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The Egg
A short story about the universe and your place in it.
"You were on your way home when you died. It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. ... And that’s when you met me."
The Egg is a short story written by Andy Weir, his most popular, and follows a nameless 48-year-old man who discovers the "meaning of life" after he dies. The story is about "you" (in the second person), and God, who is "me" (in the first person). God says that you have been reincarnated many times before, and that you are soon to be reincarnated once more, leading to quite a few existential questions.
Andy Weir (1972-) built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian (2011), allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail.
"You were on your way home when you died. It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. ... And that’s when you met me."
The Egg is a short story written by Andy Weir, his most popular, and follows a nameless 48-year-old man who discovers the "meaning of life" after he dies. The story is about "you" (in the second person), and God, who is "me" (in the first person). God says that you have been reincarnated many times before, and that you are soon to be reincarnated once more, leading to quite a few existential questions.
Andy Weir (1972-) built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian (2011), allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail.
3 pages, ebook
First published August 15, 2009
157 people are currently reading
32.5k people want to read
About the author
Andy Weir
57books57.2kfollowersANDY WEIR built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, THE MARTIAN, allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California. Andy’s next book, ARTEMIS, is available now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,350 reviews
September 10, 2023
It’s a small world.
An extremely short story about the meaning of life, and death.
It's worth the 5 min, and it's free. You can read it
Go wow yourselves.
Or not.
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PERSONAL NOTE :
[2009] [3p] [Sci-Fi] [3.5] [Recommendable] [Mildly wowing] [“All religions are right in their own way”]
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★★★★� Annie's Day [3.5]
★★★☆� The Egg [3.5]
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El mundo es un pañuelo.
Un extremadamente corto cuento sobre el significado de la vida, y la muerte.
Vale la pena los cinco minutos, y es gratis. Lo pueden leer
Vayan y maravíllense.
O no.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2009] [3p] [Sci-Fi] [3.5] [Recomendable] [Wow moderado] [“Todas las religiones están en lo cierto, a su manera”]
-----------------------------------------------
An extremely short story about the meaning of life, and death.
It's worth the 5 min, and it's free. You can read it
Go wow yourselves.
Or not.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2009] [3p] [Sci-Fi] [3.5] [Recommendable] [Mildly wowing] [“All religions are right in their own way”]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★� Annie's Day [3.5]
★★★☆� The Egg [3.5]
-----------------------------------------------
El mundo es un pañuelo.
Un extremadamente corto cuento sobre el significado de la vida, y la muerte.
Vale la pena los cinco minutos, y es gratis. Lo pueden leer
Vayan y maravíllense.
O no.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2009] [3p] [Sci-Fi] [3.5] [Recomendable] [Wow moderado] [“Todas las religiones están en lo cierto, a su manera”]
-----------------------------------------------
December 22, 2014
Andy Weir..How did you do that to me in just 4 short pages?
Run go read it here:
Run go read it here:
July 24, 2020
Was the inspiration for this story the Beatles, "I am the Walrus"?
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together
and the chorus,
I am the egg man, they are the egg men...
The whole story encapsulated in two lines!
____________________
Or, more sensibly: Does God exist? Does anyone exist? Is this short story really an example of metaphysical solipsism?
Read the story. It's 3 minutes of your life 1.5 if you are a fast reader!).... (thanks Alina).
(Based on a philosophy of subjective idealism, metaphysical solipsists maintain that the self is the only existing reality and that all other realities, including the external world and other persons, are representations of that self, and have no independent existence. - Exactly like dreaming!)
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together
and the chorus,
I am the egg man, they are the egg men...
The whole story encapsulated in two lines!
____________________
Or, more sensibly: Does God exist? Does anyone exist? Is this short story really an example of metaphysical solipsism?
Read the story. It's 3 minutes of your life 1.5 if you are a fast reader!).... (thanks Alina).
(Based on a philosophy of subjective idealism, metaphysical solipsists maintain that the self is the only existing reality and that all other realities, including the external world and other persons, are representations of that self, and have no independent existence. - Exactly like dreaming!)
December 31, 2019
4 MIND BLOWING STARS!
This 4 pages story got me like:
This 4 pages story got me like:
I never ever read spiritual books,but this one is hell awesome.And great great job to the author for creating a wonderful and deep story in 4 pages.This was so deep I could see Adele rolling:)
I will not write a lot about this book,because I am afraid that the review will be longer than the book.But seriously,if you want something to make you think more,read this,and you don't have to complain about it's length.It's only 4 pages!
I really recommend this book to all the people in the world,it's awesome:)
September 2, 2018
people seem really taken with this story. and that's super, but for once i don't feel bad for not liking something as much as other people are liking it.
i'm a jonathan carroll fan. and this 4-page story is fine, but it's really no different from some stoner youth's "hey, imaaaagine if this is the way (insert unknowable situation here) really is?" and there's a small amount of philosophy 101 back-and-forth and then it ends, and i assume you, the reader, are meant to be MIND = BLOWN!
but not me. because i have seen jonathan carroll take material like this and build entire universes upon it, while all the while also developing unusual and charming characters and their seductively clever dialogue. so this, to a lover of the jc, just feels unfinished. this is the foundation of a story, not a story in and of itself.
if this is your first of its kind - i understand the appeal.
but to me it's just a throat clear.
i'm a jonathan carroll fan. and this 4-page story is fine, but it's really no different from some stoner youth's "hey, imaaaagine if this is the way (insert unknowable situation here) really is?" and there's a small amount of philosophy 101 back-and-forth and then it ends, and i assume you, the reader, are meant to be MIND = BLOWN!
but not me. because i have seen jonathan carroll take material like this and build entire universes upon it, while all the while also developing unusual and charming characters and their seductively clever dialogue. so this, to a lover of the jc, just feels unfinished. this is the foundation of a story, not a story in and of itself.
if this is your first of its kind - i understand the appeal.
but to me it's just a throat clear.
April 26, 2023
"You were on your way home when you died."So this is a tiny short story by Andy Weir - yes, he of fame, the book that still makes me feel all giddy inside. This is a story that apparently has gone viral, but I somehow missed it (apparently I do live under a rock - 14-16 hour workdays can do that to you) until I saw a friend's review and my curiosity peaked.
It's indeed a quick tiny story that you can read in under three minutes. It's a parable, really - and written in an easy catchy way that makes your fingers itch to send a link to someone you know.
You can take whatever message you want out of it, but to me it was - treat others as you'd want to be treated yourself, if for no other reason than a bit of selfishness. It's memorable, and feel-good and, if you think about it for a little while, has potential to be just a little disturbing.
And by now my review is almost as long as the story itself.
Read The Egg here:
"And I sent you on your way."3.5 stars
—ĔĔĔĔ�
Also posted on .
—ĔĔĔĔ�
Recommended by: Cecily
September 14, 2020
(Spoilers)
A cute short story (a 5-minute read) by the author of The Martian. You can read it for free on the web at
A man dies in a car crash, has a discussion with God, and learns that he will be reincarnated. I think of Yukio Mishima’s tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility, which is based on the premise of reincarnation.
So the value of this story is in making you think about this possibility. And if so, is that good news? The good news is you’re going to come back! The bad news is maybe you are coming back as a starving peasant in Ethiopia. Maybe you’ll go back in time? Who says time only goes forward? So, Do Unto Others�. because that might be YOU. Interesting.
Thanks to GR friend Cecily for finding this.
Image from bigpicturequestions.com
A cute short story (a 5-minute read) by the author of The Martian. You can read it for free on the web at
A man dies in a car crash, has a discussion with God, and learns that he will be reincarnated. I think of Yukio Mishima’s tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility, which is based on the premise of reincarnation.
So the value of this story is in making you think about this possibility. And if so, is that good news? The good news is you’re going to come back! The bad news is maybe you are coming back as a starving peasant in Ethiopia. Maybe you’ll go back in time? Who says time only goes forward? So, Do Unto Others�. because that might be YOU. Interesting.
Thanks to GR friend Cecily for finding this.
Image from bigpicturequestions.com
July 28, 2017
Egg, a short story about the universe.
Very short, and very powerful, packs a lot into a small package.
Like an egg.
Weir continues to impress. Same guy who wrote , yep that's him.
I could not help thinking of the 1991 Albert Brooks film, .
This won't take 15 minutes to read, enjoy.
Very short, and very powerful, packs a lot into a small package.
Like an egg.
Weir continues to impress. Same guy who wrote , yep that's him.
I could not help thinking of the 1991 Albert Brooks film, .
This won't take 15 minutes to read, enjoy.
September 21, 2022
3.5*
This is a really short story and thought provoking. About life and death and the afterdeath.
Thanks to my friend Federico for providing the free link. I'm now inspired to read an Andy Weir full-length novel.
This is a really short story and thought provoking. About life and death and the afterdeath.
Thanks to my friend Federico for providing the free link. I'm now inspired to read an Andy Weir full-length novel.
March 17, 2015
Find all of my reviews at:
A review told in giffery . . .
Soooooo everyone else read The Egg and were all like . . .
Then I read it and was all like . . .
Why is that?
What can I say? It’s 4 pages long and didn’t move me like it did everyone else. Shit happens.
For some reason I was thinking it was going to be something a little more like this . . .
Like I said, I'm an asshole.
All I can do is offer my sincerest heartfelt apology . . .
And remind all of you that this is only my opinion . . .
That's right. It is.
Oh, and one final thing in my defense. I strong-armed a poopton of people into reading The Martian so F-off if you don’t think it’s okay that I don’t crap my drawers over this one.
A review told in giffery . . .
Soooooo everyone else read The Egg and were all like . . .
Then I read it and was all like . . .
Why is that?
What can I say? It’s 4 pages long and didn’t move me like it did everyone else. Shit happens.
For some reason I was thinking it was going to be something a little more like this . . .
Like I said, I'm an asshole.
All I can do is offer my sincerest heartfelt apology . . .
And remind all of you that this is only my opinion . . .
That's right. It is.
Oh, and one final thing in my defense. I strong-armed a poopton of people into reading The Martian so F-off if you don’t think it’s okay that I don’t crap my drawers over this one.
September 23, 2022
Interesting short story that could give you second thoughts about the way you treat others. Although, on second and third thought, things fall apart for me.
First published August 15, 2009
First published August 15, 2009
March 11, 2017
Ah... the art of writing short stories... it takes a sharp pen. And this one story was written with a sharp pen. I read it first and then read it out aloud. It's good. It's short, to the point, amusing, fascinating, powerful in a nutshell... ehm... eggshell.
Yes, this is what a short story should be... for me. Enjoyed it. And I hope you enjoy it too! But what about .... that egg? Read it!
“What� what happened?� You asked. “Where am I?�
“You died,� I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
“There was a� a truck and it was skidding…�
“Yup,� I said.
“I� I died?�
“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,� I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?� You asked. “Is this the afterlife?�
“More or less,� I said.
Yes, this is what a short story should be... for me. Enjoyed it. And I hope you enjoy it too! But what about .... that egg? Read it!
“What� what happened?� You asked. “Where am I?�
“You died,� I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
“There was a� a truck and it was skidding…�
“Yup,� I said.
“I� I died?�
“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,� I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?� You asked. “Is this the afterlife?�
“More or less,� I said.
April 6, 2017
Well ....
I'm not sure how I feel. Ambiguous maybe?
That was a very quick read. It was interesting. I can see why some people love it and I can also see why some readers may not care for it.
Here is the link if you would like to read it :
I'm not sure how I feel. Ambiguous maybe?
That was a very quick read. It was interesting. I can see why some people love it and I can also see why some readers may not care for it.
Here is the link if you would like to read it :
January 25, 2016
I honestly have no idea what to say except that it may not be the most agreeable idea but the concept is really thought provoking. You can read the short story
Again, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AWESOME KELLY! (Click her name for her short review>) I told you I’ll make it good! haha!
March 26, 2022
Leave ‘Em Wanting More
In order not to give the show away, I think I can only say that Weir has consolidated Leibniz and C.S. Peirce (and quite a few others) into a really interesting version of Mormon Gnosticism. A not inconsiderable feat in three pages.
In order not to give the show away, I think I can only say that Weir has consolidated Leibniz and C.S. Peirce (and quite a few others) into a really interesting version of Mormon Gnosticism. A not inconsiderable feat in three pages.
April 14, 2017
For this review and others please visit
Spoiler...
The Egg is a short story by Andy Weir which looks at life as a continuous loop. I found this short story to be quite boring.
I found it interesting that in truth this isn't what the author believes at all, it's just a story he thought up.
It's free so why not try it?
I � The Martian, but this was just okay for me...
3***
Spoiler...
The Egg is a short story by Andy Weir which looks at life as a continuous loop. I found this short story to be quite boring.
I found it interesting that in truth this isn't what the author believes at all, it's just a story he thought up.
It's free so why not try it?
I � The Martian, but this was just okay for me...
3***
October 5, 2018
Not much one can say about this super short story. I wasn’t wowed by it, but it was so short that I don’t feel I wasted my time by reading it. You may or may not agree with or like the story, but it will have you briefly considering your own beliefs. Read it (it’s about a 5 minute read), ponder it, and decide for yourself.
Read for free here:
Read for free here:
April 6, 2017
Two of me were in disagreement about this story...We all decided to compromise at 3-stars.
Read here. :)
August 27, 2017
“Every time you victimized someone,� I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.�
September 28, 2023
Short story-big message.
I googled this and found it in the first link online for anyone who wants to take a couple minutes to wind down and read this one.
I’m sure there are various interpretations of this story but the main one, I believe, is to treat yourself and others with kindness and love.
I’ve been ‘behind on books� towards my reading goal since my recent books have all been 600-700 pages so I’m counting this shorty towards that, dammit. 😂
I googled this and found it in the first link online for anyone who wants to take a couple minutes to wind down and read this one.
I’m sure there are various interpretations of this story but the main one, I believe, is to treat yourself and others with kindness and love.
I’ve been ‘behind on books� towards my reading goal since my recent books have all been 600-700 pages so I’m counting this shorty towards that, dammit. 😂
March 26, 2017
*speechless*
I've never thought of this.
It's mind-blowing!
And it would make sense.
To actually understand what I'm talking about read . It's only 4 pages. And it's enough.
I've never thought of this.
It's mind-blowing!
And it would make sense.
To actually understand what I'm talking about read . It's only 4 pages. And it's enough.
December 2, 2015
So the guy who wrote has a one page freebie about The Meaning of Life.
Is it anything life-changing? No. But it's free. And at least he didn't try to charge his fans money for a garbage creation like some authors did.
Is it anything life-changing? No. But it's free. And at least he didn't try to charge his fans money for a garbage creation like some authors did.
February 14, 2022
Thanks to Nataliya, I’ve read my first Andy Weir!
Remarkably chewy for such a tiny bite, this is a maybe pleasant, maybe disturbing read. It may not change your life, but it’ll probably occupy your thoughts for longer than it takes to consume it! A fun offering about the meaning of life, this is worth a nibble. There’s a link up in the book description!
Remarkably chewy for such a tiny bite, this is a maybe pleasant, maybe disturbing read. It may not change your life, but it’ll probably occupy your thoughts for longer than it takes to consume it! A fun offering about the meaning of life, this is worth a nibble. There’s a link up in the book description!
April 1, 2017
4.5 Stars
Two characters. You and I.
A car accident.
Death.
The "After"
Two characters. You and I.
A car accident.
Death.
The "After"
March 27, 2017
How can this guy do this to me through a four page story.
Read this cool little story here -
Read this cool little story here -
March 2, 2017
A very short story (two pages of A4: ) by the author of The Martian.
It's too short to risk any spoilers, but it starts with a dead man's encounter with God, and follows their conversation, as the dead man asks what happens next, what the meaning of life is, etc. The answer is simple and complex, trivial and profound, religious and blasphemous (YMMV).
I'm not sure if I'm unsettled or uplifted.
Enjoy.
I've now read his famous novel, soon-to-be-film, The Martian. Hugely enjoyable, despite significant flaws, imo, but very different from this.
Lots of Weir shorts here:
It's too short to risk any spoilers, but it starts with a dead man's encounter with God, and follows their conversation, as the dead man asks what happens next, what the meaning of life is, etc. The answer is simple and complex, trivial and profound, religious and blasphemous (YMMV).
I'm not sure if I'm unsettled or uplifted.
Enjoy.
I've now read his famous novel, soon-to-be-film, The Martian. Hugely enjoyable, despite significant flaws, imo, but very different from this.
Lots of Weir shorts here:
December 29, 2020
This was a really interesting short story.
Highly recommend
Highly recommend
May 16, 2014
So after reading (and loving) Weir's The Martian, I bee-lined it to his author page to see what else he'd written. It's a little disappointing that the only other thing is a short story that took me 3 minutes to read, but I'll take what I can get.
(Write more novels.)
As I was reading this little story, I couldn't help but feel that it was familiar to me. I feel like I've read it before, but I can't quite place where or when. A quick (read: half-assed) google search tells me that it's been making rounds since 2010 at least, so in the fourish years since then, it's possible I'd seen it. I tend to read things on teh interwebz sometimes.
But then it dawned on me. I'm not recalling the story because I'd read it... but rather because I experienced it.
RIGHT??!
Whatever. It coulda happened.
I do like this little story. I don't necessarily believe in a "God" or a creator, or a universe formed solely for my infinite and singular use. However, I do like the message. It takes "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (or whatever - I'm paraphrasing) to a new level.
It's short, sweet, it's a thinker, and I liked it.
But for real, Weir, write more novels. :D
(Write more novels.)
As I was reading this little story, I couldn't help but feel that it was familiar to me. I feel like I've read it before, but I can't quite place where or when. A quick (read: half-assed) google search tells me that it's been making rounds since 2010 at least, so in the fourish years since then, it's possible I'd seen it. I tend to read things on teh interwebz sometimes.
But then it dawned on me. I'm not recalling the story because I'd read it... but rather because I experienced it.
RIGHT??!
Whatever. It coulda happened.
I do like this little story. I don't necessarily believe in a "God" or a creator, or a universe formed solely for my infinite and singular use. However, I do like the message. It takes "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (or whatever - I'm paraphrasing) to a new level.
It's short, sweet, it's a thinker, and I liked it.
But for real, Weir, write more novels. :D
October 22, 2023
|| 2.5 stars ||
A story about the meaning of life that has hints of existentialism, determinism, and nihilism.
It has a fun and unique idea, but it’s too far-fetched to feel meaningful or powerful in the realistic sense.
Nonetheless, I suppose it can still make you think about things like; if this were true, what then? Would I then still do what I would do otherwise? Would I still feel the same way about others and their actions?
Pretty interesting questions, but the story is too short to really explore any of them in depth.
A story about the meaning of life that has hints of existentialism, determinism, and nihilism.
It has a fun and unique idea, but it’s too far-fetched to feel meaningful or powerful in the realistic sense.
Nonetheless, I suppose it can still make you think about things like; if this were true, what then? Would I then still do what I would do otherwise? Would I still feel the same way about others and their actions?
Pretty interesting questions, but the story is too short to really explore any of them in depth.
March 26, 2017
What a great little book (well its only 4 pages, so hardly a book).
And it certainly crams a great deal into those 4 pages.
Difficult to know what to say, so I suggest you just read it, it won't be a waste of your time.
And it certainly crams a great deal into those 4 pages.
Difficult to know what to say, so I suggest you just read it, it won't be a waste of your time.
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