"The smell!" Penumbra repeats. "You know you are finished when people start talking about the smell." - Robin Sloan

Yes, everyone else is smart, everyone else is cool, everyone else is healthy and attractive - but she brought you.

Here’s a thing I believe about people my age: we are the children of Hogwarts, and more than anything, we just want to be sorted.

In your message, you told me about your family, how you don’t have any traditions. The first time I read that, it made me sad, but then I thought about it for a while and started to feel jealous. Lois, think about it! No one cares if your restaurant has tables. You can build robots, or bake bread, or do something else entirely. You’re unencumbered by culture. You’re... light!