// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "We Will Teach You How to Read" say to its rival book? "You can't read me".
"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]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]"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]- ↑ "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
- ↑ "2025 Results". FIYAH Literary Magazine. October 12, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ↑ 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