Oh, God! Apr 2026

He stood up, grabbed a small digital recorder, and walked onto his balcony. The city was a chaotic tapestry of sirens, distant laughter, and the smell of rain hitting hot asphalt. He saw an old woman sitting on the bench below, feeding pigeons with rhythmic, practiced movements. He saw a young couple arguing over a map, their faces flushed with the thrill of being lost.

Arthur looked at his recorder, then at the city. He realized he didn't need to invent a world; he just needed to step into the one that was already happening. Oh, God!

He tried to think of something grand—a space odyssey or a sweeping romance—but his mind kept drifting back to his own shelves. They were lined with hard drives, each containing thousands of hours of him eating toast, walking to the post office, and sleeping. He had become so obsessed with recording his life that he had forgotten to actually live one worth telling. He stood up, grabbed a small digital recorder,