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They're Made Out of Meat

"They're Made Out of Meat" is a science fiction short story by American author Terry Bisson (1942–2024), first published in Omni magazine in April 1991, consisting entirely of a dialogue between two extraterrestrial beings who discover and react to the existence of a sentient species made entirely of organic meat. In the story, the two aliens, serving as investigators or explorers, probe reports of radio signals from a distant planet and learn that the source is a race of beings whose bodies, brains, and means of communication are all composed of meat, leading to their profound disbelief and disgust at the notion of meat achieving consciousness, emotions, and technological advancement. The narrative unfolds through their conversation, in which they grapple with the implications of this discovery, including the species' use of mechanical probes and vehicles, their birth and death cycles within meat forms, and their persistent attempts at interstellar contact over nearly a century, ultimately deciding to suppress the information to avoid further engagement. The story was nominated for the for Best in 1991 by the and Fantasy Writers of America, highlighting its impact within the genre. It has been widely anthologized, including in collections on and , and adapted into audio productions, such as a 2011 version for WNYC's Studio 360 radio show, as well as short films. Bisson, known for his humorous and philosophical , crafted the as a satirical exploration of perspective on and , which has contributed to its enduring popularity and frequent online sharing.

Background

Terry Bisson

Terry Ballantine Bisson was born on February 12, 1942, in , and raised in Owensboro until 1960. He attended in , where in 1961 he participated in student protests supporting President Kennedy's proposed nuclear test-ban treaty, marking an early engagement with political activism. After briefly studying at the , Bisson moved to in the 1960s to pursue writing, publishing his debut novel Wyrldmaker in 1981 after a decade-long hiatus spent in hippie communes in the South and Southwest following the publication of earlier mainstream works. This period of experimentation shaped his later focus on , where he transitioned from novelizations and editing— including adaptations of films such as Johnny Mnemonic (1995), (1997), and (1999)—to original short fiction and novels in the 1980s and 1990s. Bisson gained prominence in science fiction with the "Bears Discover Fire," published in 1990 and awarded the , , Locus, and Memorial Awards, highlighting his skill in blending everyday realism with speculative elements. Other notable works include the novel Pirates of the Universe (1990), which explores utopian and dystopian themes through satirical lenses, and Fire on the Mountain (1988), an centered on Brown's raid. His stylistic preferences leaned toward concise, dialogue-driven narratives that emphasized voice and humor over expansive world-building, often drawing from regional settings rather than interstellar epics. Deeply involved in left-leaning politics as part of the , Bisson co-founded the with his wife Judy Jensen and refused to testify before a 1985 investigating the group, resulting in three months of imprisonment. This activism extended to editing the 1990 anthology Hauling Up What the Morning Requires, featuring writings by political prisoners, and later work with radical publisher PM Press, where his satirical stories often critiqued power structures and societal absurdities. Bisson's engagement with civil rights-related causes, including association with the Anti-Klan Committee, influenced the philosophical and humorous undertones in his fiction. The short story "They're Made Out of Meat" emerged during a period of short story experimentation around 1990–1991, conceived as a rapid idea while Bisson drove his daughter to college in 1989 and reflecting his interest in absurd humor intertwined with philosophical questions about consciousness in science fiction. It was first published in Omni magazine in 1991. Bisson continued writing until his death on January 10, 2024, in Berkeley, California, from colon cancer.

Publication History

"They're Made Out of Meat" was first published as a standalone short story in the April 1991 issue of Omni magazine. A reprint appeared shortly thereafter in Harper's Magazine in August 1991 under the title "Meat in Space," exposing the story to a wider literary readership beyond science fiction circles. The story marked its debut in book form with inclusion in Terry Bisson's collection Bears Discover Fire and Other Stories, issued by Arkham House in 1993. Subsequent anthologizations further disseminated the work, including appearances in Nebula Awards 27 (Harcourt Brace, 1993) and The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: A 45th Anniversary Anthology (St. Martin's Press, 1994). It has also been featured in various compilations exploring and philosophical themes related to . The story saw international reach through translations, such as the edition "Sie sind aus Fleisch" in 1998 and the "Ils sont faits de viande" in 2003, often appearing in Bisson's translated collections. Beginning in the late , "They're Made Out of Meat" gained widespread popularity , circulating via chains and websites as one of the earliest literary texts, sometimes without attribution.

Content and Style

Plot Summary

"They're Made Out of Meat" is structured as a transcript of a conversation between two unnamed surveyors, designated as A and B, who are evaluating a newly discovered during a routine assessment. Speaker A reports the finding of a sentient species inhabiting what is termed a "meat world," emphasizing that the beings are entirely composed of biological , with no non-organic elements supporting their . The dialogue reveals the aliens' probing of multiple specimens from various planetary locations, confirming that the species' brains function as "meat computers" for thought and decision-making. Further investigation uncovers that these meat-based entities communicate through radio waves via self-constructed machines and interact verbally by flapping sections of their to generate sounds, including speech and music. The conversation escalates as Speaker B grapples with incredulity over the absence of any immaterial or advanced non-meat aspects in the species' , , or existence, while Speaker A details their observed lifespan across several generations, persistent attempts to extraterrestrial civilizations over nearly a century, and propulsion of themselves in protective "tin can" vessels at near-light speeds. Confronted with the fully meat-dependent nature of the —from sensory organs to systems—the surveyors deliberate on engagement protocols, ultimately opting to the by erasing records, smoothing memories from probed individuals, and designating the sector as unoccupied by intelligent life. The narrative, presented exclusively through this without descriptive narration or Earth-based scenes, spans approximately 1,200 words and implies an bureaucratic for the exchange.

Narrative Form

"They're Made Out of Meat" is structured entirely as a dialogue between two unidentified speakers, typically labeled as Speaker A and Speaker B, with no accompanying narration, descriptions, or expository text to provide context or character development. This absence of traditional narrative elements forces readers to infer the setting, characters, and events solely from the conversation, producing an immersive eavesdropping effect that mirrors overhearing a private discussion. The format resembles a transcript or interview script, employing short lines, interruptions, and ellipses to replicate the rhythms and hesitations of natural speech, which heightens the story's immediacy and authenticity. The minimalist presentation, a hallmark of author Terry Bisson's experimental approach, relies on —such as , commas, and dashes—to convey , emphasis, and emotional shifts without descriptive intervention. Bisson has described his as "minimalist," noting that "sometimes is all you need" to advance the narrative, allowing the conversation to drive pacing and revelations efficiently. This technique draws on playwriting conventions, where action unfolds through spoken exchanges alone, a method Bisson explored in his theatrical adaptations of his own works, including a stage version of this story. The -only structure distinguishes the piece from conventional short fiction, emphasizing brevity and verbal economy to maintain momentum across its concise length. Humor emerges from the dialogue's escalating , amplified by repetitive phrasing like the insistent echoes of "" to the speakers' disbelief, and ironic bureaucratic that parodies procedural . For instance, lines such as "Thinking ! Conscious !" build comedic tension through and , while references to "logging procedures" inject dry, official into the aliens' reactions. This stylistic choice not only sustains the story's lighthearted tone but also reinforces its experimental nature, as Bisson specialized in all-dialogue shorts to challenge readers' expectations of narrative form.

Themes and Analysis

Prejudice and Xenophobia

In Terry Bisson's , the protagonists exhibit profound upon discovering that s achieve through biological matter, repeatedly referring to them as "" in a tone of revulsion that underscores their against forms of life. This reaction mirrors real-world s rooted in physical differences, such as or , where judgments of inferiority are made based on superficial traits rather than capabilities. For instance, one exclaims, "Omigod. . This is altogether too much," highlighting the visceral rejection of human cultural expressions like due to their fleshy origins. The narrative escalates from initial curiosity—prompted by intercepted radio signals and probes of human specimens—to outright dismissal, as the aliens conclude that human achievements in science and art are irrelevant because they stem from "meat-based" minds. They rationalize ignoring Earth's by assuming no deeper engagement is warranted, deciding instead to suppress the information by erasing all records of contact, effectively isolating as an unworthy . This satirizes xenophobic tropes in science fiction, where unfamiliar entities are quarantined out of fear or superiority, critiquing how such biases prevent meaningful interaction. Bisson's portrayal draws on his background as a politically engaged , who through radical explored themes of otherness and exclusion without explicit autobiographical elements. The aliens' reveals entrenched assumptions of inferiority, paralleling societal tendencies to marginalize the "other" based on form rather than substance, a critique aligned with Bisson's broader leftist commentary on .

Consciousness and Embodiment

In Terry Bisson's , the central philosophical inquiry revolves around the capacity of —derisively termed "" by the interlocutors—to sustain advanced , emotional depth, and societal complexity. The unfolds as a between two investigators who express profound disbelief upon discovering that Earth's dominant intelligent operates through biological brains composed entirely of carbon-based . One exclaims, "These creatures are the only sentient in the sector and they're made out of ," underscoring their incredulity that such perishable, fluid-filled structures could process , generate ideas, or orchestrate technological feats like probes. This core question challenges the aliens' preconceptions, forcing them to confront evidence of achievements—such as Voyager —as irrefutable proof of "thinking " capable of reasoning and . The story further explores as the inextricable link between consciousness and physical form, portraying sensory and subjective as inherently tied to biological hardware. perceive the through "meat" interfaces: "thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal," as one alien reluctantly concedes after reviewing probe data on . This depiction contrasts sharply with the aliens' implied non-corporeal or silicon-based existence, where intelligence might transcend bodily limitations, highlighting how shapes —such as the warmth of touch or the color of sight—in ways that elude disembodied minds. Literary analysis interprets this as a reversal of anthropocentric , satirizing assumptions that true requires non-organic substrates like fields or computational arrays, while affirming carbon-life's viability through humans' demonstrated capacity for love, dreams, and ethical dilemmas. Bisson's narrative draws on broader traditions debating biological versus , positioning "meat-based" as not only viable but foundational to observed human civilization. The aliens' evolving acceptance mirrors philosophical discussions in AI ethics, where posits that emerges from specific neural processes irreducible to simulation. This affirms embodiment's role in generating genuine understanding, echoing Searle's arguments against by illustrating how organic substrates enable the subjective "what it is like" of experience, as evidenced by humans' despite their fleshy vulnerabilities. In this satirical lens, the story inverts dualist views, suggesting that dismissing biological forms overlooks the profound embedded in evolutionarily honed meat.

Adaptations

Film Adaptations

The most prominent film adaptation of Terry Bisson's "They're Made Out of Meat" is a directed by Stephen O'Regan, produced in 2004 as his final student project at the . Running approximately 7 minutes, it stars and as the two aliens conversing in a diner setting, closely following the original story's while incorporating visual elements like interspersed scenes of activities to underscore the aliens' disbelief at biological lifeforms. Additional cast includes , and the film's minimalist style emphasizes the narrative's conversational tension through practical effects and close-up shots highlighting human "meat." This adaptation won the Grand Prize at the Science Fiction Museum's 2006 Short Film Festival in . In 2010, director Jeff Frumess helmed another short adaptation, written by Frumess and Trevor Scott, with a runtime of about 10 minutes. Featuring Dave Street, Jack Wheeler, and Nathan Abramson as the , it maintains a dialogue-centric approach true to Bisson's script but includes minor adjustments for cinematic pacing and integrates original music by Sam Belkin to enhance the cosmic undertones of the aliens' discussion. The film employs simple sets to represent the abstract alien perspective, focusing on voice performances to convey shock and humor without extensive . A more recent take appeared in 2024, directed and written by Atmaja Bopardikar in a sci-fi short format lasting around 12 minutes. Starring Aniruddha Joshi, Vimmy Bhat, and Abhiruch Mahanta, it portrays the aliens' mission log-style debate over human , using straightforward delivery and subtle production elements licensed through Filmhub to evoke the story's themes of discovery and dismissal. Distributed via platforms like , this version highlights the narrative's inherent adaptability from its original form. These adaptations, along with others produced on low budgets by filmmakers, typically prioritize the story's verbatim exchanges in or abstract environments, often using split-screen techniques or practical effects to visually depict the aliens' detached viewpoint on humanity's composition.

Audio and Theatrical Adaptations

The short story "They're Made Out of Meat" by has been adapted into several audio productions that leverage its dialogue-only structure, emphasizing voice performances to convey the aliens' incredulity and humor through tone and pacing. These adaptations often incorporate subtle to evoke an , such as or effects simulating transmission signals, without relying on visual elements. A notable early audio version was produced as part of Sci-Fi Channel's Seeing Ear Theatre series in "Three Odd Comedies," released in 1998. This highlighted the story's comedic tension through contrasting vocal deliveries, with effects underscoring the remote, cosmic between the extraterrestrials. In 2011, WNYC's Studio 360 aired a full radio play adaptation directed by Jonathan Mitchell, featuring Miriam Tolan and Russ Armstrong as the two aliens. The production relied heavily on to build escalating disbelief and wit, augmented by atmospheric music tracks like "Sputnik" by Japancakes to suggest vast distances in space, and effects including static-like interference to mimic radio signals. This version was subsequently featured in the podcast The Truth's episode on March 20, 2012, retaining the original with echoes applied to the performers' voices to differentiate the alien perspectives and enhance the otherworldly tone. More recently, in 2023, presented a straightforward voiced narration in episode 803, "Greetings, People of Earth," performed by and . This segment focused on the actors' nuanced delivery to capture the story's satirical edge, with minimal sound effects to keep the emphasis on the raw dialogue. Theatrical adaptations of the story have appeared in live stage formats, often as two-actor readings or minimalistic plays suitable for small venues. For instance, a production was staged at the at Mānoa's Earle Lab Theatre in September 2007, with performances on dates including September 22, 23, 28, and 29, featuring Brad Larson and Marcus A. Lee in the roles of the . These stagings typically use few props, prioritizing in gestures to mimic alien mannerisms and vocal for humor, and have been presented at conventions and in educational settings to illustrate themes of .

Reception and Legacy

Awards and Nominations

"They're Made Out of Meat" was nominated for the for Best Short Story in 1992 by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), recognizing works published in 1991. The story competed against four other nominees but lost to "Danny Goes to Mars" by Pamela Sargent. The work was eligible for the 1992 for Best Short Story, presented at ConFrancisco, but did not receive a nomination. The finalists that year included "A Walk in the Sun" by Geoffrey A. Landis (winner), "Buffalo" by John Kessel, "Winter Solstice" by , "Dog's Life" by Michael J. Walsh, and "Press Ann" by . Retrospectively, the story was selected for inclusion in the (1993), edited by , which features the 1992 winners and selected nominees. This recognition, alongside the nomination, contributed to elevating Bisson's prominence in circles during the early .

Critical Response and Cultural Impact

Upon its publication in , "They're Made Out of Meat" garnered praise from science fiction critics for its sharp wit, brevity, and philosophical depth, often highlighted as a standout example of concise . The story's dialogue-driven format was lauded for delivering a satirical punch on without unnecessary exposition. Its nomination for the provided early validation of its resonance within the genre community. Academic analyses, particularly from the 2000s onward, have delved into the story's technique of reverse , flipping human perspectives to critique bias and otherness. A 2022 article in the Polish Journal of English Studies examines how the aliens' fosters a critical awareness of the "Other," using the to interrogate assumptions about and . Similarly, Emily Steffenhagen's 2024 essay "The Meat of the Matter: Alien, Human, and Animal in Terry Bisson's 'They're Made Out of Meat'," published in Incite journal, explores the intersections of and , positioning the story as a lens for broader ethical discussions in science fiction. Astrophysicist has also endorsed its provocative nature, noting in his 2019 collection Letters from an Astrophysicist that the tale "makes you regret being human" by underscoring the absurdity of from an viewpoint. The story's educational role has solidified its influence, frequently incorporated into high school curricula since the to facilitate discussions on themes like , , and . Resources from CommonLit, for instance, use it to engage students with its allegorical , prompting analysis of through accessible, humorous sci-fi. It has also appeared in post-2000 philosophy anthologies and texts exploring , serving as a on and the limits of across forms of . Culturally, "They're Made Out of Meat" achieved viral status in the via email forwards, evolving into a staple of online sharing on platforms like , where it has amassed millions of views and inspired . This dissemination fueled memes and quotable lines that permeate pop culture, notably influencing the "humans-are-space-orcs" subgenre, in which humans are depicted as oddly resilient "meat" beings baffling advanced aliens—a trope popularized in communities since the mid-2010s. Following Terry Bisson's death on January 10, 2024, tributes across literary outlets emphasized the as his most iconic contribution, cementing its status as a timeless commentary on humanity's place in the .

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