We Will Teach You How to Read
"We Will Teach You How to Read" (stylized as "We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read") is a science fiction short story by Caroline M. Yoachim. It was first published in Lightspeed, in May 2024.
Synopsis
[edit | edit source]Rather than being a standard narrative, "We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read" is presented as a message from an alien intelligence whose thought processes involve a significantly greater degree of parallel processing than those of humans, and whose lifespan is orders of magnitude less than that of humans; thus, as an essential part of communication, the alien intelligence must teach humans to read in a new way.
Reception
[edit | edit source]"We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read" was a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 2024[1] and the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Short Story,[2] and is a finalist for the 2025 Eugie Award.[3]
The story won the 2025 Ignyte Award for Best Short Story.[4]
Locus described it as "well worth spending some time with".[5]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ "We Will Teach You How to Read|We Will Teach You How to Read" at Science Fiction Writers of America
- ^ 2025 Hugo Finalists – Where to Read Complete Works or Samples for Free, by Mike Glyer, at File 770; published April 7, 2025; retrieved June 23, 2025
- ^ 2025 Eugie Award Finalists, by Mike Glyer, at File 770; published June 20, 2025; retrieved June 23, 2025
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Charles Payseur Reviews Short Fiction: Cast of Wonders, Escape Pod, Strange Horizons, and Lightspeed, by Charles L. Payseur, at Locus; published August 2, 2024; retrieved July 24, 2025