| | We’re wrapping up this month of Strange New Words with Ted Chiang’s sharp, mind-bending tale “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling.” Instead of haunted Mars mansions, Chiang gives us something even creepier: a future where perfect memory is just an app away. Would you let a device replay every moment of your life exactly as it happened — even the ones you wish you remembered differently? Tell us if you’d sign up for Remem… or run screaming. If you’re just joining us, you can still read the story and our discussion prompts below — it’s a perfect, introspective read for the end of fall.
In this issue:  A quick roundtable on whether perfect recall is a dream or a nightmare (Everyone agreed that this would not be good for the future of humanity)  Vote for next month’s pick: poll closes Nov. 30  Bonus recs for fans of stories about memory, identity, and the slippery nature of truth  Plus: fresh sci-fi coverage Share your thoughts with us @spacedotcom — we want to know which of the story’s two timelines hit you hardest. And remember, Strange New Words beams into your inbox the first and last Wednesdays each month. Add spacestrangenewwords@smartbrief.com so we don’t vanish into your spam wormhole.
Until next time — thanks for reading with us! — Ian & Kenna | | | | This Month's Short Story, | | Chiang’s story spans two worlds and two eras: one where near-future tech lets us recall every moment of our lives with precision, and another where a young man learns written language for the first time. Across both, one question shines through: Do we live by what happened — or by what we believe happened? If you love reflective sci-fi that hits like a philosophy seminar mixed with a therapy session, you're in for a treat. Disclaimer: All stories linked through this club are hosted on their original publishers’ websites. We do not reproduce or host the stories ourselves. Links are provided solely for readers’ convenience and discussion purposes. Copyright and all rights remain with the original authors and publishers. | | | Because half the fun of reading isn't just turning the pages, it's what happens when we start talking about them. So below are a few questions to think about while you're reading the story. We'll also be walking through a few of these in our wrap up newsletter on this story. - If you could replay any moment of your life with perfect accuracy, would you want to? Which moment goes first?
- What’s more reliable: facts or feelings? And which do you trust more?
- Which fictional universe would handle perfect memory tech the worst? (Black Mirror? The Sims? Star Wars?)
- If past-you and present-you sat down to debate your life choices, who wins?
Share your answers with us — we’ll feature our favorites in the next newsletter | | | | Vote For Next Month's Story | | | Help choose our December short story! | Vote now! | | | If You Like That Story, Try This Book! | | | | This new edition of Ted Chiang's masterful first collection, Stories of Your Life and Others, includes his first eight published stories plus the author's story notes and a cover that the author commissioned himself. | | | | THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE MARTIAN. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with a screenplay by Drew Goddard | | | | Jake Korell's debut novel 'The Second World' envisions a newly independent Mars shaped by real space-policy debates, near-future technology, and the very human absurdities we'll bring with us when we leave Earth. | | | | Space.com Staff Speak Sci-Fi | | | Space staff members Ian Stokes, Anthony Wood and Kenna Hughes-Castleberry dive into "Truth of Fact, Truth of Feeling" including why perfect memory devices would be bad for humanity and why they feel a bit too close to home. | | | | John Carpenter's Antarctica-set sci-fi classic clearly had a significant influence on "Alien: Earth". | | | A History of Star Trek with Glen Swanson | | | Regardless of which line of sets are your favorites, we've rounded up the best Black Friday Lego deals on the market ahead of the annual sales event | | | | Stay up-to-date on all things space science, news, and entertainment by subscribing to our newsletters. | | | | | | | | | Future US LLC © | | Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036 | | | |
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