"Vaster Than Empires and More Slow" by Ursula K. Le Guin was a fascinating and engaging read. Science fiction is not a genre I typically enjoy, but this short story really made me think critically about sentience and empathy. I feel that Le Guin made it a point to make Osden unlikable hostile as he was reflecting what the rest of the Extreme Survey Team's preconvieved notions of him were.
In relation to myself, Osden is a reminder of the importance of empathy. This is a characteristic I am constantly trying to practice especially in the age of the internet. The internet allows for imagined communities to be formed, but with that comes a high level emotional detachment. This can come in forms of hostility and hate which has already been exhibited in communities such as Reddit and Youtube. Osden grounds the reader in the power of empathy which is something that can be lost on the internet. Researchers have attributed the reduction of real world empathy from the internet due to absence of nonverbal cues - something that would generally prompt empathy. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and am curious about what else Le Guin has written about.