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The Stories of Ibis
In a world where humans are a minority and androids have created their own civilization, a wandering storyteller meets the beautiful android Ibis. She tells him seven stories of human/android interaction in order to reveal the secret behind humanity's fall. The tales Ibis tells are science fiction stories about the events surrounding the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. At a glance, these stories do not appear to have any sort of connection, but what is the true meaning behind them? What are Ibis's real intentions? None
466 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
89 people are currently reading
5503 people want to read
About the author
Hiroshi Yamamoto
69 books38 followersHiroshi Yamamoto(山本 弘) was born in 1956 in Kyoto. Began his career with game developers Group SNE in 1987 and debuted as a writer and game designer. Gained popularity with juvenile titles such as February at the Edge of Time and the Ghost Hunter series. His first hardcover science fiction release, God Never Keeps Silent became a sensation among SF fans and was nominated for the Japan SF Award. Other novels include Day of Judgment and The Unseen Sorrow of Winter. Aside from his work as a writer, Yamamoto is also active in various literary capacities as editor of classic science fiction anthologies and as president of To-Gakkai, a group of tongue-in-cheek "experts" on the occult.
--From Haikasoru (publisher)
--From Haikasoru (publisher)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
April 14, 2024
if you like this review, i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com
300713: this made me think of another favourite read earlier this year Ready Player One i enjoyed this one more in the star trek mode of science fiction than the star wars mode of sci-fi in that book. that is to say, as a postmodern interrogation of typical sf tropes on a more intellectual plane...
good sf can examine what it is to be human through representations of the other-than human, as aliens or as androids in this case. this sort of story, here represented by the seven linked stories, the other aspect is that these can be fun, can be threaded in narrative, not subject of philosophy tract. this is how i read these, how i decide these are postmodern, in that they use texts or world/universes from previous sf creative work...
there is also some argument that the ideal form of sf is not a short story- which can be too short, can reduce the ideas to 'tricks'- or a novel- which can be too long and require 'characters' extraneous to ideas- but best sf is the novella form, somewhere between the extremes. i would suggest that linked short stories is a good format, even if the linking is after the fact...
not to say there is no spectacle here, but it is generated more by sensawunda of more usual sf ideas- robots, ai, space hard fiction, cyberpunk, dystopia. there are seven stories held together in a frame of 'educating' the human storyteller, and it is truly only the last two which answer the promise of explaining the division of the world into androids and humans...
story 1, is not sfnal but a moving exploration of an online subculture writing fan-fiction for an sf story not unlike star trek. this spurred me to think about the 'fan' sf culture i left behind growing up, and as an adult the woman i knew still into one. the moral (which our android ibis offers here as after each tale), that the so-called real world is often worthy of 'escape', that there is something true in those communities of fans, was certainly valid for her. this story makes me wish i had been more willing to play...
story 2, is not terribly unique, but suggests the positive possibilities of linking humans through technology, in a sweet, short tale no sf reader would argue with. the moral? well, communication is key to all these stories, and here as 1 it is human to human...
story 3, is one that shows the range of human/machine intelligence interacting, the positive and inevitable negative, with the twist in showing that it is all a matter of educating to become human, to the extent androids want that...
story 4, is the flip side, the side of androids wanted to be human in some way, and is heaviest in hard science narrative, even as it forwards an idea that there is something human never to be fully understood by our most advanced androids...
story 5, is a cute story, something only possible in sf, though maybe more culture-specific (japanese) than any other story. once you get the idea, there is something emotionally potent in the idea of our inventions outlasting our humanity...
story 6, is one of the last two that seem to more directly address how this world of dominant androids and dwindling humans came to be. in some ways, it seems grounded in current demographic problems present in japan first, and maybe all developed countries later: the problem of an aging population and diminishing caregiver resources. solving this with androids does not sound too sfnal. this is one of the best stories, showing that our androids, truly free to develop 'meaning' and 'morality', will not become scary frankenstein monsters but maybe more moral than we weak humans will ever be. this is a touching story...
story 7, the only one ibis says is true, is her story, and by this story of all the ai androids and the world as it has come to be. this is the most sfnal of all, and develops sfnal themes and tropes familiar to almost all readers, and unspoken but solid certainty of sfnal worlds we humans dream of: transcending our limited, human, lives through science, searching out intelligence, new life, new worlds, to boldly go where no one has gone before!- yes this book is more star trek than star wars. i like the optimism. i find this entire book very much of the star trek- maybe typical of all classic sf- worlds of infinite wonder, futures, possibilities, and that it explores them in a pomo way does not mean they are diminished or dismissed. unlike Ready Player One, even in dystopic frame world, there is hope, there is promise, there is value to all the imagined futures through sf...
300713: this made me think of another favourite read earlier this year Ready Player One i enjoyed this one more in the star trek mode of science fiction than the star wars mode of sci-fi in that book. that is to say, as a postmodern interrogation of typical sf tropes on a more intellectual plane...
good sf can examine what it is to be human through representations of the other-than human, as aliens or as androids in this case. this sort of story, here represented by the seven linked stories, the other aspect is that these can be fun, can be threaded in narrative, not subject of philosophy tract. this is how i read these, how i decide these are postmodern, in that they use texts or world/universes from previous sf creative work...
there is also some argument that the ideal form of sf is not a short story- which can be too short, can reduce the ideas to 'tricks'- or a novel- which can be too long and require 'characters' extraneous to ideas- but best sf is the novella form, somewhere between the extremes. i would suggest that linked short stories is a good format, even if the linking is after the fact...
not to say there is no spectacle here, but it is generated more by sensawunda of more usual sf ideas- robots, ai, space hard fiction, cyberpunk, dystopia. there are seven stories held together in a frame of 'educating' the human storyteller, and it is truly only the last two which answer the promise of explaining the division of the world into androids and humans...
story 1, is not sfnal but a moving exploration of an online subculture writing fan-fiction for an sf story not unlike star trek. this spurred me to think about the 'fan' sf culture i left behind growing up, and as an adult the woman i knew still into one. the moral (which our android ibis offers here as after each tale), that the so-called real world is often worthy of 'escape', that there is something true in those communities of fans, was certainly valid for her. this story makes me wish i had been more willing to play...
story 2, is not terribly unique, but suggests the positive possibilities of linking humans through technology, in a sweet, short tale no sf reader would argue with. the moral? well, communication is key to all these stories, and here as 1 it is human to human...
story 3, is one that shows the range of human/machine intelligence interacting, the positive and inevitable negative, with the twist in showing that it is all a matter of educating to become human, to the extent androids want that...
story 4, is the flip side, the side of androids wanted to be human in some way, and is heaviest in hard science narrative, even as it forwards an idea that there is something human never to be fully understood by our most advanced androids...
story 5, is a cute story, something only possible in sf, though maybe more culture-specific (japanese) than any other story. once you get the idea, there is something emotionally potent in the idea of our inventions outlasting our humanity...
story 6, is one of the last two that seem to more directly address how this world of dominant androids and dwindling humans came to be. in some ways, it seems grounded in current demographic problems present in japan first, and maybe all developed countries later: the problem of an aging population and diminishing caregiver resources. solving this with androids does not sound too sfnal. this is one of the best stories, showing that our androids, truly free to develop 'meaning' and 'morality', will not become scary frankenstein monsters but maybe more moral than we weak humans will ever be. this is a touching story...
story 7, the only one ibis says is true, is her story, and by this story of all the ai androids and the world as it has come to be. this is the most sfnal of all, and develops sfnal themes and tropes familiar to almost all readers, and unspoken but solid certainty of sfnal worlds we humans dream of: transcending our limited, human, lives through science, searching out intelligence, new life, new worlds, to boldly go where no one has gone before!- yes this book is more star trek than star wars. i like the optimism. i find this entire book very much of the star trek- maybe typical of all classic sf- worlds of infinite wonder, futures, possibilities, and that it explores them in a pomo way does not mean they are diminished or dismissed. unlike Ready Player One, even in dystopic frame world, there is hope, there is promise, there is value to all the imagined futures through sf...
June 2, 2010
Hiroshi Yamamoto has come up with a clever framing device for compiling several of his short stories into a novel, presenting them as stories one character reads to another. He quickly acknowledges that this is not an original gimmick, name-checking "1,001 Arabian Nights" right away, but it allows him to connect five stories that are otherwise only related in theme, add in a longer story that nudges us toward the big revelations, and then hit us with the sort of post-human characters who can often come across as deliberately confusing , except that we've been well-prepared for the concepts.
The individual stories are very good; they occasionally play on very familiar sci-fi (and sci-fi fandom) archetypes, but are well-executed examples of those ideas. Yamamoto is a shameless but effective borrower; in addition to Scheherazade, he also makes use of Asimov's famed Laws of Robotics, updating them for current ideas about artificial intelligence. The end result is a novel that is very much about ideas, more so than plot and, at times, more so than characterization, but does an excellent job of walking the fine line between dry exposition and frantic future shock.
More so than the other novels I've read in Viz's Haikasoru line, this one seemed to come from a specifically Japanese perspective. In the second half, especially, there are pointed references made to the present and coming crises of population and demographics in Japan (and, likely, other prosperous first-world countries), and while Western post-cyberpunk sci-fi certainly embraces the idea of machine intelligences, it feels very natural coming from a culture that has historically believed that everything in nature (and even many man-made things) has a spirit. Yamamoto doesn't use that as a crutch, though - indeed, as much as he gives his machines a (literally) complex emotional range, he also makes it very clear that their nobility is a combination between cold logic and a design based to an extent on servitude.
Even more than being a story about AIs and how they may evolve, "The Stories of Ibis" is a tribute to the creative impulse, whether it be the drive to create more powerful machines, new forms of life, or stories - and how the last is what makes the others possible, even if those stories are not necessarily "accurate" or predictive.
The individual stories are very good; they occasionally play on very familiar sci-fi (and sci-fi fandom) archetypes, but are well-executed examples of those ideas. Yamamoto is a shameless but effective borrower; in addition to Scheherazade, he also makes use of Asimov's famed Laws of Robotics, updating them for current ideas about artificial intelligence. The end result is a novel that is very much about ideas, more so than plot and, at times, more so than characterization, but does an excellent job of walking the fine line between dry exposition and frantic future shock.
More so than the other novels I've read in Viz's Haikasoru line, this one seemed to come from a specifically Japanese perspective. In the second half, especially, there are pointed references made to the present and coming crises of population and demographics in Japan (and, likely, other prosperous first-world countries), and while Western post-cyberpunk sci-fi certainly embraces the idea of machine intelligences, it feels very natural coming from a culture that has historically believed that everything in nature (and even many man-made things) has a spirit. Yamamoto doesn't use that as a crutch, though - indeed, as much as he gives his machines a (literally) complex emotional range, he also makes it very clear that their nobility is a combination between cold logic and a design based to an extent on servitude.
Even more than being a story about AIs and how they may evolve, "The Stories of Ibis" is a tribute to the creative impulse, whether it be the drive to create more powerful machines, new forms of life, or stories - and how the last is what makes the others possible, even if those stories are not necessarily "accurate" or predictive.
September 1, 2011
Essentially, this is a short story collection framed by another story to make it cohesive, a novel of surprising power.
This is a world where humans have become the minority and machines rule it. There is great fear and anger carried by the humans and they hate the machines, who've become to advanced as to appear human, to act human.
The novel's narrated by a storyteller. He travels between colonies to tell stories, to share movies, as the human world is a much smaller place, sort of stuck in the end of the 20th century, technologically. Quickly he encounters Ibis, an android, whom he tries to fight. He loses, is injured, and she takes him to a machine city, for lack of a better word. There we discover her intentions: She wants to tell him stories.
And so she does. She tells him only stories that are fiction, which we disappear into--leaving Ibis and the narrator behind--and then, after the story is finished, we go back to our distrustful narrator. This process repeats until we come to the only nonfiction story: The story of Ibis' life.
It's hard to judge the writing here, because it may be a translation problem more than a problem of the author. But the actual writing is simply okay. It's not prose that's going to impress you or leave you begging for more, but the stories are quite good. And, more than the individual stories that make up the novel, the shape of the novel is what makes this a worthy read. It's a powerful book, really, about the nature of truth, of language, but, mostly, it's about the power of stories. How stories can heal us, can save us, will change us.
They are stories about the future [though, within the novel, they're the distant past] that reflect so clearly what life is now. It is a book about peace, about the beauty of differences. It is not about tolerating those who are different, but accepting them. Android, robots, AI, or whathaveyou stand in for every minority group to great effect, but they also stand in for themselves, and the fear and distrust many humans carry for the progression of technology.
They speak of our fears, of the fears that lead to tragedies, to racism, to unspeakable evils, and give, in simple and clear terms, the absurdity of these fears. That the other needn't be an aggressor, but may just be another sentience wishing to live, to help others live.
It's a beautiful book, despite the sometimes clumsy writing.
This is a world where humans have become the minority and machines rule it. There is great fear and anger carried by the humans and they hate the machines, who've become to advanced as to appear human, to act human.
The novel's narrated by a storyteller. He travels between colonies to tell stories, to share movies, as the human world is a much smaller place, sort of stuck in the end of the 20th century, technologically. Quickly he encounters Ibis, an android, whom he tries to fight. He loses, is injured, and she takes him to a machine city, for lack of a better word. There we discover her intentions: She wants to tell him stories.
And so she does. She tells him only stories that are fiction, which we disappear into--leaving Ibis and the narrator behind--and then, after the story is finished, we go back to our distrustful narrator. This process repeats until we come to the only nonfiction story: The story of Ibis' life.
It's hard to judge the writing here, because it may be a translation problem more than a problem of the author. But the actual writing is simply okay. It's not prose that's going to impress you or leave you begging for more, but the stories are quite good. And, more than the individual stories that make up the novel, the shape of the novel is what makes this a worthy read. It's a powerful book, really, about the nature of truth, of language, but, mostly, it's about the power of stories. How stories can heal us, can save us, will change us.
They are stories about the future [though, within the novel, they're the distant past] that reflect so clearly what life is now. It is a book about peace, about the beauty of differences. It is not about tolerating those who are different, but accepting them. Android, robots, AI, or whathaveyou stand in for every minority group to great effect, but they also stand in for themselves, and the fear and distrust many humans carry for the progression of technology.
They speak of our fears, of the fears that lead to tragedies, to racism, to unspeakable evils, and give, in simple and clear terms, the absurdity of these fears. That the other needn't be an aggressor, but may just be another sentience wishing to live, to help others live.
It's a beautiful book, despite the sometimes clumsy writing.
November 18, 2010
The Stories of Ibis offers a sparkling, fresh stance on man vs. machine science fiction, proving that the lines between both camps are not so simple to discern. Quite enjoyed the more heady philosophical debates on the role of machines in human lives and vice versa, how both parties rely on one another for companionship, purpose, and evolution. In particular, the idea of death as discussed between the nameless Storyteller and the android Ibis is a compelling one that will linger long after the book is closed. Also, loved how vital the act of storytelling is to this novel. Hiroshi Yamamoto places the writer in a central role as the preserver of human culture and as the bonding link between disparate civilizations. Meta-narrative at its most sci fi - delicious.
Some readers might be turned off by the dense technical writing that accompanies a couple of the short stories. Remember: this is science fiction. Science is a large part of said fiction. Understanding the physics behind the fiction is vital at times andYamamoto explores it with great depth.
Ideal for: sci fi lovers who need a sharp jolt from the genre; current or former philoso-philes who like a good android debate; amateur or professional writers who love to speculate on their influence over these narratives; physics nerds who like reading technical jargon in their spare time.
Some readers might be turned off by the dense technical writing that accompanies a couple of the short stories. Remember: this is science fiction. Science is a large part of said fiction. Understanding the physics behind the fiction is vital at times andYamamoto explores it with great depth.
Ideal for: sci fi lovers who need a sharp jolt from the genre; current or former philoso-philes who like a good android debate; amateur or professional writers who love to speculate on their influence over these narratives; physics nerds who like reading technical jargon in their spare time.
December 21, 2020
It seems that Yamamoto had the kernel of a really good story and just couldn't quite bulk it out enough to make a novel, so he decided to encase it in several layers of short stories instead. The concept actually works quite well and he managed to weave the short stories in such a way that they augment the effect of the main story at the end. In many ways this is like a tightening spiral, where you slowly wind towards the core of the novel. Each turn around the issue you get closer to what the author (and his mouthpiece Ibis) is trying to communicate. The AI language was hilarious and I daren't think how hard it must have been to translate such ridiculous metaphors. Overall it reminded me of an Asimov style narrative set from the paradigm of the digital age we live in now. The homages to Asimov are strong so I think Yamamoto intended for it to feel somewhat similar. Japan's unique issues such as its mushroom demographics are also feature quite heavily but have done well in translation.
May 23, 2022
Tercera leída: 29/09/2017
The Day Shion Came y Ai Story resonaron aun más, lloré en partes en las que antes no lo había hecho y me maravillé descubriendo nuevos detalles que antes no había notado, sigue siendo el favorito sin duda.
Segunda leía 08/08/2013:
Segunda vuelta a este libro, segunda vez que realmente lo disfruto, cada una de las historias tiene sus detalles, incluso ahora disfruté más algunas como Mirror Girl, por otro lado, Black Hole Diver sigue siendo uno de mis cuentos cortos favoritos.
The Day Shion Came y Ai Story resonaron aun más, lloré en partes en las que antes no lo había hecho y me maravillé descubriendo nuevos detalles que antes no había notado, sigue siendo el favorito sin duda.
Segunda leía 08/08/2013:
Segunda vuelta a este libro, segunda vez que realmente lo disfruto, cada una de las historias tiene sus detalles, incluso ahora disfruté más algunas como Mirror Girl, por otro lado, Black Hole Diver sigue siendo uno de mis cuentos cortos favoritos.
Read
February 13, 2019Seven short stories framed within one larger narrative. Each on their own are amazingly well written and powerful but combined they follow the well known pattern of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts. I loved each story and the overall story was fantastic. Both ideas, environment and characters were all described in loving detail which has easily made me decide this is one of the best books, of this type, I have read in a very long time.
April 29, 2019
the importance of fiction, as a lens to reshape reality; the power of stories, as a reflection of ourselves, as our dreams and ideals; humanity's technological achievements as our dreams made manifest; our constant striving to reshape the world to better align with those dreams, to be better than our species specs allow; our fundamental loneliness and desire to connect...
good stuff.
good stuff.
August 23, 2021
Science fiction has often endeavored to explain AI, but seldom has it tried to justify it. Instead of asking how AI would work or how AI would come about, The Stories of Ibis is more concerned with why people would make AI, what AI means to us, and where AI already exists in the present: stories.
In the view of Ibis, the titular storyteller, AI serves the same purpose as fiction, because, like a story, although an AI is not physically real, it can inspire real emotions, and the more positive those emotions are, the greater claim the AI has for being real in a different sense. Thus, even when the stories Ibis shares do not have AI present, they are still fundamentally about AI in that they explore how people use role-playing and collective imagination to cope with the outside world. While in each story technology has a role in facilitating these activities, it is less important than the interpersonal connections involved.
For a translated work, the writing and dialogue are clear, if sometimes marginal—though, perhaps this makes it better suited to an English reader—yet Yamamoto pushes the boundaries of a “light novel” in surprising ways, such as his invention of an AI argot and his seamless transitions between stories imbedded within each other. His settings, however, are typical otaku fare, which his characters acknowledge along with his debt to Asimov’s Laws of Robotics.
But unlike Asimov, his stories are all centered around female protagonists. This is not a coincidence, as Ibis admits early on that it is easier for her, a female AI (“female” being the gender she was assigned as well as her gender of choice), to relate to stories with female protagonists. This a bold statement coming from a male author, especially from a genre as male-dominated as science fiction.
Unfortunately, he is not as bold when it comes to addressing the sexual exploitation of these AI, which is an undercurrent throughout most of Ibis’ stories. Granted, whenever the abuse and prostitution AI suffer are mentioned, it is with indignation and disgust. Yet the objectification and infantilization of AI women is merely alluded to rather than confronted, and male gaze pervades both the intermissions of the male narrator and the stories told by Ibis.
Still, where the baggage of the light novel medium does not hamper it, The Stories of Ibis is truly a gem. Other science fiction books may offer crackling circuitry and turgid technobabble, but this one, to the satisfaction of a layman like myself, has warmth, heart, and pathos.
In the view of Ibis, the titular storyteller, AI serves the same purpose as fiction, because, like a story, although an AI is not physically real, it can inspire real emotions, and the more positive those emotions are, the greater claim the AI has for being real in a different sense. Thus, even when the stories Ibis shares do not have AI present, they are still fundamentally about AI in that they explore how people use role-playing and collective imagination to cope with the outside world. While in each story technology has a role in facilitating these activities, it is less important than the interpersonal connections involved.
For a translated work, the writing and dialogue are clear, if sometimes marginal—though, perhaps this makes it better suited to an English reader—yet Yamamoto pushes the boundaries of a “light novel” in surprising ways, such as his invention of an AI argot and his seamless transitions between stories imbedded within each other. His settings, however, are typical otaku fare, which his characters acknowledge along with his debt to Asimov’s Laws of Robotics.
But unlike Asimov, his stories are all centered around female protagonists. This is not a coincidence, as Ibis admits early on that it is easier for her, a female AI (“female” being the gender she was assigned as well as her gender of choice), to relate to stories with female protagonists. This a bold statement coming from a male author, especially from a genre as male-dominated as science fiction.
Unfortunately, he is not as bold when it comes to addressing the sexual exploitation of these AI, which is an undercurrent throughout most of Ibis’ stories. Granted, whenever the abuse and prostitution AI suffer are mentioned, it is with indignation and disgust. Yet the objectification and infantilization of AI women is merely alluded to rather than confronted, and male gaze pervades both the intermissions of the male narrator and the stories told by Ibis.
Still, where the baggage of the light novel medium does not hamper it, The Stories of Ibis is truly a gem. Other science fiction books may offer crackling circuitry and turgid technobabble, but this one, to the satisfaction of a layman like myself, has warmth, heart, and pathos.
April 10, 2021
বই রিভিউঃ দ্যা স্টোরিস অভ ইবিস
লেখকঃ হিরোশি ইয়ামামোতো
অনুবাদঃ বিমুগ্ধ সরকার রক্তিম
ধরনঃ সাইন্স ফিকশন
প্রকাশকালঃ বইমেলা, ২০২১
রেটিংঃ ৫/৫
রিভিউঃ
এটা সুদূর ভবিষতের কাহিনি, যখন রোবটেরা দখল করে নিয়েছে পৃথিবী, আর মানুষ বাস করে ছোট, ছোট কলোনীতে। এমন এক কলোনীর গল্পকথক নামে পরিচিত এক মানুষকে ইবিস নামে এক মানবাকৃতি এন্ড্রয়েড নিয়ে আসে রোবটের কলোনীতে, আর তাকে শোনায় ভিন্ন ভিন্ন সময়ে লেখা ছয়টি ভিন্ন গল্প, যার মাঝে রয়েছে এক অজানা সত্য।
কিছুদিন ধরেই মনমত সাইন্স ফিকশন পড়তে পাচ্ছিলাম না। তবে বইটার কাহিনীসংক্ষেপ বেশ আকর্ষনীয় লাগায় ভাবলাম পড়েই দেখি। এটা আমার পড়া প্রথম জাপানীজ সাইন্স ফিকশন, আর বলতে হয় ইদানিং জাপানীজ যাই পড়ছি তাতেই মুগ্ধ হচ্ছি। একেবারেই ভিন্ন স্বাদের লেখা এগুলি। ইবিস মূলত গল্পের ভেতরে গল্প। কাহিনীসংক্ষেপে যা বললাম সেটা মূল গল্পের ফ্রেমিং ডিভাইস মাত্র। আসলে এটা ছয়টি ছোট গল্পের সংকলন। প্রতিটি গল্পের মূল থিম মানুষ এবং যন্ত্রের মধ্যকার সম্পর্ক, বিশেষ করে কৃত্রিম বুদ্ধিমত্তা। প্রতিটি গল্প একে একে মানুষের জীবন কিভাবে যন্ত্রের দ্বারা প্রভাবিত হচ্ছে, আবার যন্ত্র কিভাবে মানুষের দ্বারা তারই কাহিনী। কিন্তু এরই মাঝে রয়েছে গভীর মানবতা, সাহস, আর মানব মনের গহীনের কিছু সত্য। সত্যি বলতে সাইন্স ফিকশন আর মনস্তত্বের মিশেল খুব কমই দেখেছি। বিশেষ করে দুটি গল্প “মিরর গার্ল” এবং “ দ্যা ডে শিওন কেইম” মানবমন আর কৃত্রিম বুদ্ধিমত্তার সম্পর্কে দুটি হৃদয় ছুয়ে যাবার মত গল্প। সাথে ফ্রেমিং ডিভাইসটাও একই সাথে বলে যায় আরেক কাহিনী- মানুষের অবিবেচকতার কাহিনী। শেষ গল্প “এআই’স স্টোরি”সব গল্পকে গেঁথে দেয় এক সুতায়।
দ্যা স্টোরিস অভ ইবিস বইটা হার্ডকোর সাইন্স ফিকশন হলেও এরই মাঝে বলে যায় এক মানবতার কাহিনী। অনুবাদটাও অসাধারন ছিল। প্রথম অধ্যায়ে বাক্যে কিছু জড়তা থাকলেও পরে খুবই সাবলীল লেগেছে। কিছু জায়গায় ক্রিয়াপদের কাল ব্যবহার বিশেষ করে অতীতকাল এবং বর্তমানকালের ব্যবহারে কিছু অসামঞ্জস্য ছিল, কিন্তু তার পরিমান খুবই কম। তবে ছোটগল্পগুলির শিরোনামটাও বাংলায় হলে ভাল হত- যেমন “এ রোমান্স ইন ভারর্চুয়াল স্পেস” এর বদলে “ভারর্চুয়াল জগতে প্রেম” এমন হলে আরও মৌলিকের মতই স্বাদ পাওয়া যেত। কিন্তু সর্বোপরি অনুবাদ খুবই ভাল ছিল এবং বইটা ষোলআনাই উপভোগ করতে পেরেছি। এমন ভিন্ন ভাষার নতুন ধরনের সাইন্স ফিকশনের সাথে পরিচয় করিয়ে দেবার জন্য অনুবাদককে ধন্যবাদ।
লেখকঃ হিরোশি ইয়ামামোতো
অনুবাদঃ বিমুগ্ধ সরকার রক্তিম
ধরনঃ সাইন্স ফিকশন
প্রকাশকালঃ বইমেলা, ২০২১
রেটিংঃ ৫/৫
রিভিউঃ
এটা সুদূর ভবিষতের কাহিনি, যখন রোবটেরা দখল করে নিয়েছে পৃথিবী, আর মানুষ বাস করে ছোট, ছোট কলোনীতে। এমন এক কলোনীর গল্পকথক নামে পরিচিত এক মানুষকে ইবিস নামে এক মানবাকৃতি এন্ড্রয়েড নিয়ে আসে রোবটের কলোনীতে, আর তাকে শোনায় ভিন্ন ভিন্ন সময়ে লেখা ছয়টি ভিন্ন গল্প, যার মাঝে রয়েছে এক অজানা সত্য।
কিছুদিন ধরেই মনমত সাইন্স ফিকশন পড়তে পাচ্ছিলাম না। তবে বইটার কাহিনীসংক্ষেপ বেশ আকর্ষনীয় লাগায় ভাবলাম পড়েই দেখি। এটা আমার পড়া প্রথম জাপানীজ সাইন্স ফিকশন, আর বলতে হয় ইদানিং জাপানীজ যাই পড়ছি তাতেই মুগ্ধ হচ্ছি। একেবারেই ভিন্ন স্বাদের লেখা এগুলি। ইবিস মূলত গল্পের ভেতরে গল্প। কাহিনীসংক্ষেপে যা বললাম সেটা মূল গল্পের ফ্রেমিং ডিভাইস মাত্র। আসলে এটা ছয়টি ছোট গল্পের সংকলন। প্রতিটি গল্পের মূল থিম মানুষ এবং যন্ত্রের মধ্যকার সম্পর্ক, বিশেষ করে কৃত্রিম বুদ্ধিমত্তা। প্রতিটি গল্প একে একে মানুষের জীবন কিভাবে যন্ত্রের দ্বারা প্রভাবিত হচ্ছে, আবার যন্ত্র কিভাবে মানুষের দ্বারা তারই কাহিনী। কিন্তু এরই মাঝে রয়েছে গভীর মানবতা, সাহস, আর মানব মনের গহীনের কিছু সত্য। সত্যি বলতে সাইন্স ফিকশন আর মনস্তত্বের মিশেল খুব কমই দেখেছি। বিশেষ করে দুটি গল্প “মিরর গার্ল” এবং “ দ্যা ডে শিওন কেইম” মানবমন আর কৃত্রিম বুদ্ধিমত্তার সম্পর্কে দুটি হৃদয় ছুয়ে যাবার মত গল্প। সাথে ফ্রেমিং ডিভাইসটাও একই সাথে বলে যায় আরেক কাহিনী- মানুষের অবিবেচকতার কাহিনী। শেষ গল্প “এআই’স স্টোরি”সব গল্পকে গেঁথে দেয় এক সুতায়।
দ্যা স্টোরিস অভ ইবিস বইটা হার্ডকোর সাইন্স ফিকশন হলেও এরই মাঝে বলে যায় এক মানবতার কাহিনী। অনুবাদটাও অসাধারন ছিল। প্রথম অধ্যায়ে বাক্যে কিছু জড়তা থাকলেও পরে খুবই সাবলীল লেগেছে। কিছু জায়গায় ক্রিয়াপদের কাল ব্যবহার বিশেষ করে অতীতকাল এবং বর্তমানকালের ব্যবহারে কিছু অসামঞ্জস্য ছিল, কিন্তু তার পরিমান খুবই কম। তবে ছোটগল্পগুলির শিরোনামটাও বাংলায় হলে ভাল হত- যেমন “এ রোমান্স ইন ভারর্চুয়াল স্পেস” এর বদলে “ভারর্চুয়াল জগতে প্রেম” এমন হলে আরও মৌলিকের মতই স্বাদ পাওয়া যেত। কিন্তু সর্বোপরি অনুবাদ খুবই ভাল ছিল এবং বইটা ষোলআনাই উপভোগ করতে পেরেছি। এমন ভিন্ন ভাষার নতুন ধরনের সাইন্স ফিকশনের সাথে পরিচয় করিয়ে দেবার জন্য অনুবাদককে ধন্যবাদ।
October 25, 2024
I love you 3+10i.
(This review is 100% spoiler free)
The Stories of Ibis is a hidden gem from an author well-known only within his niche of D&D and gaming -- none of my many Japanese students have so much as heard of him, and at least one mentioned not being able to find any of his books in a brick-and-mortar store. But, nearly 20 years after its original publication and in the midst of an AI awakening of sorts (sup, ChatGPT), this book deserves way more attention.
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I hate short story collections. They always feel half-assed, thrown together, like table scraps. This is not your run-of-the-mill short story collection: the short stories are used as part of an overarching narrative device to tell a story about humans and AI like you've never heard before, from the perspective of an AI.
Nor is it your run-of-the-mill sci-fi novel. It's light on its feet, thought-provoking, and relevant in a way that is accessible to everyone in a way sci-fi tends not to be. (For example, a 60-ish student of mine who doesn't even read novels nowadays loved it, too.)
Overall, the book provides a reflection on the human condition as highlighted by the development of AI technology while maintaining what I found to be a hopeful and non-judgmental tone. I'll think about this one for a while.
(This review is 100% spoiler free)
The Stories of Ibis is a hidden gem from an author well-known only within his niche of D&D and gaming -- none of my many Japanese students have so much as heard of him, and at least one mentioned not being able to find any of his books in a brick-and-mortar store. But, nearly 20 years after its original publication and in the midst of an AI awakening of sorts (sup, ChatGPT), this book deserves way more attention.
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I hate short story collections. They always feel half-assed, thrown together, like table scraps. This is not your run-of-the-mill short story collection: the short stories are used as part of an overarching narrative device to tell a story about humans and AI like you've never heard before, from the perspective of an AI.
Nor is it your run-of-the-mill sci-fi novel. It's light on its feet, thought-provoking, and relevant in a way that is accessible to everyone in a way sci-fi tends not to be. (For example, a 60-ish student of mine who doesn't even read novels nowadays loved it, too.)
Overall, the book provides a reflection on the human condition as highlighted by the development of AI technology while maintaining what I found to be a hopeful and non-judgmental tone. I'll think about this one for a while.
July 12, 2014
I picked up this book in the library, having never heard of the title or the author, and was immediately captured by its clear prose and lucid imagery. Yamamoto does a superb job of transporting the reader into a gorgeously sensual future world. There are seven stories. Some of them are somewhat childish and nearly caused me to stop reading, but I'm immensely glad I stuck with the book. At its best, Stories of Ibis contains vivid, sophisticated speculations about the future and I have never read a more convincing and detailed portrayal of what AI life might be like.
My favorites in the book are: Black Hole Diver, The Day Shion Came, AI's Story, and the frame story tying everything together. With imaginary number communication, the concept of Layers 0, 1, and 2, vivid descriptions of robotic motion, emotion, sensation, and profound psychological insight, Yamamoto provides a beautiful account of the possible relationship between humanity and AI.
My favorites in the book are: Black Hole Diver, The Day Shion Came, AI's Story, and the frame story tying everything together. With imaginary number communication, the concept of Layers 0, 1, and 2, vivid descriptions of robotic motion, emotion, sensation, and profound psychological insight, Yamamoto provides a beautiful account of the possible relationship between humanity and AI.
September 29, 2016
DNF on page 128. This is a collection of hard sci-fi stories relating to AI with a superificial overarching narrative linking them. I had really high hopes for this collection, but did not get on with the writing style at all. It's written really colloquially and isn't polished. There is an unvaried use of vocabulary, so the same word will be repeated in back to back sentences. The stories themselves seem more concerned with the technology described in them than in plot or characters. I also found our pov character to be very immature and uninteresting. There was just very little in this collection to keep my attention and enjoy, unfortunately. If you love easier reads and hard sci-fi, however, this might be perfect for you!
January 21, 2020
I'm not a fan of short story anthologies but The Stories of Ibis is proof that I can be lured into reading (and liking) them by putting them in a single wider story.
This is dystopian/utopian. It's got sentient machines, tolerably annoying characters, and intriguing world building. I read it some time back and life offline gives me reason to think of it fairly often. By that measure alone I'd say this book is well worth reading.
This is dystopian/utopian. It's got sentient machines, tolerably annoying characters, and intriguing world building. I read it some time back and life offline gives me reason to think of it fairly often. By that measure alone I'd say this book is well worth reading.
March 12, 2013
7 fantastic stories wrapped in an intriguing shell. I especially loved "Black Hole Diver" and "The Day Shion Came", both of which I think will stay with me for a very long time. There's no shortage of robo-apocalyptia fiction out there, but this one is easily one of the best and most satisfying takes on the subgenre.
April 24, 2013
Un libro del que no esperaba nada y resultó una belleza. Esos japoneses sí le saben.
November 12, 2020
*Score: 8.5/10*
In the far future, robots become more in numbers than humans, with humans relegated only to small spread out colonies. The main story is about a boy who is a storyteller that moves between colonies, and harbors hostility to robots like most humans. One day he encounters Ibis, a robot that he confronts and tries to defeat and destroy, only to fail miserabely and get captured by her. Surprisingly, the robot only wants to tell him stories, and the boy pushes back to avoid "machine propaganda".
Within this framework, the book is mainly focused on Ibis's 7 stories, so its kind of like a short story collection, but they are linked with the overall narrative about the boy and Ibis.
This was very satisfying, both in terms of structure and content. I personally had some issues with most of the YA and light novels I have read, as I felt many of them dont respect the intelligence of their audience, but this book is the best example of a truely smart and hearfelt story that respects its main audience, and can be appreciated also by older age groups.
There are many themes, mainly though it centers on humanity's identity, preceptions of reality, morality, and what it means to dream, live and die. I will mention briefly my scores and view on each of the 7 stories:
1. The Universe on my Hands 7.5/10: This was decent, centers on virtual simulation and gaming and its influence on real actions. Good but underdeveloped and has a cheesy ending
2. A Romance in Virtual Space 6/10: exactly as per title, and was the one weak link in the book. Thankfully its short
3. Mirror Girl 8.5/10: About a technology that makes you befriend an AI in a mirror from a fictional country, that can develop and grow in morality as per her nature of engagement with humans. Really beautiful tale.
4. Black Hole Diver 9/10: Brilliant idea and execution, about black hole suicidals! This one has lots of philosophy on meaning of death, religious ideas, and even what dreams mean. Almost my favorite one.
5. A World Where Justice is Just 8/10: Great idea of multiple worlds generated from downloading human consciousness after their death, very much like a Black Mirror episode.
6. The Day Shion Came 9/10: If there is one reason to pick this book up, its this story. This was 25% of the book so pretty long, and wow its good. Its about a prototype android assigned in a hospital as a caregiver. Goes into detail on how the daily struggle is in caregiving for elderly, and challenges human preception of whats right and wrong, and has a perfect mix of philosophy, characters, and plot. Wish this was even longer.
7. Ai's Story 8/10: Won't talk about this story much as its a spoiler of the overall framework and narrative. This was also long, and bring the key themes of the book to the forefront. However it had some issues in execution and chapter layout that took away from it a bit.
The main narrative itself is 8.5/10 and overall the ending is beautiful and really makes me love the author as a human being for his extremely hopeful and rich messages that challenge the reader while also not drowning too much into hopelessness. The book combines aspects of Ready Player One, Black Mirror, Ted Chiang's works, and the author's own beautiful views in the mix. Though a bit plain in writing, this is still a highly recommended read for sci fi fans.
In the far future, robots become more in numbers than humans, with humans relegated only to small spread out colonies. The main story is about a boy who is a storyteller that moves between colonies, and harbors hostility to robots like most humans. One day he encounters Ibis, a robot that he confronts and tries to defeat and destroy, only to fail miserabely and get captured by her. Surprisingly, the robot only wants to tell him stories, and the boy pushes back to avoid "machine propaganda".
Within this framework, the book is mainly focused on Ibis's 7 stories, so its kind of like a short story collection, but they are linked with the overall narrative about the boy and Ibis.
This was very satisfying, both in terms of structure and content. I personally had some issues with most of the YA and light novels I have read, as I felt many of them dont respect the intelligence of their audience, but this book is the best example of a truely smart and hearfelt story that respects its main audience, and can be appreciated also by older age groups.
There are many themes, mainly though it centers on humanity's identity, preceptions of reality, morality, and what it means to dream, live and die. I will mention briefly my scores and view on each of the 7 stories:
1. The Universe on my Hands 7.5/10: This was decent, centers on virtual simulation and gaming and its influence on real actions. Good but underdeveloped and has a cheesy ending
2. A Romance in Virtual Space 6/10: exactly as per title, and was the one weak link in the book. Thankfully its short
3. Mirror Girl 8.5/10: About a technology that makes you befriend an AI in a mirror from a fictional country, that can develop and grow in morality as per her nature of engagement with humans. Really beautiful tale.
4. Black Hole Diver 9/10: Brilliant idea and execution, about black hole suicidals! This one has lots of philosophy on meaning of death, religious ideas, and even what dreams mean. Almost my favorite one.
5. A World Where Justice is Just 8/10: Great idea of multiple worlds generated from downloading human consciousness after their death, very much like a Black Mirror episode.
6. The Day Shion Came 9/10: If there is one reason to pick this book up, its this story. This was 25% of the book so pretty long, and wow its good. Its about a prototype android assigned in a hospital as a caregiver. Goes into detail on how the daily struggle is in caregiving for elderly, and challenges human preception of whats right and wrong, and has a perfect mix of philosophy, characters, and plot. Wish this was even longer.
7. Ai's Story 8/10: Won't talk about this story much as its a spoiler of the overall framework and narrative. This was also long, and bring the key themes of the book to the forefront. However it had some issues in execution and chapter layout that took away from it a bit.
The main narrative itself is 8.5/10 and overall the ending is beautiful and really makes me love the author as a human being for his extremely hopeful and rich messages that challenge the reader while also not drowning too much into hopelessness. The book combines aspects of Ready Player One, Black Mirror, Ted Chiang's works, and the author's own beautiful views in the mix. Though a bit plain in writing, this is still a highly recommended read for sci fi fans.
September 18, 2018
This book isn't fast-moving--one of the stories, for instance, is about an AI caregiver learning her job at a nursing home--but it is a tremendous book. Being written by a Japanese author and translated into English, I quite enjoyed the genuinely Japanese setting for the stories. The stories were thoughtful ruminations on the interrelations between humans and artificial intelligences in subtle details, including the nuance and shapes that might take. The book works against the stereotypical story of "robots trying to take over the world," and even suggests at one point that humans project that story upon AI because of their own aggressive, dominating nature. Several AI in the book make the argument that AI are too intelligent to live via conflict and to believe the fictions that would fund such violence. It's a bold challenge for us to move beyond our "gedoshields," our systems of confirmation bias in which we dismiss anything that challenges our worldview.
That said, the final story is quite action-packed, and then the end of the book opens up into an expansive horizon that moves far beyond the much more domestic stories that precede it.
That said, the final story is quite action-packed, and then the end of the book opens up into an expansive horizon that moves far beyond the much more domestic stories that precede it.
February 27, 2025
I've never read a book so anti-humanist. Not pre-humanist or post-humanist but actually COUNTER humanist. It is not hateful in its view on humanity, but it certainly is disdainful (no matter how much its characters insist they're not). As someone who is not a humanist (nor an anti-humanist), I found all this both refreshing and problematic.
In general, the seven stories are of varying quality. Some are quaint and sweet, some have cool ideas, all were fun to read. The frame narrative doesn't do enough to set the stage for the ending (or the reveal of the setting), leaving the point-of-view character as a simple strawman for antagonism against AI. As with any strawman, this made the argument of the book a bit flat, like a really poorly realized Platonic dialogue.
Further, the author (through Ibis) tries to make an argument that humanity isn't really intelligent (that all of us have varying levels of dementia, a description I find off putting on various levels...), but that we are dreamers and storytellers. Unfortunately, this is only communicated on the final few pages. The rest of the book takes a pretty grim view of humanity and human culture, even suggesting that human history and culture are "draining happiness from so many people." I just can't get behind that. There is too much good in the world and in humans to go that far.
The book is, however, generally well-constructed and -written, and it all flows nicely. Except for a two-page long paragraph detailing a fight scene blow-by-blow, the prose moves along at a good pace and rarely gets bogged down. In the end, I think the author really has a lot of skill and pretends at a respect for humanity, but fundamentally believes that humanity isn't worth much and that robots are simply superior. Yuck.
In general, the seven stories are of varying quality. Some are quaint and sweet, some have cool ideas, all were fun to read. The frame narrative doesn't do enough to set the stage for the ending (or the reveal of the setting), leaving the point-of-view character as a simple strawman for antagonism against AI. As with any strawman, this made the argument of the book a bit flat, like a really poorly realized Platonic dialogue.
Further, the author (through Ibis) tries to make an argument that humanity isn't really intelligent (that all of us have varying levels of dementia, a description I find off putting on various levels...), but that we are dreamers and storytellers. Unfortunately, this is only communicated on the final few pages. The rest of the book takes a pretty grim view of humanity and human culture, even suggesting that human history and culture are "draining happiness from so many people." I just can't get behind that. There is too much good in the world and in humans to go that far.
The book is, however, generally well-constructed and -written, and it all flows nicely. Except for a two-page long paragraph detailing a fight scene blow-by-blow, the prose moves along at a good pace and rarely gets bogged down. In the end, I think the author really has a lot of skill and pretends at a respect for humanity, but fundamentally believes that humanity isn't worth much and that robots are simply superior. Yuck.
June 6, 2020
This was a very uplifting and optimistic sci-fi collection, which is very welcome and unusual for the genre. A mix between a collection of short stories and a novel, there were definitely particular stories that I liked better than others. "The Day Shion Came" was by far my favorite, and I would perhaps recommend just that story over the entire book. I tend to prefer sci-fi that focuses on the human story rather than the mechanics of the technology itself, and this book definitely did just that (the central tenet of the book is essentially whether or not AI are human). I also will say that Yamamoto did an excellent job writing his women and female-presenting characters - they are heavily represented, varied and nuanced in character, and their sexuality is addressed only when relevant, and usually through their own voices.
November 21, 2022
4.5 Stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. The manner in which the author set up a rumination on how humans would relate to androids and AI was not only entertaining but also enlightening. There has been much discussion recently about AI and whether or not humans can survive after machines become aware. Many pundits have offered their opinions, but in reality, no one knows. The main android in Yamamoto's tale relates various old AI stories to a human in order to lead him to the truth. Each tale approaches the question of human-AI co-existence (or not) through different perspectives. Each is riveting in their own right, but when taken together with the overarching story, the whole becomes greater than its parts.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. The manner in which the author set up a rumination on how humans would relate to androids and AI was not only entertaining but also enlightening. There has been much discussion recently about AI and whether or not humans can survive after machines become aware. Many pundits have offered their opinions, but in reality, no one knows. The main android in Yamamoto's tale relates various old AI stories to a human in order to lead him to the truth. Each tale approaches the question of human-AI co-existence (or not) through different perspectives. Each is riveting in their own right, but when taken together with the overarching story, the whole becomes greater than its parts.
June 18, 2020
Kirja kertoo tulevaisuudesta, jossa robotit hallitsevat planeettaa ja ihmiskunta on kuihtunut yksittäisiksi yhteisöiksi. Päähenkilö kohtaa Ibis nimisen robotin, joka alkaa kertomaan hänelle tarinoita. Lähes kaikki tarinat olivat mielestäni tylsiä ja olisin jättänyt kirjan kesken, ellen olisi ollut kiinnostunut Ibiksen motiiveista ja maailmasta. "The Day Shion Came" oli ainoa maailman "ulkopuolinen" tarina jota pidin todella hyvänä ja siitä lähtien kirja olikin parhaimmillaan.
January 22, 2018
Empezó un poco flojo pero fue escalando de tono hasta que se convirtió en uno de mis libros favoritos. La manera en la que hila las historias me pareció excelente. Es curioso como un libro que habla en su mayoría de androides y de inteligencias artificiales puede hacerte reflexionar de una manera asombrosa acerca de la humanidad.
October 23, 2024
Books like this is why I read. Reading can sometimes be a hunt for the sublime. Collecting drops of brilliance in every book you read to keep you going in your search of the motherload. In search of that heavenly rush that only comes from true genius.
This is one them. This is the motherload. An absolute masterpiece in every possible aspect.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.
This is one them. This is the motherload. An absolute masterpiece in every possible aspect.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.
April 24, 2017
A very mixed bag
For the first 75% this is basically a short story collection with a frame story. Some of the stories are good while others are just sweet. The last part of the book binds the stories and the frame together.
For the first 75% this is basically a short story collection with a frame story. Some of the stories are good while others are just sweet. The last part of the book binds the stories and the frame together.
January 13, 2021
Về cơ bản cuốn tiểu thuyết này là tập hợp 6 truyện ngắn được kết nối lại bằng một câu chuyện nền. Một vài truyện ngắn khá thú vị và cuốn hút. Nhưng câu chuyện bao trùm không thuyết phục được tôi cho lắm, hơi gượng ép, bởi vậy chỉ đặt 3 sao được thôi.
December 27, 2017
Wow ..
Extremely interesting view of human-machine relationship integrated into several stories.
Extremely interesting view of human-machine relationship integrated into several stories.
March 12, 2024
A new way to the view the future, and how tales are told.
April 8, 2025
amazing, loved the set up and the way the story was written as always, the way yamamotos mind works is amazing. this story really mind you think humanity and what it means to be human.
February 25, 2018
A worthy collection of stories about robot-human relationships and virtual reality. Good science-fiction work which stories invite us to reflect about our human nature and the possibilities of the artificial intelligence. My favorite story was "The Day Shion Came".
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