Prescient I'd say. What will happen when the"paragon of animals" becomes a dung beetle? Will he become as replaceable as she, who actually isn't replaceable without proper training? There are deeper issues here. Unspoken, but nonetheless applicable.
I love this short story, Scott. It is a fascinating subject to me. Let me recommend to you the film "I Am Your Man", in case you never saw it. It is your theme, but expanded into a sensitive story about the complexities of android/human connection. In this case, a generation of androids whose algorithm constantly upgrades to match the human it is paired with. You may be enlightened as I was. I have watched it over and over. (German with English subtitles.)
I just saw the new Brendan Fraser movie, "Rental Family," which he made on location in Tokyo, and which zeroes in exactly on this same scenario you have here. Namely, the real phenomenon of Japanese rental agencies that send out actors to play roles in family situations, and the conflicted feelings his character has as an American actor hired by one such agency. It fulfills a need in social situations where face-saving is necessary, but at the cost of maintaining fictions that don't solve the underlying problems of the situations. As I live in Tokyo, this was visceral to me - this "industry" is big here, and has become commonplace.
You've nailed here as well this conflict - between a person tasked to seemingly solve situational problems while finding himself caught in the trap of the fiction himself. Great work here!
Wonderfully random &so so clever
Yes thx a little out of left field this week!
I liked it Scott,it really makes me think, about our lives!
Thank you Gary, for this and for reading!
As improvements in robotics and AI accelerate, more and more workers are asking themselves this very question.
Yup or will soon
Imaginative but not not unimaginable!
Thx, plausible sci fi!
Prescient I'd say. What will happen when the"paragon of animals" becomes a dung beetle? Will he become as replaceable as she, who actually isn't replaceable without proper training? There are deeper issues here. Unspoken, but nonetheless applicable.
The definition of becoming sentient: I quit!
Ha, no kidding!
I love this short story, Scott. It is a fascinating subject to me. Let me recommend to you the film "I Am Your Man", in case you never saw it. It is your theme, but expanded into a sensitive story about the complexities of android/human connection. In this case, a generation of androids whose algorithm constantly upgrades to match the human it is paired with. You may be enlightened as I was. I have watched it over and over. (German with English subtitles.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0FWZ3C21J/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_sr52cdbe_1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B0FWZ2QFND&qid=1772994119108
Thanks Sharron, and for the recommendation I’ll check it out.
Reminded me of "The Semplica-Girl Diaries" by George Saunders. Great turns of phrase here
Thank you, very kind
Good one. I like thata lot
Thank you and thx for reading!
Another great one, Scott!
Thanks, Liz, means a lot
Very clever, Scott!
Thanks Vicky! Congrats on the roll you are on!
Aw, thanks, Scott. It's been quite a week...
I just saw the new Brendan Fraser movie, "Rental Family," which he made on location in Tokyo, and which zeroes in exactly on this same scenario you have here. Namely, the real phenomenon of Japanese rental agencies that send out actors to play roles in family situations, and the conflicted feelings his character has as an American actor hired by one such agency. It fulfills a need in social situations where face-saving is necessary, but at the cost of maintaining fictions that don't solve the underlying problems of the situations. As I live in Tokyo, this was visceral to me - this "industry" is big here, and has become commonplace.
You've nailed here as well this conflict - between a person tasked to seemingly solve situational problems while finding himself caught in the trap of the fiction himself. Great work here!
Thank you Lee!
Hehe. Poor Andy can't buy happiness even in 2026.
Ha, hoped he kept his receipts!
Well, that was unexpected! You get me every time.
😎Thanks for always reading!
An impressive twist. Who was the boy‘s mother? That’ll keep me up, until my unit urges me to go to bed.
Thx. Hewlett Packard lol.
Scott, thanks for a thoughtful yarn. My day job is gradually getting consumed by "fighting AI". This really struck a chord
Thank you Mike and thanks for reading