Ralph Gamelli

I wrote this story when it occurred to me that, in a society where people have been communicating telepathically for a long time, the sound of a human voice would be something shocking and unpleasant to hear. It might even be an unwelcome reminder of how "unevolved" the human race once was. Of course for people like the protagonist, one man's trash is another man's treasure, and the excitement of discovering a new skill outweighs the bad reactions he receives. That was the biggest challenge in writing the story--to make Louis enthusiastic about exploring his expanding new world while not making him appear stupid, just happily oblivious to the danger he's putting himself in.