In this debut episode, I speak with James Yu, who is a writer, technologist and artist, based in San Francisco. James is the co-founder of Sudowrite, the AI assistant for creative writers, and he also makes art that explores how technology mediates our everyday experience. The conversation largely explores fiction through the lens of technology.
We cover topics such as: fiction's relationship with AI, the tension between craft and technology, how writers can adopt and leverage new tools and how society's need for fiction has changed over the years.
Say hi to James on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamesjyu
Say hi to James on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamesyu
Say hi to Dhru on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dhrupadkarwa
Say hi to Dhru on Instagram: www.instagram.com/dkarwa
Show notes:
0:00 - Introduction
1:55 - What fiction means to James
3:23 - On engineering and writing
6:53 - AI and creative tools
14:02 - Tension between craft and technology
16:15 - Robin Sloan on 'stock and flow'
18:28 - Poisonous ideal of log cabin writers
19:50 - Kazuo Ishiguro on social media
22:55 - Books written by AIs
29:33 - Human++ and Digital Muses
30:40 - Relationships with books and authors
32:05 - Combinatorial creativity
38:35 - The ego
44:39 - Society's need for fiction
52:20 - How novels serve us
54:50 - Future of storytelling
58:53 - On Ted Chiang and T.C. Boyle
1:02:55 - Future of Fiction
Links:
Sudowrite: www.sudowrite.com
Robin Sloan on 'stock and flow': www.snarkmarket.com/2010/4890
Kazuo Ishiguro on social media: www.wordfest.com/2021/watch/kazuo-ishiguro-on-social-media
Ted Chiang's short stories: www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/ted-chiangs-soulful-science-fiction
T.C. Boyle: www.tcboyle.com
Lit Visions: www.litvisions.substack.com
AI Authors, Poisonous Ideals and Ted Chiang | James Yu | #1