The Egg: A Short Story By Andy Weir

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July 25, 2022

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Don't wait for an inspired ending to come to mind. Work your way to the ending and see what comes up.

- Andy Weir -

The Egg: A Short Story By Andy Weir

"You were on your way home when you died.
It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.
And that's when you met me.
"What...what happened?" You asked. "Where am I?"
"You died," I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
"There was a a truck and it was skidding..."
"Yup," I said.
"I...I died?"
"Yup. But don't feel bad about it. Everyone dies," I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. "What is this place?" You asked. "Is this the afterlife?"
"More or less," I said.""

So begins Andy Weir's short story, "The Egg." Weir is an American novelist and former computer programmer, perhaps best known for his book, 'The Martian.' Weir was inspired to write 'The Egg' after an argument with his aunt, in his words, "I thought her point of view was ridiculous. Then, later I figured if I had lived her life, her opinion would make perfect sense to me. That got me thinking about a system where people live each others lives." 'The Egg' has been translated into thirty different languages. You can read it here. { read more }

Be The Change

Weir has said that this story doesn't reflect his own beliefs or understanding of reality. "I wanted to come up with some way to look at the world such that life was fair. A way where everyone came out even in the end. This is what I came up with." What might your own creative response to that challenge be? For more inspiration, here are "10 Mind-Expanding Thoughts on 'The Egg,'" by Kyle Kowalski. { more }

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