They're Made Out of Meat
They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bissonby Terry Bisson
Hacker ApprovedRanked 3 of 32 short stories by recommenders
A short, witty story about aliens puzzling over humans that people reread and recommend for its sharp commentary on AI. Critics find the 'made out of meat' wording and the short film adaptation weaker.
A short, witty story about aliens puzzling over humans that people reread and recommend for its sharp commentary on AI. Critics find the 'made out of meat' wording and the short film adaptation weaker.
21 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 17
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 81%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 17 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 4.3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Memorable story people keep returning to
“I love this short story, it's one whose memory visits me unbidden from time to time.”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “That is one of the better reads of my life, and I'm a serious reader.”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “Just read this for the first time. Wow.”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” - Comment from 6 Sep 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat”
Witty and funny throughout
“Earlier I found it awe-inspiring. Nowadays I find it funny because we have yet to even remotely approach the complexity of meat.”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “It was a good reading, he really knew how to land a joke.”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “I like that the bearded one can't help cracking up”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” Short, quick, delightful read
“Terry Bisson's delightful 1991 short-short story,”
Comment from 3 Aug 2026 in “Don't be a meat proxy” “That is one of the better reads of my life, and I'm a serious reader.”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “Just read this for the first time. Wow.”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” Sharp take on AI debates
“It has something to say if you compare it to the traditional arguments against the possibility of AI”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “Earlier I found it awe-inspiring. Nowadays I find it funny because we have yet to even remotely approach the complexity of meat.”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Short film adaptation doesn't work
“The short film adaptation doesn't quite work for me”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “this particular adaptation doesn't work for me”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “But it doesn't mean it has to work...”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” Feels dated or reductive now
“Earlier I found it awe-inspiring. Nowadays I find it funny because we have yet to even remotely approach the complexity of meat.”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “it’s become increasingly hard for me to understand how anyone can read such comical reductionism as enlightenment”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “isn't as fun today as it was when first printed”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” Misses the mark, doesn't make sense
“I think this story is tacky and doesn't really make sense.”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)” “in this particular case it completely misses the mark”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “They're Made Out of Meat (1991)”
Other short stories people recommend
The four most recommended other short stories, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Questionby Isaac Asimov | 50 | 2 | 96% | 6 | 52 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| There Will Come Soft Rainsby Ray Bradbury | 27 | 3 | 90% | 4 | — | Approved |
| They're Made Out of Meatby Terry BissonThis page | 17 | 4 | 81% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Lenaby qntm | 16 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | Approved |
| The Machine Stopsby E. M. Forster | 15 | 0 | 100% | 9 | — | Approved |
What people said
24 of the 25 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“One of my all-time favourites.”
“Terry Bisson's delightful 1991 short-short story,”
“It's terrific, but the poetry is from the original it links to”
“Just read this for the first time. Wow.”
“That is one of the better reads of my life, and I'm a serious reader.”
“It’s easy to produce, can be done in a meeting room with no windows.”
“why the original text was uniquely brilliant”
“this YouTube clip works for me”
“The short film adaptation doesn't quite work for me”
“this particular adaptation doesn't work for me”
“It has something to say if you compare it to the traditional arguments against the possibility of AI”
“I think this story is tacky and doesn't really make sense.”
“I love this short story, it's one whose memory visits me unbidden from time to time.”
“It was a good reading, he really knew how to land a joke.”
“now that I've been acquainted with the ages of all the characters, it makes sense”
“I like that the bearded one can't help cracking up”
“But it doesn't mean it has to work...”
“It's still hard to mesh with the idea they don't believe these humans flap their meat at each other”
“I think that is what makes it great, because it makes it sound absurd.”
“Earlier I found it awe-inspiring. Nowadays I find it funny because we have yet to even remotely approach the complexity of meat.”
“I like this story, but I never liked the wording "made out of meat"”
“in this particular case it completely misses the mark”
“it’s become increasingly hard for me to understand how anyone can read such comical reductionism as enlightenment”
“isn't as fun today as it was when first printed”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.