Assignment in progress for 23.0136012 Reading Enrichment (8) B - Statham - 1Due February 5, 2025

Question

They're Made Out of Meat
Terry Bisson
1990
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Terry Bisson is an American science fiction and fantasy author, and "They're Made Out of Meat" is one of his most famous short stories.

Skills Focus: In this lesson, you'll practice analyzing the points of view of different characters, as well as the point of view of the reader

As you read, take notes on how the dialogue between the two speakers contributes to the theme.

“They’re made out of meat.”

“Meat?”

“Meat. They’re made out of meat.”

“Meat?”

“There’s no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, and probed them all the way through. They’re completely meat.”

“That’s impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars?”

“They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don’t come from them. The signals come from machines.”

“So who made the machines? That’s who we want to contact.”

“They made the machines. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Meat made the machines.”

“That’s ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You’re asking me to believe in sentient meat.”

“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in that sector and they’re made out of meat.”

“Maybe they’re like the orfolei. You know, a carbon-based intelligence that goes through a meat stage.”

“Nope. They’re born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans, which didn’t take long. Do you have any idea what’s the lifespan of meat?”

“Spare me. Okay, maybe they’re only part meat. You know, like the weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside.”

“Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads, like the weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They’re meat all the way through.”

“No brain?”

“Oh, there’s a brain all right. It’s just that the brain is made out of meat! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“So... what does the thinking?”

“You’re not understanding, are you? You’re refusing to deal with what I’m telling you. The brain does the thinking. The meat.”

“Thinking meat! You’re asking me to believe in thinking meat!”

“Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you beginning to get the picture or do I have to start all over?”

“Omigod. You’re serious then. They’re made out of meat.”

“Thank you. Finally. Yes. They are indeed made out of meat. And they’ve been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of their years.”

“Omigod. So what does this meat have in mind?”

“First it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the Universe, contact other sentiences, swap ideas and information. The usual.”

“We’re supposed to talk to meat.”

“That’s the idea. That’s the message they’re sending out by radio. ‘Hello. Anyone out there. Anybody home.’ That sort of thing.”

“They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?”

“Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat.”

“I thought you just told me they used radio.”

“They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat, it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat.”

“Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you advise?”

“Officially or unofficially?”

“Both.”

“Officially, we are required to contact, welcome and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in this quadrant of the Universe, without prejudice, fear or favor. Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records and forget the whole thing.”

“I was hoping you would say that.”

“It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?”

“I agree 100 percent. What’s there to say? ‘Hello, meat. How’s it going?’ But will this work? How many planets are we dealing with here?”

“Just one. They can travel to other planets in special meat containers, but they can’t live on them. And being meat, they can only travel through C space. Which limits them to the speed of light and makes the possibility of their ever making contact pretty slim. Infinitesimal, in fact.”

“So we just pretend there’s no one home in the Universe.”

“That’s it.”

“Cruel. But you said it yourself, who wants to meet meat? And the ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you probed? You’re sure they won’t remember?”

“They’ll be considered crackpots if they do. We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we’re just a dream to them.”

“A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat’s dream.”

“And we marked the entire sector unoccupied.”

“Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?”

“Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a class nine star in G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations ago, wants to be friendly again.”

“They always come around.”

“And why not? Imagine how unbearably, how unutterably cold the Universe would be if one were all alone...”

"They're Made out of Meat" from OMNI by Terry Bisson. Copyright © 1990. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Notes
AllDefinitionsFootnotes
Recon is an abbreviation for reconnaissance, which is a military term for inspecting or exploring an area.
Sentient (adjective) : conscious
Infinitesimal (adjective) : extremely small
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Assessment Questions
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1

2

3

4
PART B: Which detail from the story best supports the answer to PART A?

A. "'They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat.'" (Paragraph 31)
B. "'Officially, we are required to contact, welcome and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in this quadrant of the Universe'" (Paragraph 35)
C. "'It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?'" (Paragraph 37)
D. "'We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them.'" (Paragraph 43)
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Answer 1

In your assignment for "Reading Enrichment," it seems you're focusing on analyzing how dialogue contributes to the theme of Terry Bisson's "They're Made Out of Meat." Based on the provided dialogue, below are insights that can guide your analysis, specifically in relation to the assessment question you provided.

The key theme of the story revolves around the absurdity of existence and the prejudices inherent in defining what constitutes intelligence or sentience. The dialogue between the two characters highlights their disbelief and discomfort at the idea of sentient beings being made entirely of meat, which reflects broader themes of conformity, the limits of understanding, and the anthropocentric view of intelligence.

Regarding the assessment part of your assignment, each option presents a different aspect of the story:

A. "'They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat.'" (Paragraph 31)

• This detail emphasizes the bizarre and humorous way the meat beings communicate, highlighting the absurdity central to the theme.

B. "'Officially, we are required to contact, welcome and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in this quadrant of the Universe'" (Paragraph 35)

• This line indicates the bureaucratic procedures in place for contacting sentient life, which contrasts with the characters' dismissive attitude towards the meat beings.

C. "'It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?'" (Paragraph 37)

• This statement encapsulates the central conflict of the story: the reluctance to accept beings that fall outside of conventional definitions of intelligence, illustrating prejudice against uninhibited differences.

D. "'We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them.'" (Paragraph 43)

• This line reflects the manipulation of the meat beings' perceptions and ultimately highlights the tragic element of erasing a potential connection with them.

Best Answer Choice

Considering how the dialogue shapes the understanding of the themes in the story, C might be the strongest choice. It directly addresses the crux of the conversation—the reluctance of the characters to engage with a form of life that is completely alien to them, both in terms of physical existence and in their notions of intelligence. The tone conveys a sense of dismissal that is pivotal in understanding the story's commentary on sentience and societal norms.

Feel free to expand on these insights in your analysis, focusing on how each dialogue piece reinforces the themes explored in the story.