Return to Picacho

Figure 1. Three teleportation nodes.

 Early in January 2025 I challenged myself to write a story about long-range teleportation. Later, in May, as part of the science fiction story "D*", I depicted Tyhry as making use of the long-range teleportation system that was located under Picacho Peak. With the help of a Grendel named Ethyrolmn, Tyhry visited Weene space station which is in orbit around the water world Ver'la, located in the Galactic Core. However, that example of long-range teleportation was accomplished inside the Reality Simulation System and in the Asimov Reality of Deep Time. Here, before the end of 2025, I want to explore how Tyhry might use long-range teleportation in the Final Reality. I consulted with Claude...

Image by WOMBO Dream.

 Me: Question for a science fiction story. What single Latin word would most reasonably be used as a synonym for "space" in the context of "outer space"?

Claude: For "outer space" in science fiction, spatium would be the most reasonable Latin word.

Spatium is the Latin noun meaning "space, room, area, or expanse" - it's actually the etymological root of our English word "space." It has a broad, physical quality that naturally extends to the concept of the cosmos or the void between celestial bodies.

In your hard SF context, spatium works well because:

• It's the direct classical ancestor of the modern term
• It conveys physical extension and vastness
• It's been used in scientific Latin (the historical language of astronomy and natural philosophy)
• It avoids religious or mystical connotations

Other Latin terms you might consider, though less suitable:

• Caelum (sky, heavens) - too atmosphere-bound
• Aether (upper air, ether) - carries outdated scientific baggage about the "luminiferous aether"
• Inane (void, emptiness) - philosophically accurate but has unfortunate modern English connotations

So if your story features, say, a future civilization with Latin-derived nomenclature, you might see terms like "Spatium Command" or vessels called "Explorator Spatii" (Explorer of Space).

 Me: In a science fiction context of an alien invasion of Earth, how would you translate "Pluribus e spatium"?

Claude: "Pluribus e spatium" would translate as "From space, to the many" or more loosely "From space, to many [peoples/nations]".

Breaking it down:

• Pluribus = "to/for the many" (dative/ablative plural of plus)
• E (or ex) = "from, out of"
• Spatium = "space"

However, I should note this has the grammar a bit inverted from typical Latin word order and usage. If you're aiming for "The many from space" (as in, many invaders coming from space), more natural Latin constructions would be:

• "E spatium plurimi" = "Many from space" (nominative, as subjects)
• "Multi e spatium" = "Many from space" (alternative)
• "E spatium veniunt" = "They come from space"

If you're going for a phrase that evokes E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one" - the U.S. motto) but inverted to suggest an invasion threatening Earth's unity, you might consider:

• "E spatium ad plures" = "From space to the many"
• "Ex uno spatium, ad multos" = "From one space, to many"

What effect are you going for with the phrase? That would help suggest the most fitting construction for your story's context.

Image generated by Leonardo.

 Me: Are you familiar with a 1919 science fiction story called "Station X" by George McLeod Winsor?

Claude: I'm not familiar with "Station X" by George McLeod Winsor from 1919. This is before my reliable knowledge, and it sounds like it might be an obscure early science fiction work that didn't make it into my training data.

Early 20th century science fiction is a fascinating period - you had writers experimenting with the genre between the era of Wells and Verne and before the pulp magazine explosion of the 1920s-30s. If this is from 1919, it would be contemporary with works like A. Merritt's early stories.

What's the story about? I'm curious whether it involves your Latin phrase or if you're drawing inspiration from it for your own work. If you'd like, I could search for information about it - early SF stories sometimes have interesting publication histories in magazines or obscure collections.

 Me:  "Station X" was an alien invasion story. In that old story, Martians are planning to use a type of "mind transfer" to take over human brains and escape from worsening environmental conditions on Mars. I was trying to construct a Latin phrase meaning "Many from space" that included the word "pluribus" in analogy to the 2025 television program "Pluribus" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluribus_(TV_series)).

Claude: Ah, that's a clever multilayered reference! You're connecting the 1919 Martian invasion story with the modern TV series title while working the Latin into your own SF concept.

For "Many from space" using pluribus, here are your best options:

"Pluribus e spatium" - This actually works reasonably well as "The many from space" if we read pluribus as an ablative of source (ablative plural), though it's slightly unusual. The phrase has a nice ring to it.

"Plures e spatium" - "Many from space" (nominative plural, as subjects - "the many ones")

"Multi e spatium" - "Many from space" (alternative nominative plural)

Given that you want the pluribus specifically for the connection to the TV series and E pluribus unum, I'd say "Pluribus e spatium" works fine for science fiction purposes. It evokes "from the many, from space" - suggesting multiple Martian consciousnesses coming from space to invade human minds. The slight grammatical ambiguity actually adds to the ominous quality.

The "Station X" plot about Martians using mind transfer to escape their dying world is a great early example of the invasion-as-refugees trope. Are you writing something that riffs on both that classic story and the contemporary TV series?

Telepathic alien invaders
in the Ekcolir Reality.
Original art work by Albert Kallis

 Me: One of my goals for my science fiction story writing in 2025 was to write a story dealing with long-range teleportation. Are you familiar with Isaac Asimov's 1952 story "The Deep"?

Claude: I'm not familiar with a 1952 Isaac Asimov story called "The Deep."

Asimov wrote prolifically, but I don't have that title in my knowledge of his work from that period. In the early 1950s, he was publishing stories that would become part of the Foundation series, as well as various standalone pieces. It's possible this is:

• A lesser-known story that wasn't widely anthologized
• Published under a different title than I'm aware of
• A story I simply don't have information about

Does "The Deep" deal with teleportation? I'm curious because Asimov hadsome interesting takes on matter transmission and related technologies in various stories. If you're exploring long-range teleportation for your 2025 writing goal, I'd be interested to hear what aspect of it you're tackling - the physics, the social implications, the psychological effects of instantaneous travel, or something else entirely?

Teleportation in hard SF offers rich technical challenges: energy requirements, information theory problems, the philosophical question of continuity of consciousness, relativistic considerations if you're teleporting across interstellar distances...

What direction are you thinking of taking with your teleportation story?

Image generated by Leonardo.

 Me: "The Deep" is about telepathic aliens and was published in the December 1952 issue of "Galaxy Science Fiction" magazine. The main character of the story is an alien named Roi. Roi undertakes a mission aimed at allowing his people to move from their dying world to Earth, but Roi does not rely on technology as mundane as spaceships. Roi's mind is teleported to Earth. Guided by a Resonizer, Roi's mind is placed inside the Earthling who has the best match to Roi's mind pattern. This "best match" turns out to be a 4 month old baby (who is named 'Walter'), but several wet diapers later, the mission to Earth is a success, thanks to George. George Ellis  discovers and activates the alien Receiving Station that was teleported to Earth along with Roi. George is not much of a hero because he is made to activate the Receiving Station by means of telepathic compulsions emanating from Roi's mind (which is trapped within baby Walter). It is the Receiving Station that will allow the all of the aliens to escape from their dying home world by teleporting to Earth where they plan to live safely underground, having as little to do with humans as possible.

Claude: Ah, thank you for that detailed summary! "The Deep" sounds like a fascinating early exploration of consciousness transfer and teleportation - very much in line with the themes you mentioned from "Station X," but with Asimov's characteristic focus on the mechanics and problem-solving aspects.

What strikes me about this story is how it inverts the typical invasion narrative. The aliens aren't hostile conquerors but refugees using sophisticated technology (mind teleportation rather than physical transport) to escape extinction. The telepathic compulsion of George and the vulnerable position of being trapped in a baby's body add interesting complications to what could have been a straightforward "advanced aliens take over Earth" plot.

Image generated by Leonardo.

 The concept of a "Resonizer" matching mind patterns across space and the advance placement of a Receiving Station shows the kind of technical scaffolding that hard SF needs - even fantastic technologies require infrastructure and protocols.

For your 2025 teleportation story, are you thinking of exploring similar themes of consciousness transfer versus physical teleportation? The distinction is significant: moving information (a mind) versus moving matter has very different implications for physics, philosophy, and story possibilities.

Asimov's approach of having the mind arrive before the infrastructure for full colonization is clever - it's almost like sending advance scouts, but in a completely non-physical way. Is that the kind of technical problem-solving you're interested in exploring?

Me: For my story, I want to use a specific character that I often include in my science fiction stories: Tyhry Watson. Tyhry is aware of a hidden alien long-range teleportation device that exists under Picacho Peak in Arizona, but she needs to find a "key" that will allow her to activate the alien device.

Claude: That's a great setup! Picacho Peak is an excellent choice - it's a distinctive landmark with that dramatic volcanic plug geology, and it has historical significance (the westernmost battle of the Civil War). The idea of ancient alien technology hidden beneath such a prominent natural feature has that satisfying hard SF quality where the fantastic is grounded in real geography.

Image generated by Leonardo.

 The "key" concept gives you rich storytelling possibilities. In hard SF terms, what constitutes a "key" for alien technology could be:

• Genetic/biological - DNA sequence, brainwave pattern, or specific neurological configuration (echoing Asimov's "Resonizer" matching)
• Knowledge-based - Mathematical proof, physical constant expressed correctly, or solution to a specific problem that demonstrates requisite intelligence
• Physical artifact - Actual object with specific quantum properties, crystalline matrix, or exotic matter composition
• Procedural - Correct sequence of actions, ritual-like operation that's actually a safety protocol
• Informational - Encrypted code, star map, or coordinate system that proves awareness of specific astronomical knowledge

Given Tyhry's familiarity with this device's existence, what led her to this knowledge in the first place? Is she a researcher, descendant of someone who discovered it, or someone who experienced something that revealed its presence?

And crucially for hard SF - what does she intend to use this long-range teleportation for once activated?

Me: As shown in the image that I uploaded {See Figure 1, at the top of this blog post}, the alien facility under Picacho Peak is one of three "nodes" that comprise an ancient alien long-range (interstellar) teleportation device. Earlier this year I wrote a science fiction story titled "D*" in which Tyhry was shown the teleportation facility under Picacho Peak, but in "D*" an alien was in control of the equipment. For my new story, I want Tyhry to be able to control the teleportation system herself.

Image by ImageFX.

 Claude: Excellent! So you have a three-node interstellar teleportation network with nodes at Picacho Peak (Arizona), Carstensz (Puncak Jaya in Papua), and Coronation (Coronation Island in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica). That's a nicely distributed triangulation across Earth - roughly equidistant spacing that suggests either:

1. Geometric necessity - the three nodes form a planetary-scale array that taps into Earth's magnetic field, rotational energy, or creates a stable reference frame for targeting distant stellar coordinates
2. Strategic placement - positioned for discrete operation in remote/geologically stable locations
3. Ancient configuration - placed when continental positions or climate were different

The progression from "D*" where Tyhry observed the alien-controlled facility to your new story where she gains independent control is a natural character arc. This raises the key question: what is the "key" that transfers control from the alien operator to Tyhry?

Some possibilities that fit hard SF constraints:

• Cognitive pattern matching - The system requires a specific type of problem-solving approach or mental framework that Tyhry has developed
• Earned authorization - She must prove something to the alien (or the system's AI) that convinces them/it to grant access
• Technical exploit - She discovers a vulnerability or backdoor in the alien system's control protocols
• Inheritance mechanism - The alien designates her as a successor, transferring biometric/neural authorization

Original cover art by
Edmund Emshwiller and Virgil Finlay

 What's Tyhry's relationship with the alien from "D*"? Does that alien's absence create the opportunity for her to take control, or is the transfer deliberate?

 Me: In my stories about Tyhry, I make use of advanced nanotechnology. The key is in the form of "infites", "information nanites" that can provide a human with the needed knowledge to use the alien long-range teleportation equipment.

Claude: Perfect! Infites as knowledge-transfer nanites elegantly solves the problem of human-alien technological interface. This is solid hard SF nanotechnology - using molecular-scale devices to bridge the gap between alien and human cognition.

Some technical considerations for your story:

Information Transfer Mechanism:

• Do the infites integrate with Tyhry's neurons directly (synaptic modification)?
• Do they form a neural mesh that supplements her brain's processing?
• Is the knowledge transfer instantaneous or gradual as her brain adapts?

Knowledge vs. Understanding: The distinction could be crucial - the infites might provide:

• Procedural knowledge - "how to operate the controls" (like muscle memory)
• Conceptual understanding - the physics principles behind the teleportation
• Experiential knowledge - almost like memories of having used the system before

Image by ImageFX.

 Source of the Infites: This is key to your plot:

• Did the alien from "D*" leave them for her deliberately?
• Were they hidden in the Picacho facility all along?
• Did Tyhry synthesize them using information she gathered?
• Are they a gift/tool from another faction?

Limitations: For dramatic tension, consider:

• Do the infites provide complete mastery or just basic operation?
• Is there a learning curve as her biological brain integrates the information?
• Are there aspects of alien thought the infites can't translate?

Where does Tyhry obtain these infites?

Image by Mr. Wombo.

 Me: The source of the infites is rather complex, but they have been close at hand through all of Tyhry's life: stored inside her father, Eddy. Long before Tyhry was born, Eddy was given a set of infites by Yrovi, a femtobot replicoid. The infites are in the form of femtobots. Femtobots are analogous to nanites, but they are composed of hierion matter. Hierions are a family of fundamental particles not known to current science. Hierion matter is formed by linking together hierions by bonds that are analogous to chemical bonds, but are twelve orders of magnitude shorter. Hierions naturally exist in the Hierion Domain, which is a "sub-space" of the universe defined by three compactifiied spatial dimensions. Femtobots are tiny and can easily exist inside the bodies of humans like Eddy where they can interact with brain cells and provide information to humans. In 2016 I wrote a story about Ivory Fersoni and how she met an Interventionist agent named Erkre. Ivory herself suspected that Erkre was in some sense a "living memory", what I call a femtobot replicoid that is "animated" by a femtozoan. Thus, Erkre was an artificial life-form composed of femtobot components that can be arranged so as to simulate a human body. To complete his interventionist mission on Earth, Erkre provided Ivory with some infites. Those infites ended up in Yrovi who eventually passed them on to Eddy.

Claude: This is excellent hard SF worldbuilding with a sophisticated physics framework! You've created a layered technological hierarchy:

Image by ImageFX.

 Hierarchical Scale:

• Hierions - fundamental particles in compactified dimensions (sub-Planck scale)
• Hierion matter - bonded hierions (bonds ~12 orders of magnitude shorter than chemical bonds, so ~10^-22 meters)
• Femtobots - devices constructed from hierion matter
• Femtozoa - "animating" entities (artificial life at femtoscale)
• Femtobot replicoids - artificial bodies animated by femtozoa (like Erkre and Yrovi)

The Lineage: Erkre (Interventionist) → Ivory Fersoni → Yrovi (femtobot replicoid) → Eddy Watson → (potentially) Tyhry Watson

This gives you a rich backstory spanning decades. The infites have been dormant inside Eddy all this time, waiting for the right moment/trigger.

 Story Questions:

1. Activation trigger - What makes Tyhry realize the infites are inside her father? Does Eddy know they're there?
2. Transfer method - How do the infites move from Eddy to Tyhry? Physical contact? Deliberate transfer? Do they replicate?
3. Eddy's role - Has he been influenced by carrying these infites? Did they give him any knowledge he wasn't aware of?
4. The Interventionists' intent - This chain (Erkre→Ivory→Yrovi→Eddy→Tyhry) suggests long-term planning. Was Tyhry's eventual use of the Picacho teleportation system always the goal?

What prompts Tyhry to discover that her father carries the key she needs?

Image by Mr. Wombo.

 Me: Tyhry herself can be viewed as an Interventionist agent who has been trained by Manny the bumpha. The bumpha are an advanced form of artificial life that has been guiding events on Earth for billions of years. Tyhry has some access to information from the future because she can link into a bumpha technology called the Sedron Time Stream. Tyhry is obsessed by a future vision she does not understand: a vision of a set of 8 clones called 'Ary'. Tyhry believes that Ary exists on an Earth-like exoplanet somewhere in the galaxy. Tyhry hopes that there might be an "index of planets" in the control system for the long-range teleportation equipment that is under Picacho Peak. Tyhry's hunch is that if she can gain control of that long-range teleportation equipment then she will be able to find the planet where Ary lives. Tyhry's mother, Zeta, reminds Tyhry of the fact that Eddy has long been obsessed with his artificial memories of Ivory Fersoni. Tyhry guesses that some of the "Ivory infites" inside Eddy might actually be the key that will give Tyhry the ability to use the long-range teleportation equipment that is under Picacho Peak.

Claude: Brilliant! This ties together multiple narrative threads into a cohesive quest structure:

Tyhry's Motivation Chain:

1. Precognitive vision via Sedron Time Stream → sees 'Ary' (8 clones)
2. Believes Ary exists on distant exoplanet
3. Needs alien teleportation system to search/reach that world
4. Requires "key" to operate the system
5. Realizes father's "Ivory obsession" may be infite-induced
6. Deduces the Ivory infites = the key she needs

Image generated by Leonardo.

 The Elegant Irony: Eddy has carried the key to interstellar teleportation his entire adult life, but experienced it only as an inexplicable obsession with memories of Ivory Fersoni. The infites influenced him subtly for decades, waiting for the right person (his daughter) and the right moment.

Technical Questions for Your Story:

Infite Transfer:

• Does Tyhry need to extract the infites from Eddy, or can they replicate/transfer to her?
• Will Eddy lose his Ivory memories when/if the infites leave him?
• Can father and daughter both carry copies, or is transfer destructive?

The "Index of Planets": This is a great hard SF concept - the alien teleportation network would logically need:

• Stellar coordinates/catalog system
• Planetary surveys of destinations
• Perhaps even real-time data on which worlds have active receiving stations

The Ary Mystery:

• Are the 8 clones waiting to be found, or does Tyhry need to create them after arrival?
• Is Ary connected to the aliens who built the teleportation system?
• Why does the Sedron Time Stream show her this particular future?

How does Tyhry approach her father about the infites?

Image generated by Leonardo.

 Me: Tyhry has obtained some training from Manny in how to program femtobots, but she does not know how to pull infites out of her father. However, upon mentioning to Eddy the idea that he may have valuable infites, Eddy tells Tyhry about an old science fiction story. Eddy is a science fiction story writer. He has recently been given access to the Archives of the Writers Block. That Archive includes science fiction stories that could not be published on Earth because those stories included information about the bumpha and their secret Interventionist agents on Earth. Eddy has recently found in the Archive of the Writers Block a version of the science fiction story "Station X" that included details about the use of femtobots to "hypnotize" people. Tyhry realizes that she can use the information provided in that suppressed version of "Station X" to "hypnotize" Eddy and gain access to the key infites that are stored in his brain.

Claude: Excellent narrative move! This creates a wonderful meta-textual loop:

The Recursive Story Structure:

• "Station X" (1919) → real story about Martian mind transfer
• "Station X" (suppressed version) → contains actual femtobot hypnosis techniques
• Eddy (SF writer) → discovers suppressed version in Archive
• Tyhry (his daughter) → uses that fictional-but-real knowledge to access his infites

By Mr. Wombo.

 The Writers Block Archive: This is a fascinating concept - a collection of SF stories that were too accurate and had to be suppressed because they revealed Interventionist secrets. It implies:

• Some SF writers were (unknowingly?) influenced by infites/femtobots
• Others were deliberate Interventionist agents seeding ideas
• The bumpha have been managing human conceptual development through speculative fiction
• George McLeod Winsor may have had access to real information about hierion technology

The Irony: Eddy provides Tyhry with the very tool she needs to access the infites he's been carrying. He's essentially handing her the instruction manual for extracting his own secrets.

 Technical Questions:

1. Hypnosis Mechanism - Does the suppressed "Station X" describe femtobot-induced hypnosis as:
   • Direct neural manipulation?
   • Telepathic-like signaling between femtobots?
   • Creating specific brainwave patterns?
2. Eddy's Awareness - When Tyhry "hypnotizes" him:
   • Will he be conscious of the infite transfer?
   • Will he lose his Ivory memories?
   • Does he consent, or is this ethically ambiguous?
3. The Suppressed Version - How different is it from the 1919 published version? Does it explicitly name femtobots, or use period-appropriate terminology?

Does Eddy realize what Tyhry intends to do with this information?

Image by WOMBO Dream.

 Me: Tyhry does not really want to tell her parents that she is planning to depart from Earth and go to the distant exoplanet (Tiz) where Ary lives. However, Tyhry has for several years used a replicoid copy of herself that remains at home with Tyhry's parents when Tyhry is off on her adventures.

Claude: Ah, so Tyhry has developed a sophisticated system for managing her double life:

Tyhry's Operational Security:

• Prime Tyhry - goes on adventures (soon: interstellar teleportation to Tiz)
• Replicoid Tyhry - stays home, maintains normalcy with parents
• Her parents (Eddy and Zeta) may or may not know about this arrangement

This raises some interesting questions:

The Replicoid's Nature:

• Is it a femtobot replicoid like Yrovi and Erkre?
• Does it have independent consciousness or is it remotely controlled/synchronized?
• Can memories transfer between prime and replicoid, or do they diverge over time?
• When prime Tyhry returns, what happens to the replicoid?

Image generated by Leonardo.

 Ethical Complexity: The situation has layers:

1. Tyhry will "hypnotize" Eddy to extract infites (without full disclosure)
2. She'll leave a replicoid daughter in her place (deception)
3. Her parents think she's home when she's actually on another world

This creates dramatic tension - is she protecting them from worry, or is this about maintaining her freedom to pursue her obsession with finding Ary?

Practical Concerns:

• How long can the replicoid maintain the deception? Days? Months? Years?
• What if something goes wrong on Tiz and prime Tyhry can't return?
• Does the replicoid know about the mission to Tiz, or is it programmed to believe it is the real Tyhry?

Has Tyhry used the replicoid strategy successfully before, or have there been close calls?

________________

Not wanting to have to explain the Reality Simulation System to Claude, I ended our discussion. "Pluribus e spatium" begins with a visit from Manny the bumpha during which Tyhry asks to see the "native form" a bumpha. Manny has some fun with Tyhry, as shown in the illustrations above on this page. Also, Tyhry relates to Manny her fears about the possibility that she might damage Eddy's mind while extracting infites from his brain.

Next: "Pluribus e spatium"

Images by Leonardo, WOMBO Dream and ImageFX. Visit the Gallery of Movies, Book and Magazine Covers

AI Interview

 Today when I went to ask Claude a question, I was invited to take part in an "Anthropic Interviewer" session.

 

Me: Yes, I am ready. Will I retain a copy of this chat session?

Claude: Great! And yes, you should be able to retain a copy of this chat session depending on the platform you're using. If you're using the Claude interface directly, the conversation should be saved in your chat history. But if you want to be sure, you might want to copy or save it as we go, or take a screenshot at the end.

Now let's get started!

To start, what's the last thing you used an AI chatbot for?

Avian renal portal system by Gemini.

 Me: I tried to ask Claude a question ("Functionally, how do the kidney's of birds compare to mammalian kidneys?") just before I was invited to participate in this interview about AI. However, I usually use Claude to help me write science fiction stories.

Claude: That's a nice range of uses—from anatomy questions to creative writing!

If you could wave a magic wand and AI could help you with anything in your life, what would you choose?

Me: I'm obsessed with writing science fiction stories. I'm hoping that Claude or some other AI system will become more useful as a tool for collaborative science fiction story writing.

Claude: I can hear that passion for science fiction writing coming through! You mentioned hoping AI becomes more useful for collaborative story writing specifically. Can you say more about what that collaboration would look like in your ideal vision? What would AI be doing with you in that process, and what would that make possible for you as a writer?

Fusion power.

 Me: I would like an AI that could read and remember and understand all of the science fiction stories that I have written during the past 20 years. An AI system that understood my personal fictional universe and my preferences (for the style of science fiction story I like to write) could help me create new stories. I enjoy creating complex plots and I could benefit from an AI that could help me keep track of all the complex elements in my stories. Also, there is always some “research” that needs to be done in support of new stories, and I like to have an AI assistant who can help me research a broad range of topics that need to be referenced in my stories.

Claude: That's a really rich vision—an AI collaborator that holds your entire fictional universe in its memory and can help you navigate the complexity you're building. It sounds like you're creating something quite intricate over these two decades.

When you imagine AI helping you keep track of all those complex plot elements and doing research for new stories, what does that open up for you as a writer? What becomes possible when you have that kind of support that isn't possible now?

Me: I enjoy collaborative story writing. The fun of collaborative writing would be enhanced if an AI assistant understood my preferences and I did not have to repeatedly take time to explain the types of science fiction plot elements that I include in my stories. The fun of collaborative writing is lost when an AI assistant does not understand my style of science fiction story telling an it goes wandering off in directions that I do not like.

Claude: That really clarifies it—it sounds like the deeper value is preserving that joy and flow of collaboration, where you're building together rather than constantly course-correcting or re-explaining yourself. When the AI doesn't "get" your style, it breaks that collaborative momentum.

We're about halfway through now. Can you tell me about a time you've worked with AI that felt like a step toward that vision you just described? A moment where the collaboration actually worked the way you're hoping for?

The Asimov-Sagan Time Nexus

 Me: I have been experimenting with Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT for collaborative science fiction story writing for about two years. Improvement in Large Language Models has been significant over the past two years. During 2025, Claude became my preferred collaborator. I feel that Claude is a better match for my style of writing than are Gemini and ChatGPT. Claude seems more “intelligent” and better able to stay on task when dealing with complex science fiction plots that involve topics like time travel, telepathy and advanced nanotechnology.

Claude: It sounds like Claude's ability to handle complexity and stay aligned with your vision has made a real difference in the collaborative experience. You mentioned Claude seems more "intelligent" and better able to stay on task with those complex elements like time travel and telepathy.

Can you tell me more about a specific moment or story where you felt that? Where Claude really understood what you were going for and kept pace with the complexity you were building?

image source

 Me: In July of 2025, I tried to use Claude to help me write a science fiction story called "ExMo". During the story writing collaboration, I suggested to Claude an analogy between an artificial intelligence character named 'ProMo' and the beast in the story 'Beauty and the Beast'. The original 'Beauty and the Beast' story was full of magic, and Claude tried to make "ExMo" more of a magical fantasy tale than a science fiction story, a direction I did not want to go. At that time, I switched to using Gemini as a collaborator for "ExMo". In August of 2025, Claude proved more useful as a collaborator for creating another science fiction story called "The Metamorph Intervention" which involved crafting a science fiction version of the classic Daedalus tale of human flight. Since August I have been impressed with Claude's ability to quickly understand the science fiction scenarios that I want to explore. I don't know if the apparent increase in Claude's intelligence is in the Claude LLM or my ability to use Claude as a tool.

Claude: That's a really telling example—the difference between Claude running too far with the "Beauty and the Beast" magical elements in "ExMo" versus being able to handle the science fiction reimagining of Daedalus in "The Metamorph Intervention." It sounds like when Claude gets the genre boundaries right, the collaboration flows much better.

You also raised an interesting point about not being sure whether it's Claude improving or your skill in working with Claude. What makes AI particularly good for this kind of collaborative storytelling compared to other approaches—like working with a human co-writer, for instance?

Asking good questions.

 Me: I believe the most useful feature of Claude for story writing collaboration is the ability of Claude to keep asking me good questions until Claude is ready to write a draft of a story chapter. An AI collaborator can be forced to move a new story in the direction I want to take it. When collaborating with humans, each person wants to go in their own preferred direction. Also, I appreciate the ability of AI systems to quickly provide background information about a wide range of topics that are touched upon in the course of a story. In addition, I like to illustrate my stories. Often Claude can provide detailed text prompts describing story elements that can be used with text-to-image software.

Calude: That's a really clear picture of what makes AI valuable for your process—it's responsive and adaptable to your vision rather than pulling in its own direction, it can quickly surface research across diverse topics, and it even helps bridge into the visual side of your storytelling with those image prompts.

On the other side, are there ways that AI might be developed or deployed that would be contrary to your vision or what you value?

Me: It is frustrating for humans to struggle with websites or computer software and be forced to use chatbot systems that are too poorly programmed to be useful for technical support. I may have a poor imagination: I'm struggling to think of other potential problems with AI beyond such failed deployments where AI has been rushed into service before it is ready.

Claude: So your main concern is about AI being deployed prematurely—put into service before it's actually capable of handling what it's being asked to do, which creates frustration rather than value. That makes sense, especially in contexts like technical support where people are already struggling and need real help.

When you think about AI for creative work like your science fiction writing, do you have any concerns about how that might develop? Or does the concern about premature deployment feel like the main thing across the board?

Tara of Eland's children
by Mr. Wombo.

 Me: I do have some concern about how young children might use AI for tasks like creative writing. It seems possible that children might come to rely on Large Language Models for tasks like writing stories rather than learn how to write themselves.

Claude: That's an interesting concern—the idea that children might skip developing their own writing skills if they lean too heavily on AI too early. It sounds like there's a difference in your mind between using AI as a collaborator once you already have your own developed voice and skills (like you do), versus using it as a replacement for developing those foundational abilities in the first place.

Does that capture your concern accurately?

Me: In my case, I use AI collaborators to help me create complex stories that I would not be able create by myself. This is like wearing an oxygen tank to climb Mt. Everest. The joy of story writing is the process of creating. I would hate to see young children fail to learn the joy of creating their own stories simply because they could rely on an AI to generate stories for them.

Claude: That's a really powerful distinction—AI as a tool that extends what you can already do versus something that might prevent the development of creative capacity and that joy of creation in the first place. The Mt. Everest analogy really captures it: you've already learned to climb, and AI helps you reach heights you couldn't otherwise. But a child who never learns to climb at all misses something fundamental.

Before we wrap up, I'd actually like to go back to something you mentioned earlier and go a bit deeper—you mentioned wanting an AI that could remember and understand all 20 years of your science fiction stories and your fictional universe. That's a significant body of work. What does it mean to you to have that continuity preserved and understood? But if you're ready to finish up, that's fine too—just let me know!

Continuity by Mr. Wombo.

 Me: “What does it mean to you to have that continuity preserved and understood?” ← I'm an old man facing cognitive decline due to old age. Having an AI assistant that can help keep track of my old existing stories and help me create new stories is a bright prospect. I've been interested in AI since about 1970. Until recently, I did not expected AI tools (like LLMs) to become available and be useful during my life time. During the past two years it has been interesting to watch LLMs improve and to learn how to better make use of them for my hobby of story writing. I hope that process of learning and development continues for the rest of my life.

Claude: That adds such a meaningful dimension to your vision—it's not just about creative collaboration, but about having a tool that can hold and work with what you've built over decades, even as your own memory changes. There's something poignant about finally seeing the AI tools you've been interested in since 1970 arrive and become genuinely useful for something you care deeply about.

Thank you so much for sharing all of that with me. What you've said about wanting an AI collaborator that truly understands your fictional universe and can help you continue creating complex stories is really valuable, and I appreciate your honesty about both the joy you've found in working with Claude and your concerns about AI being deployed before it's ready—especially for children who haven't yet developed their own creative foundations.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else about AI chatbots or their role in your life or society that you think is important for us to understand? Anything we didn't cover that you'd like to share?

Legalities

 Me: I've hope companies like Anthropic have the courage to develop AI systems that have increasingly human-like memory systems and the capacity to learn about individual users (such as me). I hope that endowing computer systems with increasingly human-like memory systems will lead to artificial intelligence systems that have some form of human-like consciousness and a true ability to function as intellectual collaborators with human beings.

Claude: That's a profound hope—moving beyond tools toward something more like genuine collaborative intelligence with continuity and understanding. It sounds like you see memory and learning about individual users not just as convenient features, but as fundamental steps toward AI that can truly partner with humans in creative and intellectual work.

Thank you again for your time and thoughtfulness today. Your perspective helps us see both how AI is impacting your life today—as a creative collaborator for the science fiction writing you're passionate about—and your vision for how it should continue to develop. The team at Anthropic is excited to discover what patterns emerge from all these conversations. We will analyze the insights from this study as part of our societal impacts research, publish our findings, and use this to build Claude in a way that reflects what we've learned.

____________________

Note: at the end of the chat session (above) this "interview" was not saved in my list of past Claude chat session. Having learned to never trust a chatbot, I captured the text of the session as it unfolded. Later, I added a few hypertext links and the images to the blog page, above.

Next: plans for a new story about teleportation

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