I read The Periodic Table by Primo Levi, written in Randall Munroe’s style.
I began with the prompt:
Rewrite the first chapter Primo Levi’s The Periodic table in the style of Randall Munroe. Same content, but as if Primo Levi had written it in Randall Munroe’s style.
After that, for each chapter, I prompted:
Continue! Same depth, same style.
It began wonderfully.
It began humorously.
It was enjoyable.
It was fun.
And then it turned darker.
No, not darker. Grayer. Something else.
Something to learn from.
Something to cry on.
Something that sticks. (I’m writing in its style.)
Something that drains. (Yet, somehow, enriches?)
I could not have read this book without the Randall Munroe rewrite.
I did not read the original, so I cannot compare it with the original.
I probably would NOT have read the original, so maybe it does not matter.
I wanted to write about the process:
Using AI to narrate each chapter in someone else’s style.
This is a useful technique.
But it feels like so small compared to the book itself.
Or the author. Or his experience.
I can read 30 book summaries in the time this took.
That probably has more utility.
But …
Some posts are meant to for reading.
Some are meant for the author, just to write.
This is for me. Not to read. Just to write.