They’re Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson

“They’re Made Out of Meat” is a 1991 science fiction short story by Terry Bisson. It is about a couple of alien scouts who discuss the new race they have discovered.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

“They’re Made Out of Meat” is a conversation between a couple of aliens onboard a recon vessel. It appears that they have recently discovered an alien life form that is made completely out of meat! One of the aliens has a difficult time grasping such a strange concept, so the other one explains it in detail.

“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.”

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• Absolutely hilarious! This is hands-down the funniest sci-fi story I have ever read!
• Terry Bisson is a great author that presents stories in a unique way – by only giving you the dialog. If you like his work then you are bound to love this short story too.

• The bad:

• There are a couple instances of mild profanity.
• I am tempted to say that it is too short. I did want more, but the small length really does seem to be part of the beauty of this story.

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 3
• Word Count: 817
• “They’re Made Out of Meat” garnered the following awards:

• It was nominated for the 1992 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.

Where you can find “They’re Made Out of Meat”:

• This short story first appeared in the April 1991 issue of Omni.
• “They’re Made Out of Meat” is included in Bisson’s excellent collection Bears Discover Fire and Other Stories.
• You can read this short story for free online at Terry Bisson’s web site. You can also download a free version (in several reader formats) from ElectricStory.com.

Some Interesting Links:

• Terry Bisson has written some amazing science fiction stories, including one of the most famous short stories of the 1990′s – “Bears Discover Fire.” You can learn more about this amazing author on his website.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like The Fate of Nations, about a fan who finally explains to his wife why sports are so important to the galaxy, by James Morrow.

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