Team Slug apologises for the delay in posting last night’s episode of A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou — indeed, we had REAL LIFE S.F. AND PULP AUTHOR REBECCA LEVENE on the show — she once commissioned Doctor Who novels for Virgin, but last night spoke to us about anthropology, shared worlds and what she thought of early Brian Aldiss.
While you’re waiting, ponder Lewis Carroll’s prescient illustration of the peculiar submissive dumbness of artificial intelligence:
“Would you tell me,” said Alice, a little timidly, “why you are painting those roses?”
Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, “Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we’re doing our best, afore she comes, to–” At this moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out “The Queen! The Queen!” and the three gardeners instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces.