Sorry Please Thank You: "Please" stories

[Bretnie]

This will be for discussing the five stories under "Please"
-Hero Absorbs Major Damage
-Human for Beginners
-Inventory
-Open
-Note to Self

When we're ready to start discussing, did anyone have a favorite of these five?

[Bretnie]

I found this group of stories to be really clever. Hero in a video game who is conflicted about his destiny. Over analysis family relationships. ("Perhaps you have such a cousin. Perhaps you are such a cousin.") A world that changes every day. Talking to yourself from multiple universes.

But the one that stands out the most to me is "Open" with the door to this world where the couple can go and be social and pretend everything is ok while in reality they are on the verge of ending the relationship.

I like that Yu knocks you over the head with these obvious metaphors.

[Nadine in California]

I'm amazed at the way Yu can immerse me in existential riddles, but not scare me away because his language is so concrete and clear - and always has a hint of good humor too. Here's an example from "Inventory", which you describe so well, Bretnie, as a conversation between selves across the multiverse:

I have a Self. I'm his hypothetical. His guinea pig. His proxy, his personal test subect. I'm a lab rat in his thought experiments. A day player. The stunt double for his philosophical train tracks. A crash test dummy in a collision-testing facility for metaphysical safety."

But so far my favorite is still "Hero Absorbs Major Damage" because it's just so disarmingly charming :)

[Bretnie]

Anything specific that jumps out at you, Nadine, about Hero Takes Damage?

[Nadine in California]

Bretnie wrote: "Anything specific that jumps out at you, Nadine, about Hero Takes Damage?"

What charmed me is the way that the characters' thoughts and feelings are so ordinary and relatable - they could be office workers - even though they exist in the high fantasy world of a video game.

[Bretnie]

Nadine wrote: "What charmed me is the way that the characters' thoughts and feelings are so ordinary and relatable - they could be office workers - even though they exist in the high fantasy world of a video game."

Yes, I liked that too. :)