The Egg
by Andy Weir · first published 2009
63% recommend34% neutral3% critical
Why HN recommends it
Very short, free-to-read sci-fi-adjacent story about reincarnation and being every person who has ever lived; thought-provoking, with a chilling ending. Suits anyone wanting a quick read that stays with you.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The story is about the main character, who is "you" (in second person), and God, who is "me" (in first person).
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An absolute classic! Was just telling a buddy about this one the other day while talking about The Egg by Andy Weir (another short story I really enjoy). Every time I read this one, I get chills at the end. Asimov really was a master.
on “Isaac Asimov: The Last Question” ↗Eight O'clock in the Morning by Ray Nelson which was the basis for the movie They Live. Read it here: http://www.whale.to/b/eight_o.html The Egg by Andy Weir http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “Ask HN: What's a favorite short story of yours?” ↗I quite liked The Egg by Andy Weir (author of The Martian): https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html Edit: I guess it's not exactly sci-fi, but it's adjacent.
on “Skynet won and destroyed humanity” ↗Also recommend The Egg by Andy Weir https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “Isaac Asimov: The Last Question” ↗In the line, I recommend „The Egg” by Andy Weir https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “One-Electron Universe” ↗Illusions, by Richard Bach The Egg, by Andy Weir
on “Ask HN: What are some good inspirational and uplifting books?” ↗…because I’m not religious at all and I know it sounds crazy to even say that out loud. Of course, that feeling does slowly fade away like a distance dream or memory. A great story it reminds me of is “The Egg” by Andy Weir: http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “Single dose of psilocybin eased cancer patients' anxiety, depression for years” ↗A similarly thought-provoking short story, perhaps my favorite, is The Egg[1] by Andy Weir. [1]: http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Egg_(Weir_short_story)
on “The Last Question” ↗…between you and everything else melts away, which is a truly profound spiritual experience. In all cases though, seeing fractals and cool stuff is very unimportant. A great story it reminds me of is “The Egg” by Andy Weir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI
on “Magic Mushrooms Are Decriminalized in DC as of Today” ↗I never miss an opportunity to plug my favorite Andy Weir short story - The Egg. It's very short and very good. http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “How far could a spaceship go if we never ran out of thrust? (2020)” ↗The Egg by Andy Weir http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “Ask HN: What's the most thought provoking short story you've read?” ↗Two more not on this list: Terry Bisson - They're Made out of Meat https://www.mit.edu/people/dpolicar/writing/prose/text/think... Andy Weir - The Egg http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “50 authors, 50 science fiction stories shorter than novels” ↗The intro "Imagine living the life of every human being who has ever existed — in order of birth." reminds me of the short story The Egg by Andy Weir http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “The Case for Longtermism” ↗>Sounds like we're all the same endlessly reincarnated single person, only at different points in spacetime. Andy Weir - The Egg [1] [1] http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “Galactica: an AI trained on humanity's scientific knowledge (by Meta)” ↗A very short but superb story in a similar vein: The Egg by Andy Weir http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
on “The Last Answer” ↗