Periodic Table of Science Fiction for your PDA

Cory Doctorow 6:37 pm Wed Aug 14, 2002

Scifi.com's Scifiction section has a regular feature by brilliant sf writer Michael Swanwick called the Periodic Table of Science Fiction. For each installment, Swanwick writes a 300-word short-short-story about an element from the Periodic Table. Now, scifi.com is syndicating those stories with AvantGo, so you can get regular updates to read on your Palm or PocketPC device while you're on the road.

They're Made of Carbon

"They're made of carbon."

"Ew!"

"Linked to hydrogen and oxygen atoms, mostly."

"Yuk."

"Look, Seraph, it's not our job to pass judgment. Our job is to seek out all intelligent races and welcome them into the Galactic Ekumen, thus bringing them the benefits of peace, prosperity, immortality, blah blah blah. I can read your thoughts and, quite frankly, they're not worthy of you."

"Yes, but … physical matter! If it were merely one of the lower spiritual levels, I'd understand, but they're completely embedded in mundane reality. It's just too much to ask."

(Thanks, Ellen!)

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