They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson

They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson

Date Read/Format:

5/13/16. Read on the author's website. The story was originally published in Omni in 1990.

Quick Plot:

Two beings have a conversation about a planet they've been exploring and they can't believe that the inhabitants of the planet are made entirely of meat.

Spoiler-ridden Summary:

Two beings of an alien race are assessing the status of a nearby planet. Though they never outright say it, it is implied that it is Earth. Neither can believe that humans (the word is not actually used) are completely made out of meat, including our brains. The idea that we've been trying to make contact with anyone in space or that we talk and sing through our meat mouths astonishes the beings. They've done probes and studied individual humans but found nothing of interest. All in all, they proclaim the planet and its "sentient meat" inhabitants rather pathetic and have no interest in making contact. Instead, they mark the planet as "uninhabited" and move on with their lives, but not without a quick thought of how lonely it might be to feel so alone in the universe.

Thoughts or Additional Info:

This story is depressing the more you think about it.

First Line:

"They're made out of meat." 

Memorable Lines or Passages:

n/a

Keywords:

aliens, space, first contact, philosophy, science fiction, existentialism