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Self-Review – You Will Drink Your Coffee and Like It

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on December 26, 2024

Review – You Will Drink Your Coffee and Like It

The basic idea for You Will Drink Your Coffee and Like it came from an idea my father had. He wanted me to write a story about a machine undergoing a mutation, much like we (and animals, plants, bacteria, viruses, etc.) do.

The prompt was the word ‘Yikes’. The story is told from Katie’s point of view.

I wrote this story during second quarter 2021.

Background

Some of the idea for this story came from thinking about the film 2001 where Hal 9000 is not only sapient, but also homicidal. I decided my machine wouldn’t necessarily be hostile. But it would be supercilious and insistent that everything should be its way—or the highway.

Plot

A mysterious coffee maker arrives. Is it a wedding present? But there’s no card and no return address.

Characters

The characters are the couple, Katie and Paul, and Katie’s sister Marci and her husband Greg. Oh, and the coffee maker. Yes, the coffee maker is totally, 100%, a character.

Memorable Quotes

After I closed the fridge door, I turned around to find another message.

The supply of ginger ale is dangerously low. The local market has been alerted. Delivery will be at precisely eight o’clock in the morning, local time.

“But tomorrow’s Saturday. I don’t want to get up that early.” I paused. “And I can’t believe I’m explaining myself to a coffee maker.”

This is for the best. The clock radio has been alerted, and will wake you at precisely six thirty AM, local time.

“I don’t want to get up that early,” I repeated.

This is the optimal time for delivery. The clock radio will wake you at precisely six thirty AM, local time.

“I still don’t want to get up that early.”

The screen went dark.

“So now you’re not talking to me?” I stared at the black screen. “You are one weird piece of machinery.”

Rating for You Will Drink Your Coffee and Like It

The story has a K+ rating. The coffee machine never really does anything violent, but its communications become more and more menacing and insistent.

Takeaways for You Will Drink Your Coffee and Like It

I really love the idea of a semi-sapient machine getting it in its head (circuitry?) that it knows someone far better than they know themselves.

By the way, I know I saw a TV movie where a man was essentially imprisoned by a computer that thought it was doing the best thing for this man, and may have also been in love with him. But I can’t find it! I think it was from the 70s….?

And no, it’s not Demon Seed.

Not quite the same story, but similar enough that it may have been a bit of my unconscious inspiration. I just wish I could remember the name of that film—so frustrating!

Oh, and my dad loved the story.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then check out my other articles about my shorter works.

Short Stories

Finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

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Published inWriting