David Mudrak

@sean_wattley That's a good point - It may also have been too emotional of a scene to show a king being killed when they lived in a monarchy.

Shakespeare decided not to include the murder of Duncan, because he wanted to add a deeper element of mystery and elevate the tension that the audience feels, almost like they don't know for sure. #MuddyBuddies

@ms1_2005 Based on your 1201 class or your ideas of rhetoric, what do you think?

Why do you think #Keen included scientific studies to prove how to write in an empathetic tone? #Muddybuddies

@Mar154077 That's good - what made it interesting for you?

#Muddybuddies What did you guys think of, "“A Guide for Working Breeds”? I found it really interesting and I was intrigued during the whole reading.

@victoria131973 You have a valid point is suggesting this is not the best way to tell the story. Do you have any guesses or theories as to why it might be like this?

The formatting of "A Guide for Working Breeds" made it a little confusing to read as the story was purely dialogue which seemed to leave out important information. #Prasad had probably done this on purpose, but I'm not sure why. #muddybuddies

@ms1_2005 I think he is a part of the games.

Why do you think the one embodied AI bot in #Prasad's story is called Constant Killer? It was not clear who the bot was killing. #Muddybuddies

@brysen_p10 Are you suggesting the robots are aware that there is mistreatment but sort of just accept it?

The interactions between humans and robots in "A Guide for Working Breeds" by #Prasad is strange. They recognize the injustices being committed against them but seem to stick with each other and live in their own worlds. #MuddyBuddies

@corrinejshu It is fun to get a sense of character just based on a series of chat messages.

I enjoyed the interactions between the robots in “A Guide for Working Breeds." These interactions showcased varying personalities in the work place. One is serious and detail-orientated (Constant Killer) and the other is more humane and expressive (Default Name). #muddybuddies

@CJackson23577 I guess you were not a fan haha

@staff48615 @Anders I kind of enjoy the fact that we do not get details about this as readers. What do you think?

I wonder what caused the "Great Sundering" in @Anders dystopian America? #Muddybuddies

@brysen_p10 Nice observation - I am not sure either. Possibly, it is sincere by Molly, but a tinge of irony from the author.

I'm struggling to decide if the following #Anders quote is ironic or not: "...nobody ever gets drunk on books and starts a brawl." On one hand, the conclusion seems to support this claim, but the text also contains many examples of people fighting over a book. #MuddyBuddies

@CJackson23577 Interesting point Chris - I never really noticed this one. Almost a suggestion that socially, the country has moved backward while technology has moved forward.

@SamCriscu10 Do you think the tension in our country is bad enough to lead to something like this?

I'm wondering if #Anders inspiration for this short story is a from a political divide, and if this is their inference of what might happen in the future if people don't find a way to get along. #muddybuddies

@SamCriscu10 Do you think this is a plausible outcome?

I really enjoy the quote from #Anders short story at the end that says "all Molly heard was the slow, sustained breathing of people inside a cocoon of books" it really shows how peaceful everything was once people stopped fighting and enjoyed a moment together. #muddybuddies

@brysen_p10 That is a good point - I wonder if Chiang is suggesting something with that conclusion --- maybe something along the lines of the impact of technology can never truly be predicted.

I found it interesting that the main characters in each sub-story reached different conclusions in the end. Jijingi saw the usefulness of writing, but deferred to his elders. The journalist saw the downsides of Remen, but believed it was inevitable and useful. #MuddyBuddies

I thought this quote from #Chiang was very powerful and conveys a universal message, "Digital memory will not stop us from telling stories about ourselves. As I said earlier, we are made of stories, and nothing can change that." No digital world can steal our memory #Muddybuddies

@Mar154077 This is a good take - It feels like he offers a pretty neutral approach to technology that seems to lean towards suggesting that it is inevitable that changes will happen and they will bring both good and bad. Not a straight forward warning like Terminator 2 is.

Maybe #Chiang's purpose was to show how technology's influence can impact society and the relationships around us. Whether it is negative or positive I believe it is solely up to how that individual uses it. #muddybuddies

@CJackson23577 Insanely, this happened recently. Elon Musk implanted a chip into a person's brain to help them walk again and to possibly have them link their brain to an app. We have arrived - the future is here haha

@SamCriscu10 What does that say about the narrator? It’s not that Saunders thinks it is important but that Jon does, since he is telling the story. This is still an excellent question though.

Why is it that #Saunders feels the need to write "Old Navy boxers that Old Navy gave us to wear for gratis" why is it so important to give the specific brand? #muddybuddies

@brysen_p10 I thought the same thing. The drug use is the dead give away but all of what you outlined matches up so well. I wonder if Saunders was inspired by Brave New World and wanted to write an updated, advertising focused version.

#Saunders' short story "Jon" parallels Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" in many ways. For example, children grow up without their parents, are exposed to sexual matters by their leaders, take drugs to regulate their moods, and are effectively mind-controlled. #MuddyBuddies

@staff48615 @Saunders Yes! Very clear as to when he is thinking clearly and not. We see this in his wife and himself multiple times. I am also intrigued by the switching of names for the same reason.

I also found it interesting how @Saunders used tone shifts throughout the short story almost mirroring when the narrator was using Aurabon® vs when he wasn't #Muddybuddies