August Cao — an interview with the author of Bunk Brother
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I’d love to know how you think about this story in the context of the hot-button topic of AI?
It’s funny because I wrote the first draft of Bunk Brother early 2022, pre-ChatGPT era. I was a student studying abroad in the UK and was inspired after seeing Spider by Louise Bourgeois; I was always interested in labor and workplaces as well, so Bunk Brother was born. It is sad to me that the main theme I wanted to explore is still relevant today: how to keep working in an over-optimized, over-surveilled environment. When all we do is write prompts for AI then regurgitate answers to someone else who then puts that back into AI to get an answer, what is the value of us as an individual in the workplace?
While neither robots nor cars are human, this idea of lived experience—dare I say, the human experience—feels important here. What role do you think both memory and experiences play in Bots motivation?
Bot’s in an interesting situations where he has experiences but not necessarily memory. I think experiences leads Bot to crave even more experiences, and his inability to remember also means his risk tolerance can be fairly high (sure, Bot knows you’re not supposed to do XYZ thing, but he doesn’t actually remember what happens to someone if they’ve transgressed). Combination of both makes him break out of line.
Do you think of this story as hopeful?
I do think so. I think Bot’s found both solace and a purpose in knowing he’ll graduate to becoming a car part.
Do other bots in the shop have relationships similar to Bot and Bunk Brother?
In my conception they do! I’m much more interested in zooming into mundane, common interactions vs. writing about a single chosen one. In my imagination there are many many more Bots discovering themselves and Bot + Bunk Brother friendships. In a darker interpretation, I also think authorities sometimes permit a defined set of transgressions in order to keep their subjects complacent, and so I do think Company-Father is actually aware and permitting of many of these rebellions happening all the time.
How many times has this story been rejected by other markets?
12 times! For a while I thought of retiring it, but I loved the story and was getting personalized rejections, so I knew it was about finding the right fit. I’m grateful it found its home with foofaraw and hope the # of rejections here encourage writers to keep believing and sharing their stories.
What’s a great short story you’ve read recently?
Gold Can Stay by Rebecca Curtis