Guitars in Hades
“Like bringing a guitar to the apocalypse.” This simile is used to describe a work of art that presents the mythical figure of Eurydice being dragged screaming into hell. Orpheus, holding a lyre, is defying the admonition against looking back at her. The narrator uses this simile to highlight the inexplicable decision by Orpheus to bring his lyre into Hades. It is a commentary on inexplicable personal decisions made in the face of circumstances too horrific to rationally understand.
Groundhog Day
The discussion is about artificial intelligence and the input of requests. “Like in Groundhog Day where he keeps going till he gets her to date him.” The simile compares the endless time loop in the movie to the concept of using AI. The point is that the machine is not manifesting intelligence. It is simply a potentially infinite exercise in trial and error.
Plane Travel
“The plane took off as smooth as a long drink of cool water,” is a straightforward use of metaphor to convey action. Takeoffs and landings are infamously described as the most nerve-wracking elements of plane travel. The use of “smooth” and “cool” effectively engages long-popular slang to describe something that is drama-free. The simple act of taking a sip of cold water is self-explanatory in its simplicity. The metaphor thus efficiently paints a picture of a peaceful, stress-free plane takeoff.
Meet-Cute
Two characters reference an essential trope of romantic comedy movies. “So…this is a genuine meet-cute?” The term “meet-cute” has since become a metaphor to describe the first time two members of a potential romantic couple are introduced. The situation is usually awkward or embarrassing and typically involves circumstances that may seem both unlikely and intentional. In this case, the “meet-cute” metaphor engages one party question whether it is the result of a “faked up” result of an AI request.
Hit Hard
“She was going too fast, she was falling too hard, as though she had been smacked by a stern hand through fifty down jackets.” The use of simile in this example is intended to intensify the understanding of the visceral quality of the action. The reference to down jackets is immediately understood by most people likely to read this book. It is shorthand to convey a thickness of protection that seems impossible to penetrate. That the situation is comparable to that penetration heightens the tangibility of the powerful force the character is experiencing.
