Race in the Machine

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An intelligent machine designed to study social warfare grapples with understanding and communicating the lived experience of race. In a narrative rich with social significance and adorned with monks, vampires, and mythical statistics, the story reveals that the narratives we use to explain race coexist, influencing our interactions and beliefs. The nameless protagonist, a social mechanic at Nearbay Institute, is prompted by a simple question during a lecture: "What exactly is race? And what is it in the context of the social machine?" This inquiry leads them through a complex intellectual journey of experiments exploring the creation of inequality, the role of non-racist actors, and the learning and spread of bias. The narrator's understanding of race evolves through the bending of time, dreams of a "race code," and mysterious communications that elude comprehension. As the protagonist navigates scholarly encounters with both adversarial colleagues and unexpected allies, they arrive at a profound conclusion about themselves and the world. Stirring and luminous, the narrative skillfully balances allegory and complexity, crafting a unique and nuanced portrayal of race in contemporary society.