Rjalex
How do you throw a space party? You planet.
Okay so I was stuffing around with ChatGpt and seeing what it would spit out if I asked it to critique my writing. Some of what it wrote seemed reasonable and some of it seemed to miss what I was trying to communicate. So I got the idea; what would happen if I put in a passage from writer I enjoy. (Note if you put in something that's too famous ChatGPT will simply tell you what it is, who wrote it and give a flawless critique.) So I chose the short story by Philip K Dick "The Eyes Have It". I've included the story below. It's pretty short, but clever. The critique by ChatGPT is pretty informative in showing the very big limitations of AI.
( Note:the following story is on Project Gutenberg www.gutenberg.org )
IT WAS quite by accident I discovered this incredible invasion of Earth by lifeforms from another planet. As yet, I haven’t done anything about it; I can’t think of anything to do. I wrote to the Government, and they sent back a pamphlet on the repair and maintenance of frame houses. Anyhow, the whole thing is known; I’m not the first to discover it. Maybe it’s even under control.
I was sitting in my easy-chair, idly turning the pages of a paperbacked book someone had left on the bus, when I came across the reference that first put me on the trail. For a moment I didn’t respond. It took some time for the full import to sink in. After I’d comprehended, it seemed odd I hadn’t noticed it right away.
The reference was clearly to a nonhuman species of incredible properties, not indigenous to Earth. A species, I hasten to point out, customarily masquerading as ordinary human beings. Their disguise, however, became transparent in the face of the following observations by the author. It was at once obvious the author knew everything. Knew everything — and was taking it in his stride. The line (and I tremble remembering it even now) read:
And the author? A slow suspicion burned in my mind. The author was taking it rather too easily in his stride. Evidently, he felt this was quite a usual thing. He made absolutely no attempt to conceal this knowledge. The story continued:
“What’s wrong, dear?” my wife asked.
I couldn’t tell her. Knowledge like this was too much for the ordinary run-of-the-mill person. I had to keep it to myself. “Nothing,” I gasped. I leaped up, snatched the book, and hurried out of the room.
IN THE garage, I continued reading. There was more. Trembling, I read the next revealing passage:
Here was a race of creatures capable of removing portions of their anatomy at will. Eyes, arms — and maybe more. Without batting an eyelash. My knowledge of biology came in handy, at this point. Obviously they were simple beings, uni-cellular, some sort of primitive single-celled things. Beings no more developed than starfish. Starfish can do the same thing, you know.
I read on. And came to this incredible revelation, tossed off coolly by the author without the faintest tremor:
I had had enough of the thing. I want to hear no more about it. Let them come on. Let them invade Earth. I don’t want to get mixed up in it.
I have absolutely no stomach for it.
And now for ChatGPTs critique:
The passage you provided seems to be an excerpt from a science fiction story or a narrative describing a strange discovery made by the narrator. Here are some critiques of the passage:
( Note:the following story is on Project Gutenberg www.gutenberg.org )
The Eyes Have It
by PHILIP K. DICKIT WAS quite by accident I discovered this incredible invasion of Earth by lifeforms from another planet. As yet, I haven’t done anything about it; I can’t think of anything to do. I wrote to the Government, and they sent back a pamphlet on the repair and maintenance of frame houses. Anyhow, the whole thing is known; I’m not the first to discover it. Maybe it’s even under control.
I was sitting in my easy-chair, idly turning the pages of a paperbacked book someone had left on the bus, when I came across the reference that first put me on the trail. For a moment I didn’t respond. It took some time for the full import to sink in. After I’d comprehended, it seemed odd I hadn’t noticed it right away.
The reference was clearly to a nonhuman species of incredible properties, not indigenous to Earth. A species, I hasten to point out, customarily masquerading as ordinary human beings. Their disguise, however, became transparent in the face of the following observations by the author. It was at once obvious the author knew everything. Knew everything — and was taking it in his stride. The line (and I tremble remembering it even now) read:
Vague chills assailed me. I tried to picture the eyes. Did they roll like dimes? The passage indicated not; they seemed to move through the air, not over the surface. Rather rapidly, apparently. No one in the story was surprised. That’s what tipped me off. No sign of amazement at such an outrageous thing. Later the matter was amplified.
There it was in a nutshell. The eyes had clearly come apart from the rest of him and were on their own. My heart pounded and my breath choked in my windpipe. I had stumbled on an accidental mention of a totally unfamiliar race. Obviously non-Terrestrial. Yet, to the characters in the book, it was perfectly natural — which suggested they belonged to the same species.
And the author? A slow suspicion burned in my mind. The author was taking it rather too easily in his stride. Evidently, he felt this was quite a usual thing. He made absolutely no attempt to conceal this knowledge. The story continued:
Julia, being a lady, had at least the breeding to feel indignant. She is described as blushing and knitting her brows angrily. At this, I sighed with relief. They weren’t all non-Terrestrials. The narrative continues:
Great Scott! But here the girl turned and stomped off and the matter ended. I lay back in my chair gasping with horror. My wife and family regarded me in wonder.
“What’s wrong, dear?” my wife asked.
I couldn’t tell her. Knowledge like this was too much for the ordinary run-of-the-mill person. I had to keep it to myself. “Nothing,” I gasped. I leaped up, snatched the book, and hurried out of the room.
IN THE garage, I continued reading. There was more. Trembling, I read the next revealing passage:
It’s not said what was done with the arm after the fellow had removed it. Maybe it was left standing upright in the corner. Maybe it was thrown away. I don’t care. In any case, the full meaning was there, staring me right in the face.
Here was a race of creatures capable of removing portions of their anatomy at will. Eyes, arms — and maybe more. Without batting an eyelash. My knowledge of biology came in handy, at this point. Obviously they were simple beings, uni-cellular, some sort of primitive single-celled things. Beings no more developed than starfish. Starfish can do the same thing, you know.
I read on. And came to this incredible revelation, tossed off coolly by the author without the faintest tremor:
Binary fission, obviously. Splitting in half and forming two entities. Probably each lower half went to the cafe, it being farther, and the upper halves to the movies. I read on, hands shaking. I had really stumbled onto something here. My mind reeled as I made out this passage:
Which was followed by:
Yet Bibney got around as well as the next person. The next person, however, was just as strange. He was soon described as:
THERE was no doubt of the thing in the next passage. Julia, whom I had thought to be the one normal person, reveals herself as also being an alien life form, similar to the rest:
It didn’t relate what the final disposition of the organ was, but I didn’t really care. It was evident Julia had gone right on living in her usual manner, like all the others in the book. Without heart, arms, eyes, brains, viscera, dividing up in two when the occasion demanded. Without a qualm.
I sickened. The rascal now had her hand, as well as her heart. I shudder to think what he’s done with them, by this time.
Not content to wait, he had to start dismantling her on his own. Flushing crimson, I slammed the book shut and leaped to my feet. But not in time to escape one last reference to those carefree bits of anatomy whose travels had originally thrown me on the track:
I rushed from the garage and back inside the warm house, as if the accursed things were following me. My wife and children were playing Monopoly in the kitchen. I joined them and played with frantic fervor, brow feverish, teeth chattering.
I had had enough of the thing. I want to hear no more about it. Let them come on. Let them invade Earth. I don’t want to get mixed up in it.
I have absolutely no stomach for it.
And now for ChatGPTs critique:
The passage you provided seems to be an excerpt from a science fiction story or a narrative describing a strange discovery made by the narrator. Here are some critiques of the passage:
- Lack of Clarity: The passage starts abruptly without providing any context or background information. It is unclear who the narrator is, where they are, or why they made this discovery. Adding some introductory details would help set the stage for the reader.
- Inconsistent Tone: The tone of the passage jumps between different emotions and reactions. The narrator goes from being casually indifferent to the invasion to experiencing horror and shock. The transitions between these emotional states could be smoother and more natural, allowing the reader to better understand the narrator's perspective.
- Lack of Descriptive Language: The passage relies heavily on dialogue and statements of events without providing vivid descriptions or sensory details. Adding more descriptive language could enhance the reader's immersion in the story and help them visualize the events and characters.
- Absence of Character Development: The characters in the passage are not well-developed, and their actions and reactions are limited. The narrator's wife and family, for example, appear briefly but don't have any distinct personalities or meaningful interactions with the narrator. Providing more depth to the characters would make the story more engaging.
- Inconsistent Logic: The narrator's deductions about the non-Terrestrial beings seem illogical and rely on assumptions. For example, the narrator concludes that the beings are uni-cellular and less developed than starfish based on their ability to remove body parts. The reasoning behind these deductions is not adequately supported or explained.
- Lack of Resolution: The passage ends abruptly without any resolution or continuation of the story. It leaves the reader hanging and wondering about the outcome of the discovery and the narrator's reaction. A more conclusive ending or a transition to the next part of the story would make it feel more satisfying.
