Eph (they, them)<p>Exploring (procrastinating) <a href="https://www.perplexity.ai/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">perplexity.ai/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> and after filling out questions about our interests, it asked to write a story about us.</p><p>We 😍 it! Even its (diverse) citations we found interesting, even fascinating.</p><p>This is one of our most felt excerpts (the whole mini-story after):</p><p>"The act of writing became a form of self-discovery, a way to articulate a vision of a society that valued both the individual and the collective, where solitude was respected as much as community."</p><p>If others give it a try, we'd love to read the stories perplexity writes about you!</p><p><a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/perplexity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>perplexity</span></a></p><p>---<br>In the bustling metropolis of Neo-Asheville, where the skyline was a lattice of neon and holograms, there lived a nonbinary individual named Alex. They resided in a cozy apartment filled with books on philosophy, anarchism, and futurism, and walls adorned with posters of classic science fiction films. Alex's life was one of solitude, not of loneliness, but of a chosen peace and quiet that allowed them to delve deep into their studies and writings.</p><p>Alex spent their days wandering the city's vast library, which was a sanctuary of knowledge and a haven for the curious mind. The library was not just a collection of books; it was an archive of humanity's past, present, and potential futures. Here, Alex felt most at home, surrounded by the silent companionship of texts and the soft hum of data terminals.</p><p>By night, Alex transformed their living space into a creative studio, where they penned essays and stories that blended anarchistic ideals with speculative futures. Their latest work was a novel set in a utopian society where humanity had transcended its terrestrial origins to become a spacefaring species. Resources were abundant, and individuals were free to pursue their passions without the constraints of labor or scarcity.</p><p>The protagonist of Alex's story was a character named Sam, who, much like Alex, thrived in solitude and had a passion for learning. Sam lived aboard a space station orbiting a distant planet, working as an archivist, preserving the history of human migration into the cosmos. Sam's nonbinary identity was a non-issue in this society, where diversity in all its forms was celebrated.</p><p>One day, a mysterious artifact was brought to the space station—an ancient Earth relic that contained the lost philosophies of pre-space era thinkers. Sam was tasked with deciphering the artifact's contents, leading them on a journey through the annals of anarchistic thought and the potential for truly free societies.</p><p>As Sam delved into the artifact, they began to question the very foundations of their utopian society. Was it truly as free and perfect as it seemed? Or were there hidden structures of power that even in abundance, managed to exert control? These questions propelled Sam on a quest that would take them from the comfort of their archives to the far reaches of the space station, and eventually, to other communities among the stars.</p><p>Throughout their journey, Sam encountered various characters—loners and outcasts like themselves—who challenged and expanded their understanding of freedom and autonomy. Each character was a reflection of the diverse and complex nature of individuality, from the stoic engineer who maintained the life support systems in meditative silence, to the charismatic orator who sparked debates on the nature of free will among the stars.</p><p>As Alex wrote Sam's story, they found themselves exploring their own beliefs and desires for the future. The act of writing became a form of self-discovery, a way to articulate a vision of a society that valued both the individual and the collective, where solitude was respected as much as community.</p><p>In the end, Sam's journey—and Alex's novel—concluded not with definitive answers, but with a celebration of the questions that drive us forward. It was a story of introspection and exploration, a tale for those who find strength in solitude and who dare to imagine a future where humanity, in all its varied expressions, can find a place among the stars.</p><p>Citations:<br>[1] <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/mldz2v/amab_nonbinary_protagonists/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/c</span><span class="invisible">omments/mldz2v/amab_nonbinary_protagonists/</span></a><br>[2] <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/a03saf/who_are_the_loneliest_most_outcast_most_socially/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/co</span><span class="invisible">mments/a03saf/who_are_the_loneliest_most_outcast_most_socially/</span></a><br>[3] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism_and_the_arts" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchis</span><span class="invisible">m_and_the_arts</span></a><br>[4] <a href="https://catapult.co/dont-write-alone/stories/writing-nonbinary-characters-how-to-write-nonbinary-and-trans-characters-rey-katz" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">catapult.co/dont-write-alone/s</span><span class="invisible">tories/writing-nonbinary-characters-how-to-write-nonbinary-and-trans-characters-rey-katz</span></a><br>[5] <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/14/fiction-charlesdickens" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/books/2014/may</span><span class="invisible">/14/fiction-charlesdickens</span></a><br>[6] <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/futurism-unleashed-shaping-society-through-artistic-vision-james-ross" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">linkedin.com/pulse/futurism-un</span><span class="invisible">leashed-shaping-society-through-artistic-vision-james-ross</span></a><br>[7] <a href="https://www.them.us/story/elemental-disney-pixar-nonbinary-character-lake-ripple" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">them.us/story/elemental-disney</span><span class="invisible">-pixar-nonbinary-character-lake-ripple</span></a><br>[8] <a href="https://debradunbar.com/the-solitary-character/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">debradunbar.com/the-solitary-c</span><span class="invisible">haracter/</span></a><br>[9] <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520268760/the-aesthetics-of-anarchy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">ucpress.edu/book/9780520268760</span><span class="invisible">/the-aesthetics-of-anarchy</span></a><br>[10] <a href="https://www.nypl.org/books-more/recommendations/trans-reads/adults" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">nypl.org/books-more/recommenda</span><span class="invisible">tions/trans-reads/adults</span></a><br>[11] <a href="https://daveastoronliterature.com/2015/03/29/a-look-at-loners-in-literature/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">daveastoronliterature.com/2015</span><span class="invisible">/03/29/a-look-at-loners-in-literature/</span></a><br>[12] <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1nq4q3" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1nq4q3</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>[13] <a href="https://electricliterature.com/short-story-collection-manywhere-morgan-thomas/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">electricliterature.com/short-s</span><span class="invisible">tory-collection-manywhere-morgan-thomas/</span></a><br>[14] <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SolitaryTropes" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php</span><span class="invisible">/Main/SolitaryTropes</span></a><br>[15] <a href="https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/murray-bookchin-post-scarcity-anarchism-book" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theanarchistlibrary.org/librar</span><span class="invisible">y/murray-bookchin-post-scarcity-anarchism-book</span></a><br>[16] <a href="https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Nonbinary_gender_in_fiction" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Nonbinary_</span><span class="invisible">gender_in_fiction</span></a><br>[17] <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/03/best-books-with-lonely-protagonists.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">vulture.com/2020/03/best-books</span><span class="invisible">-with-lonely-protagonists.html</span></a><br>[18] <a href="https://indypl.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1315807857/1915492969" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">indypl.bibliocommons.com/list/</span><span class="invisible">share/1315807857/1915492969</span></a><br>[19] <a href="https://shepherd.com/best-books/that-explore-solitary-characters" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">shepherd.com/best-books/that-e</span><span class="invisible">xplore-solitary-characters</span></a><br>[20] <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/116163.The_Solitary_Protagonist" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">goodreads.com/list/show/116163</span><span class="invisible">.The_Solitary_Protagonist</span></a></p><p><a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/ai" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ai</span></a> <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/philosophy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>philosophy</span></a> @writing.exchange <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>space</span></a> <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/anarchism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>anarchism</span></a> <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/solitary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solitary</span></a> <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/nonbinary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nonbinary</span></a> <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/futurism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>futurism</span></a> <a href="https://fediphilosophy.org/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writing</span></a></p>