One Good Read: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Welcome back to Surviving in the World (SIW), your newsletter written by students for those interested in global affairs. We always try to present select topics in global news in an easy-to-understand format.
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Today’s One Good Read features Klara and the Sun by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.
Brought to you by: Keonhee Ahn(’25), SIW’s Editor in Chief.
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Word Count: 358 / Time: 3 minute read.
Photograph of Kazuo Ishiguro (Source: David Levene)
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What it is about: Klara and the Sun, written by Kazuo Ishiguro, describes a world where Artificial Friends (AFs)—a form of AI that provides friendship to children with special needs—roam the earth. The story revolves around the experiences of Josie, a sick young girl, and her AF Klara as she grows up.
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Who the author is: Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the greatest British authors, winning the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature. He ranked number 32 on 'The 50 greatest British writers since 1945' by The Times.
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Most of Ishiguro’s literature is historical. The Remains of the Day revolves around the immediate aftermath of World War I. Similarly, Artist of the Floating World is set in Nagasaki, showing the post-war period.
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However, Ishiguro’s recent novel Klara and the Sun is based on a dystopian future.
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Why you should care: In modern society, where technology is rapidly advancing, AIs persist as a significant issue.
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Hence, discussions regarding the controversy of AIs are fairly common in educational environments (including CI).
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The novel Klara and the Sun provides insight into whether commercializing AIs is moral for humanity.
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Although the AI’s precision, speed, and intelligence may sound promising, Ishiguro encourages readers to take a step back and ponder what our future would look like with the coexistence of humans and AIs.
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