My Friend Aaron

(rorz.io)

62 points | by sarreph 1 hour ago

9 comments

  • corndoge 12 minutes ago
    I like it because each individual piece can happen and we probably all know people by now that are into a piece of it - massive AI use, or into prediction markets, or live streaming, or just a friend who we have learned over time lacks scruples, or have watched them fade in response to life's challenges. The combination of all of these is then easy to imagine and that idea makes a good story.
  • andai 3 minutes ago
    > I thought Aaron’s credits would run out and that would be the end of it: he would finally get a job.

    Upon reading these words I experienced psychic damage from the blast of concentrated ambitionlessness.

  • greenfish6 22 minutes ago
    Powerful. And written so well, I thought it was real at first, I even forgot about the "this is a short story at the top" and googled Aaron's different betting websites
  • curuinor 1 hour ago
    Murder is always systematically kind of a dramatic act. We are definitely going to get a prediction market murder in <5 years, I think.
    • myhf 52 minutes ago
      Every prediction market is an assassination market. They claim to trade on "information" but it's more like "influence", and easiest way to influence an event is usually by sabotage.
      • stronglikedan 24 minutes ago
        a tale as old as time. e.g., fixing a fight or a game
    • 1dom 26 minutes ago
      I learned about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_market in the early 2010s. It wasn't phrased like a prediction market focusing on when a person would die, but more like a bounty. If the bounty/pot got big enough, eventually it would be worth it for someone to do it.

      Even thinking/writing about this now, it still makes obvious sense and I'm surprised it hasn't been seriously made yet with crypto: if there's a pot of billions, contributed to by millions, the incentive becomes not just about the money, but the adoration, protection and power that would come with doing so many people a favour.

      • nemomarx 2 minutes ago
        I think all the big targets for this kind of thing have the legal or government muscle to get in your way? Millions of people usually don't agree on someone dying unless they're powerful.
  • 23david 3 minutes ago
    Great short story!!
  • alun 25 minutes ago
    Very fun read. Thanks for posting it!
  • moralestapia 31 minutes ago
    Man this piece should win an Emmy or something, it's so original and well written. I also couldn't spot much AI in there. Props to the author.

    >rhythmically ejected spurts of bright red blood

    Yeah man, like in music, synesthesia, I get you.

    Unsurprisingly the author also makes music: https://rorz.io/music

    One of his songs is called "Do androids dream of real sheep?"

    What a fresh take on that classic quote! Made me spurt my kombucha, lol.

    How can someone be SO talented. Thanks for sharing.

    • sarreph 28 minutes ago
      Such kind words…! I’m so honoured and humbled. Thank you.

      P.S. - I didn’t use LLMs to write it, no! :)

  • stephenlf 54 minutes ago
    Spooky and riveting!
    • sarreph 25 minutes ago
      Thank you very much.
  • strathmeyer 8 minutes ago
    [dead]