December’s selection is “Seventy-Two Letters,” a novella by Ted Chiang, from the collection Stories of Your Life and Others.
This story is set in an alternate history, Victorian-era England where people can animate automata called golems by speaking names into objects. It explores the intersection of religion, science, and alternative history, particularly the idea of creating artificial life and humanity’s potential role in its own evolution and extinction.
AI Book Club meets in Pemberton Lounge, Chapin Hall, Amherst College at 2pm.
Next Meeting: Dec. 14th, 2025
Email: aila@amherst.edu to join the mailing list or for more information!
AI Book Club Meeting: 12.14.25
