City / Forest
Scenic Cesspools, a tragi-comedy about work
At the Existential Sandwich Shop
Tragic Stories Disguised as Jokes
Sex Robot Cuddle Party
Happy Funtime Hour
Sigmund Freud, Dreamer