Skeleton of Homo naledi, found in the Rising Star cave system in South AfricaJohn Hawks/ShutterstockAustralian Museum, University of Sydney, BreakThru FilmsIt is after 10pm and I am on a cycleway in Sydney returning from dinner with friends. It is a warm evening in the week before Christmas and people are still out on the streets, gathering for end-of-year drinks.As I cycle, Im using my Air Pods to listen to a podcast broadcast by Bluetooth from my smartphone. The podcast, downloaded from invisible Wi-Fi, is about the origins of humanity. It strikes me that,

Is your favourite sci-fi short story in this list?Sometimes youre in the mood for a slice of science fiction but you havent got the time to embark on a Red Mars or a Dune. All hail, then, the sci-fi short story, bringing you a slice of the weird, the mind-expanding and the futuristic in pocket-sized format.Did you know thatHugo Gernsback, after whom science fictions biggest awards, the Hugos, are named, came up with the term science fiction (or scientifiction as he had it) as he launched the first edition of his sci-fi story magazine Amazing Stories, in 1926? By scientifiction I mean the Jules Verne, H G Wells and Edgar Allan Poe type of story a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision, he wrote. Not only do these amazing tales make tremendously interesting reading they are also always instructive.Perhaps the stories in the selection below arent always instructive. They certainly arent comprehensive. But, chosen by New Scientist staff as their own personal favourites and arranged in order of publication, they are definitely a good read. Enjoy reconnecting with the ones you already know, dive into those you dont and tell us what weve missed on our Facebook page. We have provided links where these stories have been made available to read online.AdvertisementThe Time Machine by H. G. Wells (1895)Wellss Time Traveller tells us the story of his visit to the far future (the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One, A.D.), when the world is in a condition of ruinous splendour, peopled by the Eloi and the Morlocks. What has really stayed with me from the classic sci-fi novella, though, was his journey even further forward in time, to a terrifying future vision. I cannot convey the sense of abominable desolation that hung over the world. The red eastern sky, the northward blackness, the salt Dead Sea, the stony beach crawling with these foul, slow-stirring monsters, the uniform poisonous-looking green of the lichenous plants, the thin air that hurts ones lungs: all contributed to an appalling effect. So evocative and brilliant, this was published in 1895 (note the plentiful Trump-esque capitals) and is one of the earliest pieces of science fiction, says Britannica. Alison FloodThe Machine Stops by E. M. Forster (1909)Within the massive apparatus in E. M. Forsters take on the smart home, each individual lives in an underground room that meets all their physical needs and communicates with other humans via a technology akin to video calls. Most characters are perfectly happy to live out their days in isolation, although some insist on travelling through the hostile environment outside in order to meet face to face. Eventually, the first perspective wins out. But when the machine finally breaks down, its cosseted inhabitants face the end of the world.More than a hundred years after this story was first published, it feels incredibly prescient. In 2020, I sat in my apartment in front of a glowing computer screen, my friends and coworkers reduced to rectangles in a videoconference app, and I felt the walls of the machine surround me. I felt them again last year, when the air was so tainted with wildfire smoke that the horizon turned orange and any New Yorker who was able retreated indoors once again. As Forster predicted, the machine can be comforting in the face of an unsafe world and at the same time, its so stifling that it makes us long for even scraps of the open sky. Sophie BushwickNightfall by Isaac Asimov (1941)This fun and absorbing early story from Isaac Asimov is almost as if H. P. Lovecraft had ventured into science fiction, creating astronomy-based cosmic horror. It is a searing study of how humans react in the face of the unknown. Imagine a world lit by six stars, having them near enough that you are always bathed in light from at least one of these celestial orbs, making daylight an unassailable constant for more than two thousand years. This luminance is so much relied on that no one has ever needed to invent artificial lights. And then, in a rare astronomical event, the lights go out, and the eclipse lasts not a few minutes, but half a day. Yes, it would be darkness, but not darkness as we know it, which can be scary and full of the unknown. This is darkness for a civilisation that has never seen a night, that has never had to find a candle or torch during a power cut, or traverse a city park after dark, not knowing what threats might be hiding in the shadows. It is a story that compels you to make the intellectual leap to understand what life on another world might really be like and it is well worth reading for that exercise alone. Chris SimmsThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson (1948)Shirley Jackson is author of one of the scariest novels in the world (The Haunting of Hill House) and one of the most brilliantly unsettling (We Have Always Lived in the Castle). So it is only to be expected that she would also be the author of one of the most quietly disturbing speculative short stories ever written, The Lottery. It takes place in a nondescript rural village, where the locals are gathering for the lottery. It sounds like its going to be fun. Kids are collecting stones. Everyone knows what is going to happen; they dont think much of neighbouring villages who have got rid of their lotteries (Listening to the young folks, nothings good enough for them. Next thing you know, theyll be wanting to go back to living in caves). But a trickle of unease begins to spread, as the lottery draw looms nearer. If you dont know what the twist is, I wont spoil it, but I just read this again and I still feel a little shaky. Jackson is a stone-cold genius. Alison FloodThere Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury (1950)Theres a reason the smart home is a staple of science fiction (see my other pick, E. M. Forsters The Machine Stops, above). Who wouldnt dream of a house that doesnt merely protect you from the elements, but also caters to your every need? The smart home offers the luxury of having servants, without requiring any pesky interactions with other people. But once you remove the humans who serve from the domestic sphere, you start to wonder what would happen if you also eliminated the ones who are served. Thats the scenario that plays out in Ray Bradburys creepy, beautiful There Will Come Soft Rains. This story tracks the activity of a smart home devoid of its inhabitants. Still, the reader can figure out what must have been the rhythms of their daily lives, their taste in poetry and even the fate that befell them by observing the homes layout, decor and its ongoing automated processes. Without humans in the loop, however, the dwelling is revealed as a sterile, heartless place that destroys the lone living creature that enters and eventually devours itself. Sophie BushwickRay BradburySophie Bassouls / Sygma via Getty ImagesThe Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury (1951)If a dystopian story where cars dominate cities, people spend sedentary evenings gazing at screens and AI-powered police robots fail to grasp human motivations was published today it may come across as over-egged. But Bradburys The Pedestrian is 73 years old.Its protagonist, Leonard Mead, is hauled away to an institution by a driverless police car that cant fathom why hed be strolling at night with no purpose. The incident is mentioned in Bradburys later novel Fahrenheit 451, suggesting that they inhabit the same world, and the idea reportedly came to him when he was interrogated by police for walking in Los Angeles in 1949.Things dont get much more dystopian than reframing a post-dinner stroll as a rebellious act, but the story has valuable messages about the society we have since constructed that is increasingly difficult to navigate without technology and how we maintain humanity in the face of progress. And the unflinching AI that refuses to accept Meads explanation should give us all pause for thought as we entrench large language models into every aspect of our lives. Matthew SparkesThe Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke (1953)This 1953 story from Clarke starts gloriously whimsically it is the first time, we learn, that anyones been asked to supply a Tibetan monastery with an Automatic Sequence Computer (they probably all have them these days). The monks want the computer to aid them in their quest to complete a list containing all possible names of God. What would have taken us fifteen thousand years it will be able to do in a hundred days. The engineers roll their eyes and comply but what will happen when if the computer fulfils its task? Short, clever and deliciously unsettling as it ends. Alison FloodAll You Zombies by Robert Heinlein (1958)Before stories such as Dark, Looper, Back to the Future and Doctor Who, Robert Heinlein delivered one of the most memorable time travel paradoxes ever conceived in his 1958 short story All You Zombies. But dont be fooled by the title there are no shambling hordes of the walking dead to be found. Instead, the story begins with a bartender serving up shots to a customer while coaxing the latter into sharing their personal circumstances and incredible life story. It is a standard storytelling scene with a twist that is telegraphed in the opening paragraph, because the bartender is actually a temporal agent recruiting the customer to join a shadowy organisation that manipulates the timeline through time travel. Before long, the conversation takes some unexpected but increasingly personal turns for both people. Heinlein supposedly wrote All You Zombies in a single day and you can read it within half an hour but dont be surprised if the story slithers into your subconscious and nests in its coils there for years to come. Jeremy HsuCliff Robertson in Charly, a 1968 adaptation of Flowers for AlgernonAlamy Stock PhotoFlowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (1959)Every so often, you come across a story that has such a simple yet brilliant idea that you wonder why no one else thought of it before. Flowers for Algernon charts the progress of Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68, who is given the same surgical treatment as Algernon, a lab mouse that has had its intellect tripled. Charlies rise in intellect is brilliantly portrayed through the standard of his diary entries. But alongside his intellectual development come painful and cruel realisations as Charlie begins to see people around him for what they really are. And then Algernon starts to decline. Will the same happen to Charlie? I read the award-winning novel version of this poignant and moving tale before I found the original short story it was expanded from, which itself won the 1960 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. If anything, the short version is better subtly taking you through sympathy, pity, outrage and sadness. Like all the best science fiction, although based in science, it is actually about the human condition. It puts a critical lens on how people judge others and makes you question what it means to fit in and whether intelligence and knowledge are more important than happiness. Chris Simms2 B R 0 2 Bby Kurt Vonnegut (1962)Vonneguts story is set in a world where old age has been conquered, and where there are strict population controls. If you want to have a baby, someone has to volunteer to die, by calling the telephone number of the municipal gas chambers of the Federal Bureau of Termination. Its 2 B R 0 2 B. (Try saying it the 0 is nought.) We are following the choices of a soon-to-be-father of triplets, as a doctor tells him he needs to line up three deaths if his kids are to survive. In the year 2000, said Dr. Hitz, before scientists stepped in and laid down the law, there wasnt even enough drinking water to go around, and nothing to eat but sea-weedand still people insisted on their right to reproduce like jackrabbits. And their right, if possible, to live forever. Written in 1962, it still feels very timely these days. Alison FloodWe Can Remember It for You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick (1966)If you ever daydream of escaping your mundane job and seeing something incredible, you might well empathise with Douglas Quail, who wakes up every morning wanting to see the wonders of another world. It might be an unobtainable dream for a low-earning clerk, but he wants to do what the rich and powerful can do and visit Mars. Why he yearns so strongly for it is a mystery that is slowly unveiled in this rollercoaster 19-page short story that inspired the two Total Recall films, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colin Farrell, respectively. The ideas are the same, but dont expect the same plot. Its an inventive, irreverent ride, delving into wish fulfilment and reality and scattered with more than a soupon of humour. There is a rich vein of paranoia running through the tale as you realise that memories and thus reality arent to be trusted. And like the central red pill/blue pill dilemma of The Matrix, it leaves you realising we all have a choice to make: is it better to strive and fight for a dream, to make yourself matter, or to bob along as a salaried employee inside a world that somehow doesnt feel real, but is at least comfortable? Douglas Quail has to make that choice and so do you. Chris SimmsWhen It Changed by Joanna Russ (1972)A contemporary of Ursula K. Le Guin, Joanna Russ was one of the preeminent writers in the second-wave feminism era of science fiction. Her stories explored womens lives with an edge of anger that Russ owned to, proudly, in her conversations with other writers. When it Changed is a perfect, self-contained slice of that anger, laid out against the backdrop of an already-lost utopia. It takes place on a planetary colony called Whileaway, where two women named Janet and Katy live a happy married life. Thanks to a revolutionary technology that merges two ova into a single embryo, they have three daughters that are descended from them both. Katy is a talented machinist, while Janet alludes to a history of combat and necessary violence. Janet narrates as the pair joins the rest of their community in welcoming visitors from their long-forgotten homeland men.It turns out these are the first men on Whileaway seen since a plague killed the colonys entire male population generations earlier. It was a catastrophe the surviving women adapted to, even while mourning the lost. But what will happen as men from Earth, now suffering its own catastrophes, rediscover this planet? Theres not much to say of plot: this story spans a single afternoon, just a handful of conversations that slip back and forth across lines of power and feeling. Yet you know, by the end of it, that what you have witnessed is the beginning of a cataclysm. For whom, well, maybe you can guess. Christie TaylorUrsula K. Le GuinBeth Gwinn / Getty ImagesThe Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin (1973)It is the Festival of Summer in Omelas, and everyone is happy. Bells and birds, prancing horses and everywhere children cavort. Omelas is a city with red roofs and moss-grown gardens. It doesnt matter when in time we are, only that this place should be understood to be singular in the history of humanity. Because everyone, truly, is happy. Our narrator, positioned outside Omelas, speculates: perhaps in Omelas there might be technology the likes of which we could not understand. But definitely not cars, nor war. As they did without monarchy and slavery, so they also got on without the stock exchange, the advertisement, the secret police, and the bomb, writes Le Guin.The twist of this story is now famous I wont tell you. But even before we find the dark centre of this supposed utopia, the narrator is in conversation with you, the reader, as you look for a catch in all this rollicking joy. Surely the problem is that everyone is too happy, naive? Surely pain is the foundation of intellect? O miracle, the narrator responds, the citizens of Omelas are fully formed, mature and passionate adults. This distrust says more about the readers failure to imagine.Speculative fiction writers speak often about our need to dream up better worlds. But you are reminded, with Omelas, to question your imagination even as you nurture it. To find in every utopia someones dystopia. And to ask about those centred by this storys title: what exactly happens to those who walk away? Christie TaylorThe Screwfly Solution by Raccoona Sheldon (1977)Another of the feminist second wave, James Tiptree Jr. (writing here under the pen name Raccoona Sheldon) was in conversation with Russ and Le Guin literally, in fact, as the author corresponded in letters with both. Ten years into Tiptrees writing career, a determined fan discovered that Tiptree was in fact a woman named Alice Sheldon a former intelligence officer in the second world war and, later, an experimental psychologist. But even as Tiptree, Sheldon posed as a feminist man, whose works often touched on gender including another story about women learning to get along just fine when men are wiped off the face of the Earth.The Screwfly Solution is not that story (that story is Houston, Houston, Do You Read?). Instead, it is a series of letters: between a husband, Alan, and his wife, Anne, as Alan conducts research on parasitic flies far from their Michigan home. Meanwhile, an epidemic of violent misogyny is spreading with a strangely precise pattern will scientists discover the cause?Many things make this story great: the shifting narration, the assorted uselessness of journalism and research papers, the sinking dread as the end of the story approaches like a slow-moving but underailable train, even the entomological metaphor of the titles screwflies. But even more so, I think, is how timeless it remains. Even half a century later, the chill of reading it goes deep and lingers long. Christie TaylorSandkings by George R. R. Martin (1979)This slice of sci-fi horror from the author who is still writing The Winds of Winter (come on George!) opens as pet owner Kress goes out looking for a new animal. I want something exotic. Unusual. And not cute. I detest cute animals. At the moment I own a shambler. Imported from Cotho, at no mean expense. From time to time I feed him a litter of unwanted kittens. That is what I think of cute. Do I make myself understood? He ends up with a colony of sandkings, small, insectile alien creatures who share a hivemind and are fed by a maw that he keeps in his old piranha tank. Needless to say, things dont go to plan in this fun and disturbing tale. Alison FloodFire Watch by Connie Willis (1982)There is a popular what-if scenario of going back in time to assassinate Adolf Hitler before he can start the second world war. Connie Williss 1982 novelette Fire Watch takes a completely different tack by immediately plunging its time-travelling narrator into confusion as he appears in London during the Nazi German Luftwaffes bombing raids in 1940. The narrator is tasked with joining fellow volunteers in the seemingly Sisyphean task of putting out incendiary bombs on the roof of St Pauls Cathedral that threaten to burn down the hallowed landmark, even as he struggles with his real assignment of trying to figure out why his history professors have chosen to send him back to that harrowing period without adequate education or preparation. As an added complication, the narrator begins to suspect a fellow fire watch member of subversive wartime activities while he himself struggles to blend in and avoid blowing his cover with the locals. As the narrative follows a series of dated diary entries from the increasingly paranoid and exhausted narrator, Williss story shines by treating time travel as a tool used judiciously by historians to bear witness and deepen their understanding of humanity, rather than depicting it as a superpower for manipulating the past or future. Jeremy HsuBurning Chrome by William Gibson (1982)From the first line, It was hot, the night we burned Chrome, this story grabs you and drags you into cyberspace. William Gibsons vision of the future has always been stark. Its not a dreamily futuristic world of clean new technology, it is a perhaps more realistic mishmash of old and new, with hands-on people adapting to change by retrofitting and hacking devices together. Neon lights illuminate hard criminals and doomed love. In this fantastic story, we meet Bobby and Jack, two computer cowboys. Jack goes to buy the digital equivalent of a knife to help give them an advantage when hacking and comes home with a metaphorical neutron bomb. And it could change everything for them.Its a rollicking ride, and a great introduction to Gibsons Sprawl series, which established cyberpunk as a literary movement.That series kicks off with Neuromancer, still one of my favourite science fiction books ever. If you read Burning Chrome in Gibsons collection of short stories with the same name, you will also find two other Sprawl stories there, both worth reading and both of which have inspired films. In Johnny Mnemonic, you meet Molly Millions, the chillingly wonderful razorgirl or street samurai from Neuromancer, for the first time. She will have you wanting to don mirrorshades. And the other, New Rose Hotel, is a wonderful, high-tech, low-life tale of corporate espionage. All the Sprawl stories leave you with the nagging feeling that despite technology allowing people to connect so easily, people are still very much lonely, a dystopian outlook that TV shows like Black Mirror have more recently mined to great success. Chris SimmsBloodchild by Octavia E. Butler (1984)Octavia Butler is, in my opinion, one of the greatest science fiction writers (see my review of her novel Kindred here), but she didnt write many short stories. Those she did are excellent imaginative, thought-provoking and worth seeking out. My favourite is Bloodchild, which won the Nebula, Hugo and Locus awards and can be found in the book Bloodchild and Other Stories. A colony of humans have left Earth and now live on a planet inhabited by the Tlic. When the Tlic discovered that humans are the perfect host for their eggs, they let them stay on the proviso that each family provides a child to host Tlic eggs. This compelling story follows Gan as he works through his feelings and the reality about imminently becoming a host. There is a mixture of body horror Butler said she was partly inspired by the life cycle of a botfly love and tenderness, and I enjoyed the exploration of the idea of male pregnancy in an unexpected way. Bloodchild is a thoughtful look at relationships between species, and the pressures placed on young people to do what is in the best interests of their families. I think about it often. Eleanor ParsonsSwarm by Bruce Sterling (1982)I came across Bruce Sterlings short story Swarm after finishing his novel set in the same universe, Schismatrix. The short story appeared at the end of the novel and, craving more of Sterlings kaleidoscopic space society, I dived straight in. After just a few pages, I had this strange feeling of familiarity. A few pages later, it hit me. Swarm had been made into an episode of the Netflix show Love, Death and Robots of which I am a huge fan, and this episode was a particular favourite. The story is set in an alien nest located within an asteroid hurtling through space. The insect-like aliens live in a perfect society where the food is plentiful, the air is warm and everything works as it should. The human characters, Afriel and Mirny, attempt to steal the secrets of this utopia and use it for human purposes. However, their actions lead to the creation of a new insectoid alien designed for intelligence who is charged with preventing Afriel from exploiting the secrets of the swarm. This story has gore, philosophy, romance and aliens all rolled up into one. Read Swarm and then watch the Love, Death and Robots episode, or do it the other way around like me. Both would work. Finn GrantJason Winston George as Afriel and Rosario Dawson as Dr Mirny in a Love, Death & Robots episode adapted from Swarm 2022 Netflix, Inc.I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqeline Harpman (1995)The enigmatic dystopian novella I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqeline Harpman has haunted me since I finished it. It opens with 39 women and one girl who have been locked in a cage underground for an unknown number of years, closely watched by three guards at all times. None know how they got there. Then, one day, as the guards are delivering food, an alarm goes off and the guards run off in a panic, leaving a hatch unlocked. The women make their escape into well, I wont spoil it for you. The stark prose and use of repetition in the wrong hands would be dull, but Harpman uses them to great effect in this unsettling meditation on the meaning of life and community, hope and hopelessness and the effects of captivity. But be warned: if you like your fiction to be tied up in a neat bow, then this isnt one for you. Eleanor ParsonsCloud of Poems by Cixin Liu (1997)Better known as Cixin Liu may be for his groundbreaking novels like The Three-Body Problem the first translated novel to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel he has also written many rich and rewarding short stories. Cloud of Poems, which features in his To Hold Up the Sky collection, is probably my favourite of them. In some ways, it feels like a drug-induced trip, as it playfully combines the hard science of a hollowed-out Earth with debate between an all-powerful god, a measly human and a space-travelling dinosaur about the relative benefits of poetry and technology. Like many other stories by Liu, while being nested in futuristic technology and advanced science, it incites you to consider the relationship between art and technology and how they relate to humanity, all in a tale imbued with the rich cultural history of China. Chris SimmsThe Man Who Ended History: A Documentary by Ken Liu (2011)Many time travel stories explore the implications of manipulating past events to shape the future. Ken Liu chooses to illustrate how the act of merely bearing witness to past events can prove disruptive to governments and societies that selectively engage with history through preferred narratives. Lius story features an Asian-American couple that is determined to use an experimental physics breakthrough to help individuals witness the second world war atrocities committed by Unit 731 an Imperial Japanese Army unit that performed deadly experiments on thousands of primarily Chinese civilians and developed biological weapons used on thousands more. The storys documentary-style format swiftly presents a variety of both emotionally charged and apathetic reactions to the controversial proposal, while highlighting how government-backed narratives that flatter national pride often omit inconvenient truths and flatten the complexities of the past. This is not easy reading various perspectives recount in unsparing, clinical detail how Unit 731s medical personnel committed sexual assault and performed vivisections on living people without anaesthesia. But Lius story feels incredibly relevant in grappling with thorny questions of how both individual and collective understandings of history continue to shape our present-day world. Jeremy HsuWelcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience TM by Rebecca Roanhorse (2017)Rebecca Roanhorses short story won both the Nebula and Hugo short story awards, and it is easy to see why. I could feel my stomach twisting in knots, combined with a sense of subtle dreadas the Native American protagonist of the story is befriended, abused and then replaced by a White Wolf. The parallels with both the modern and historical Native American experience are obvious.Jesse Turnblatt (the protagonist) is a Native American pod jockey who works at a tourist centre that offers Indian virtual-reality experiences for Tourists. These experiences range from the depraved to the banal. Seemingly uninspired at work, Jesse breaks protocol and befriends one of his customers. What follows is a not-so-subtle critique of the appropriation of Native American culture and, in my eyes at least, the appropriation of Native American land by white European settlers over the past few centuries. It is written from the second-person perspective, making the funny parts feel funnier and the depressing parts devastating. Finn GrantAll Systems Red by Martha Wells (2017)This is the novella where we first meet Murderbot, the security cyborg chasing irritably after freedom, self-knowledge and spare time to binge-watch media not necessarily in that order. I wrote about this series for New Scientists round-up of our favourite science fiction, and All Systems Red introduces many elements also found in the other books, including technology that melds organic beings with inorganic parts (and vice versa), snarky narration and criticism of corporate power. But this novella is crucial because in it, for the first time, Murderbot makes friends or as it would probably put it, gains teammates who see it as a full person worthy of respect and independence. And then it kills its way across an alien planet to protect them. Sophie BushwickThe Ones Who Stay and Fight by N. K. Jemisin (2020)It is the Day of Good Birds in Um-Helat, and everyone is happy. Among the floating skyscrapers and mica-flecked walls, children frolic wearing hand-made wings.Yes, another utopia, in conversation with Le Guins, with similar cadence and telescopic view. Jemisin directly acknowledges Omelas, tick of a city, fat and happy. This is not that.If Omelas feels flat, a mass of smiling sameness, Um-Helat is a utopia of explicit difference. Special drones help children with mobility impairments enjoy the same play as their peers. You may be unhoused if you like, and sleep under well-swept bridges. If you dwell in delusions, society keeps you safe but still free. We have race, but not racism. This is not that barbaric America, Jemisin, a Black woman, writes.Where Le Guin urges us to consider whether joy can be wise, Jemisin holds court on whether human variety can be untroubled by hatred. You, the cynical reader, are brought in to insist that wealth requires poverty; health, illness; beauty, ugliness. Maybe you cant imagine a world without homophobia, or any of the many scarcities we deal in. Jemisins city offers evidence to the contrary.And then in this story too comes the pause, the yes, but. If you have already read Le Guins work, you are waiting for it. But you will still be surprised. You will be invited to consider, and feel deeply conflicted. But maybe, youll stay. Christie TaylorLena by qntm (2021)In my view, the perfect sci-fi short story must have one idea, done extremely well, while also hinting at the larger implications of that idea on a wider world. Lena by qntm does just that, telling the story of the first copy of a human brain uploaded to a computer, and the subsequent consequences, in under 2000 words. Written in the form of a Wikipedia article, it describes how the digital brain has been repeatedly copied and put to work and the horrifying lessons researchers have learned. While Lena was written in 2021, just before the current AI boom, the methods needed to cajole the brain into working are strangely reminiscent of the prompts used to manipulate large language models like the one behind ChatGPT, though euphemisms like red motivation conceal a much darker reality. Even the storys title is masterfully chosen, named for a picture of Swedish model Lena Forsn published in Playboy magazine in the 1970s and since widely reproduced by computer science researchers as a test image, perhaps becoming one of the most duplicated images in history. Jacob AronTopics:

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. The next generation of neural networks could live in hardware Networks programmed directly into computer chip hardware can identify images faster, and use much less energy, than the traditional neural networks that underpin most modern AI systems. Thats according to work presented at a leading machine learning conference in Vancouver last week. Neural networks, from GPT-4 to Stable Diffusion, are built by wiring together perceptrons, which are highly simplified simulations of the neurons in our brains. In very large numbers, perceptrons are powerful, but they also consume enormous volumes of energy. Part of the trouble is that perceptrons are just software abstractionsrunning a perceptron network on a GPU requires translating that network into the language of hardware, which takes time and energy. Building a network directly from hardware components does away with a lot of those costs. And one day, they could even be built directly into chips used in smartphones and other devices. Read the full story. Grace Huckins Drugs like Ozempic now make up 5% of prescriptions in the US Whats new? US doctors write billions of prescriptions each year. During 2024, though, one type of drug stood outwonder drugs known as GLP-1 agonists. As of September, one of every 20 prescriptions written for adults was for one of these drugs, according to the health data company Truveta. The big picture: According to the data, people who get prescriptions for these drugs are younger, whiter, and more likely to be female. In fact, women are twice as likely as men to get a prescription. Yet not everyone whos prescribed the drugs ends up taking them. In fact, half the new prescriptions for obesity are going unfilled. Read the full story. Antonio Regalado Why childhood vaccines are a public health success story Childhood vaccination is a success story. In the 50 years since the World Health Organization launched its ambitious global childhood vaccination program, vaccines are estimated to have averted 154 million deaths. That number includes 146 million children under the age of five. But concerns around vaccines endure. Especially, it seems, among the individuals Donald Trump has picked as his choices to lead US health agencies from January. So lets take a look at their claims, and where the evidence really stands on childhood vaccines. Read the full story. Jessica Hamzelou This story is from The Checkup, our weekly health and biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Elon Musk is the shadow president of the United States The billionaire pressured Republicans into impeding a spending bill, despite lacking an official government role. (WP $)+ He posted about the bill more than 100 times on Wednesday alone (NBC News)+ but those posts were generally misleading or outright false. (Rolling Stone $)+ Lawmakers arent thrilled about Musks interference. (NYT $)2 Amazon workers are striking during the Christmas rush The walkouts could delay the delivery of parcels across the US. (WSJ $)+ Amazon is refusing to recognize the workers labor union. (WP $)3 The US is growing increasingly wary of Nvidias overseas sales spree Officials worry the chipmakers deals could end up empowering its adversaries. (NYT $)+ US-based venture firms have pledged to avoid taking funding from China. (WP $)+ Custom chipmaker Broadcoms stock is surging right now. (Insider $)4 Dozens of families are suing Snap over teen overdoses They allege Snapchat helped dealers to sell deadly counterfeit drugs to their children. (Bloomberg $)5 Ukraines drone footage will be used to train AI models The country has collected 228 years worth of data during its conflict with Russia. (Reuters)+ An overnight drone attack set fire to a refinery in south Russia. (Bloomberg $)+ Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraines drone defense. (MIT Technology Review)6 Jailbreaking AI models can be as simple as TyPiNg LiKe ThIsAnd the methods are simple to automate, too. (404 Media) + Text-to-image AI models can be tricked into generating disturbing images. (MIT Technology Review) 7 Indias answer to Silicon Valley is under immense pressureBengalurus rapid expansion is pushing the citys infrastructure to the absolute limit. (Insider $) + Indias gig economy is focusing on 10-minute deliveries. (Bloomberg $)+ How Indian health-care workers use WhatsApp to save pregnant women. (MIT Technology Review)8 Whats next for AI gadgets?Consumers werent overly enamored with them in 2024. (Fast Company $) 9 The man who claimed to have created bitcoin has been sentenced Craig Wright has been given a one-year suspended sentence after refusing to stop suing developers. (The Guardian)+ Hell face jail if he continues claiming he really is the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. (BBC)10 Online returns arent what they used to be Retailers are fed up, and so are customers. (The Atlantic $)Quote of the day You guys scared the life out of a lot of people. Geno, an Arizona resident, tells Amazon workers that their delivery drones are making his neighbors uneasy amid the drone panic gripping the US, the New York Times reports. The big story Bright LEDs could spell the end of dark skies August 2022 Scientists have known for years that light pollution is growing and can harm both humans and wildlife. In people, increased exposure to light at night disrupts sleep cycles and has been linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease, while wildlife suffers from interruption to their reproductive patterns, and increased danger. Astronomers, policymakers, and lighting professionals are all working to find ways to reduce light pollution. Many of them advocate installing light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, in outdoor fixtures such as city streetlights, mainly for their ability to direct light to a targeted area. But the high initial investment and durability of modern LEDs mean cities need to get the transition right the first time or potentially face decades of consequences. Read the full story. Shel Evergreen We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + How the Black diaspora celebrates Christmas across the world, featuring Motown tunes and a tasty saltfish salad.+ We love you Pamela Anderson!+ Test your science knowledge with this fiendish quiz of the year.+ Lets look ahead to just some of the exciting films coming out next year, from Bridget Jones to the bonkers-sounding Mickey 17.

Elon Musk tried to play down his role in tanking a government spending bill on Thursday.Democrats have started calling him "President Musk," in a move likely to frustrate Donald Trump."Trump must absolutely hate the whole President Musk thing," one commentator said.Elon Musk has tried to downplay his influence in helping tank a government funding bill, and after Democrats started referring to him as "President Musk."In a series of X posts on Thursday night, Musk tried to distance himself from Democrats' claims that he is now the de facto leader of the Republican Party.Musk, who will co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency under President-elect Donald Trump,had criticized the first version of the spending bill earlier this week, calling for it to be "killed."A revised spending bill that he helped usher in then failed to get enough votes, potentially setting the stage for a government shutdown."Objectively, the vast majority of Republican House members voted for the spending bill, but only 2 Democrats did," Musk wrote in response. "Therefore, if the government shuts down, it is obviously the fault of @RepJeffries and the Democratic Party."Before the vote, Musk had posted: "First of all, I'm not the author of this proposal. Credit to @realDonaldTrump, @JDVance & @SpeakerJohnson."All but 38 House Republicans voted for the revised bill, but it fell short of the two-thirds majority required to extend government funding until March.Democrats seized on the opportunity to embarrass Trump by portraying him as a subordinate of Musk.Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania said, "The leader of the GOP is Elon Musk," adding, "He's now calling the shots."Rep. Greg Casar of Texas asked if Musk was "kind of cosplaying co-President here," adding, "I don't know why Trump doesn't just hand him the Oval Office."Meanwhile, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democratic member on the House Appropriations Committee, said Republicans "got scared" because "President Musk said: 'Don't do it shut the government down.'"Others also weighed in."Welcome to the Elon Musk presidency," Rep. Robert Garcia of California said in a post on Thursday."It's clear who's in charge, and it's not President-elect Donald Trump," Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington added.After Thursday's vote, Musk reacted favorably to a post that said the reason Democrats keep saying "President" Elon Musk was to "drive a wedge" between him and Trump.Charlie Sykes, a political commentator and author of "How the Right Lost Its Mind," wrote that Musk had committed two cardinal sins: "upstaging" Trump and being responsible for an "embarrassing defeat.""Trump must absolutely hate the whole President Musk thing," he added.

Paramount announced "Sonic the Hedgehog 4," just as the third movie is about to release."Sonic the Hedgehog 3" is projected to have a bigger domestic opening than "Mufasa: The Lion King."2019's "The Lion King" remake made $1.6 billion worldwide, but the prequel has far lower expectations.Paramount announced that a new Sonic movie is already in development ahead of the opening weekend for "Sonic the Hedgehog 3."The announcement came as revenue projections for "Sonic 3" came in surprisingly strong and ahead of Disney's anticipated "Mufasa: The Lion King."The franchise is based on the beloved Sega video games about the blue speedster, who has been starring in games for more than 30 years. Paramount brought Sonic into live-action in 2020's "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie and a 2022 sequel."Parks and Recreation" star Ben Schwartz voices Sonic in the movie franchise, and Jim Carrey plays his nemesis, Dr. Robotnik.Combined, the two films have made $707 million, according to TheNumbers.com. And Paramount seems to have faith in the third film as Variety reported that the studio has already greenlit "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" for Spring 2027 ahead of the threequel's release on December 21."Sonic the Hedgehog 3" is competing with the Disney prequel "Mufasa: The Lion King" over the holidays.The Hollywood Reporter estimated that "Sonic" would come out on top, with $60 million from its first weekend versus $50 million from "Mufasa."The outlet sources its estimates from theater chains and major analytics companies like Nielsen and Comscore, and is widely respected in the movie industry.The difference is a shock, given the historic power of the "Lion King" story. The 2019 remake of "The Lion King" raked in $1.6 billion worldwide, making it one of Disney's greatest financial successes."Sonic the Hedgehog 3" earned a healthy 87% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release, while "Mufasa" got a "rotten" 54% rating.

Ireland's Aer Lingus is the second airline to receive the new Airbus A321XLR.The plane opens new long-haul opportunities, including Dublin to Indianapolis and Nashville.Other airlines, including Iberia, United, Qantas, and American are also planning new routes.The Airbus A321XLR is the European planemaker's latest narrow-body jet, and it's already changing how people fly long-haul.On Thursday, Ireland's Aer Lingus became the second airline to receive the A321XLR, with Airbus delivering two of the carrier's six that are on order.Spanish flag carrier Iberia became the plane's first operator in November.The jet's extra-long-haul capabilities mean Aer Lingus can now operate flights deeper into the US. Two new routes are already scheduled: Flights between Dublin and Nashville will begin in April, and flights between Dublin and Indianapolis will launch in May.Iberia and Aer Lingus are just the beginning for Airbus's new plane, which has tallied up more than 550 global orders.American Airlines, Australian flag carrier Qantas, and Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air all expect to receive the jet next year, followed by United Airlines in early 2026.And all are expected to launch never-before-flown narrow-body routes across oceans and continents.Airbus' new A321XLR jet is set to open new route optionsThe A321XLR is uniquely equipped for long-haul flying, thanks to an extra rear center fuel tank that helps the narrow-body aircraft fly up to 5,400 miles, or 11 hours, nonstop.That's about 800 miles farther than its Airbus A321LR predecessor. That opens new routes to places previously unreachable with older narrowbodies or that were unprofitable with a widebody.Iberia plans to begin a new service using the A321XLR between Madrid and Washington Dulles on January 15. Wizz Air also plans to launch A321XLR routes between London and Saudi Arabia and Milan and Abu Dhabi in 2025. The A321XLR boasts a 30% reduced fuel burn compared with competing previous-generation aircraft. Taylor Rains/Business Insider In March, American Airlines' managing director of global network planning, Jason Reisinger, said the A321XLR was desirable because it would let the airline serve "routes that cannot support a 787 but where we still have a nice onboard product."American has since said it plans to launch the A321XLRs on transcontinental routes now served by its A321T.And the airline's senior vice president of network planning, Brian Znotins, told The Points Guy in November that it plans to also fly its A321XLR fleet to Europe and possibly South America.Qantas plans to use the A321XLR to fly farther into Asia and the Pacific. Potential A321XLR routes for Qantas. The airline has not made any official route announcements. Qantas United Airlines previously told Business Insider that the A321XLR would replace its aging Boeing 757s and open new routes to places like Northern Italy and West Africa.Icelandair is also using the A321XLR to replace the 757 and fly farther into North America and Europe from 2029. Boeing never built another version of the popular narrow-body, which ceased production in 2004.The A321XLR will have varying cabin experiencesCustomers can expect varying cabin experiences on board these new versatile single-aisle planes.Iberia offers lie-flat business class on its A321XLRs, which is typical of what customers find on long-haul widebody flights. Iberia's A321XLR has no sliding doors in business class. Taylor Rains/Business Insider Aer Lingus will also have lie-flat business class seats similar to what it already flies on its A321LRs, but some rows won't have direct aisle access.American plans to install its new Flagship suites on its A321XLRs, while United is also planning a lie-flat business cabin. Qantas will have large reclining loungers in business class.Wizz will have the least posh cabin. Its no-frills A321XLRs will have cramped seats, no in-flight entertainment, and no freebies like snacks and water.Its CEO said the experience is something passengers will have to "suffer" through for seven hours for the cheap ticket.

Generative AI can be a powerful tool in the hands of a creator. It can expand creativity by working as a partner in brainstorming, ideation, and execution, and it has the ability to help creators produce their best work quicker.But since the technology climbed into public consciousness, creators have, understandably, had their guard up. Uncertainty abounds about its potential impact on creators livelihoods. Theres been little transparency around how companies are training their AI and whose content theyre using.Adobe has set out to solve for this uncertainty with Adobe Firefly, its family of creative generative AI models built to bring out the best in human creativity while granting creators the transparency and choice they deserve. Designed to be safe for commercial use, Adobe aims to make Firefly the most creator-friendly generative AI solution on the market, delivering on the promise of generative AI responsibly.Generative AI that creators can trustA creative identity is an amalgamation of many things the creators vision, their experiences, their personality, the content theyve consumed, and so much more. Its a unique style and expression thats honed over years of practice.A concern with generative AI is whether it will make it easier for bad actors to mimic a creators style without credit. So, Adobe is taking seriously its commitment to constructing a better environment for creators. The company only trains Firefly on content it has the permission and rights to use, such as licensed material from Adobe Stock and public domain content never customer content. Unlike many other companies, Adobe doesnt train Firefly with content mined from the web without permission. In addition, Firefly is designed so that it does not generate content that infringes on copyright or intellectual property rights. Adobe deploys safeguards at each step prior to training, during generation, when the engine is prompted, and when the engine creates an output.When contributors add their work to Stock, they do so with transparency that it may be used to train Firefly. And Adobe has provided bonus payments to Stock Contributors whose work was used in training Firefly.Putting human creativity on super driveCreators know that their boundless imagination sometimes outpaces the time available to bring their ideas to life. Integrated seamlessly in popular Adobe apps that creators know and love like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, Premier Pro, and Adobe Express, Firefly aims to close that gap with generative AI features that speed up and expand the creative process.For instance, creators can make quick edits or create variations of their existing content while maintaining brand standards. In Photoshop, the Firefly-powered Generative Expand feature helps creators broaden the frame of a photograph, while Generative Extend in Premiere Pro can add frames to videos for a smoother overall edit. In Lightroom, Generative Remove allows photographers from hobbyists to pros to easily and quickly remove unwanted objects and distractions even on complex backgrounds. In Adobe Express, creators can use Firefly-powered Generate Image and Text Effects to generate unique videos or create standout social posts and stories. These tools all help maintain the integrity of the creative process while freeing creators from tedious and time-consuming tasks so that they can efficiently summon their best work. Firefly generative AI models are powerful and, critically in the age of AI, developed responsibly.Protecting creators and driving trustAdobes efforts, however, dont stop at the level of its own AI. The company is an advocate for responsible innovation and creator rights across industries, even within legislation.Adobe is a founding member of the Content Authenticity Initiative, a massive collaboration of some of the most recognizable names in media, technology, and civil society that aims to restore trust and transparency in the digital ecosystem. In an age in which deepfakes can deceive even the trained eye, the Initiatives Content Credentials which act as a nutrition label for digital content have emerged as the global standard for content provenance, providing a peek into the contents origin and creation process. The tamper-evident metadata can be attached to digital content to show information like who made it and how it was created including whether AI played a role. This information not only gives creators recognition for their work, but also protects them from anyone looking to repurpose their work without giving proper credit.Content Credentials are already supported in Adobe apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, and Adobe Express. Theyre also gaining significant momentum across the industry, with implementation spreading to, among other companies, Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and OpenAI.Beyond technical solutions, Adobe believes that theres also work to do at the policy level. With some generative AI, it takes just a few clicks for a bad actor to impersonate a specific creator in the marketplace. Its crucial that we institute regulations and protections to help guard creators rights. Adobe is advocating for a federal anti-impersonation right that can help protect creators style and work in the age of AI.By putting creators at the center, Adobe is setting an example that the entire industry can follow. To learn more about Adobes approach to generative AI with Firefly, visit Adobes website.

On a recent Sunday afternoon in an upmarket neighbourhood of Nairobi, Daniel Badu was rapidly pressing the screen of his mobile phone, headphones wrapped around his head, his elbows resting on a pillow.Badu and his four teammates in the Aura 233 team, all decked in black-and-yellow kits and representing Ghana, were taking on Kenyas Delta eSports in the finals of the inaugural Carry1st Africa Cup, a continental tournament for the first-person shooter video game Call of Duty: Mobile.Esport events are on the rise in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa, driven in part by increased access to the internet and devices such as smartphones, PCs and consoles. Popular titles include EA Sports FC, Call of Duty and Tekken.Daniel Badu aka Ruin of Ghanas Aura 233 team at the Carry1st Africa Cup finals. Photograph: Edwin Ndeke/The GuardianProfessional teams, university leagues, national federations and competitions such as the Carry1st Africa Cup have been set up to cater to burgeoning interest.The trend is part of a growing interest in video games in general in Africa, the continent with the youngest population. A 2021 report said the number of video game consumers on the continent rose from 77 million to 186 million from 2015-21.Some of those have now transitioned to professional gaming. Badu, better known by his gaming alias Ruin, started playing Call of Duty: Mobile in 2019 after playing console games for years.Ive been playing video games for as long as I can remember, said the 19-year-old. Badu began his journey to becoming a professional by joining various low-tier teams to gain experience, showcase his skill and get his name out. Last year, he was scouted by Ace Gamers Esports, a professional esports organisation based in Accra, which signed him after a trial.Ace Gamers also recruits, trains and manages players of EA Sports FC, Apex Legends, Mortal Kombat and other games. Badu said being signed has given him a chance to improve his game by playing with people with the same mindset, as well as get access to tournaments. Ive been playing the game, grinding the game, and weve got it to this point. So, Im able to compete among the best in Africa, he said.Spectators watch the Carry1st Africa Cup finals at the Nairobi Game Development Center on 24 November. Photograph: Edwin Ndeke/The GuardianAt the event in Nairobi, a production crew sat behind large monitors, selecting shots for a livestream. One floor below, spectators cheered and shouted while watching the action unfold on TV screens.Six teams made it to the two-day Carry1st Africa Cup finals, which followed seven months of qualifying events in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa involving more than 100 teams, and was eventually won by South Africas Noxious Gaming (NxG).Esports events at a high scale are a great way to synergise the attention of all gamers and also grow the interest of new gamers, said Dominion Eromosele, senior community manager and events lead at Carry1st, an Africa-wide game publisher headquartered in Cape Town.The organisation has hosted more than 400 tournaments mostly through universities since it was founded in 2018. Its online network, Tribe, has attracted hundreds of thousands of gamers from across the continent.Grassroots, national and continental tournaments are becoming an important way to spot talent, sharpen players skills and increase the popularity of esports. Other events organised this year include the IESF African Esports Championship, held in Casablanca in August, and the women-only Kongo Esports Championship for Tekken in Kinshasa in November.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionMembers of South Africas Noxious Gaming (NxG) team, which won the inaugural Carry1st Africa Cup. Photograph: Edwin Ndeke/The GuardianTournaments bring life to the ecosystem, said Magdaline Mumbi, who represented Kenya at the Kinshasa tournament and came fourth. Mumbi, whose gaming moniker is Bambino, was a casual PlayStation gamer until six years ago when she entered a Tekken tournament at a university event and came second.From that point, she started playing several games competitively while seeking mentors in Kenyas esports community. She got her breakthrough in 2022 when she was selected to join the national team to play the Dota 2 battle arena game in the Global Esports Games in Turkey. 2022 allowed me to see the bigger picture of what esports looks like, said Mumbi. I can actually make money from this.Magdaline Mumbi aka Bambino at the Kongo Esports Championship in Kinshasa in November. Photograph: Magdaline MumbiIn order to grow further and compete in the global billion-dollar esports industry, the African scene will need to overcome challenges around technology and finances.Underdeveloped internet infrastructure often leads to poor connectivity. And because servers for most games are hosted outside Africa, there are often delays between playing devices and servers a problem known as high ping which makes intercontinental matches and matches between players in different African countriesA good amount of esports is rooted in online multiplayer games and Africa doesnt exactly have the best infrastructure [for this], said Badu. [African players] are at a heavy disadvantage.Carry1st is working to address that. In the past two years, it has partnered with game developers to help launch servers in Africa for Call of Duty: Mobile and the tactical shooter game Valorant.On the financial front, player sponsorships are hard to come by and top, big-money tournaments are few and far between. The total prize pool for the Nairobi tournament was $15,000. Limited funding and sponsorship is really taking a toll on the scene, said Mumbi, who is also a chess instructor.Eromosele said: If were able to prove just how entertaining esports is and how many people watch it, people will put money behind it.

Sony is now the largest shareholder of Kadokawa - the parent company of From Software - the famed developer behind Bloodborne, Elden Ring, Dark Souls and many moreTech11:54, 20 Dec 2024Is it time to return to Yharnam?(Image: FromSoftware)Bloodborne's fans, there could be change on the air.The game has been stuck on PS4 since launching in 2015, but ahead of its tenth year anniversary next year there's been a surprising development.While it didn't appear at The Game Awards this month, with From Software revealing a new Elden Ring title called Nightreign instead, there are reasons to be optimistic heading into 2025.Bloodborne's twisted world is full of surprises(Image: Liverpool Echo)Sony, the company behind PlayStation, has reportedly held interest in acquiring Kadokawa, From Software's parent company, and this week became the company's largest shareholder.In a press release, Sony says it's looking to discuss specific initiatives for collaboration, such as initiatives to adapt Kadokawas IP into live-action films and TV dramas globally, co-produce anime works, expand global distribution of Kadokawa anime works through the Sony Group, further expand publishing of Kadokawa games, and develop human resources to promote and expand virtual production.Kadokawa is referring to the arrangement as a "capital and business alliance agreement", with fans hoping the Bloodborne IP may be given the chance to expand beyond the single game and DLC we have so far.This alliance is expected to not only further strengthen our IP creation capabilities, but also increase our IP media mix options with Sonys support for global expansion, allowing us to deliver our IP to more users around the world," the company's CEO, Takeshi Natsuno said.Article continues belowIf you're wondering why the original game is so revered, be sure to check out our full explainer.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Steam's Winter Sale is here, and between AAA and indie gems there's a huge number of titles worthy of you cash here are the best games you can buy right now at a discountTech11:53, 20 Dec 2024The Steam Winter Sale is here, and packed with discountsThe Steam Autumn Sale feels like it was mere weeks ago (it was) but now the Winter Sale is here.While PC storefront rival Epic Games is handing out free games every week, Steam's discounts are legendary whether you have a PC or a Steam Deck, and this sale event is no different.From phenomenal Game of the Year winners, to forgotten classics and indie darlings, there are even discounts on this year's biggest titles.Here are the best deals you'll find in the Steam Winter sale, with games 'Verified' or 'Playable' on Steam Deck in bold.Helldivers 2 kickstarted 2024 in style(Image: Arrowhead Game Studios)Here are the best new games that came out this year and are already discounted.Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Was 49.99, now 32.49 (35% off)Call of Duty Black Ops 6 - Was 69.99, now 52./49 (25% off)Shadows of Doubt - Was 19.99, now 11.99 (40% off)Frostpunk 2 - Was 37.99, now 30.39 (20% off)Helldivers 2 - Was 34.99, now 27.99 (20% off)Elden Ring is one of the greatest games of all time(Image: Steam)Here are some of the biggest and best games you should have in your library from recent years.Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Was 59.99, now 14.99 (75% off)Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition - Was 74.99, 39.08 (48% off)Diablo 4 - Was 41.99, now 25.19 (40% off)Baldur's Gate 3 - Was 49.99, now 39.99 (20% off)Elden Ring - Was 49.99, now 29.99 (40% off)Content cannot be displayed without consentHere are our picks for some of the best indie games around, whether they launched this year or not, and some of the best games from smaller development teams.Animal Well - Was 20.99, now 16.79 (20% off)Dredge - Was 21.99, now 10.99 (50% off)Balatro - Was 12.79, now 11.51 (10% off)Hades 2 (Early Access) - Was 24.99, now 22.49 (10% off)Manor Lords - Was 34.99, now 24.49 (30% off)The Witcher 3 was many players' first introduction to Geralt(Image: Steam)Not only are these games cheap as chips, they're some of the best Steam has to offer.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Was 34.99, now 6.99 (80% off)Hitman: World of Assassination Part One - Was 24.99, now 2.49 (90% off)Dishonored 2 - Was 24.99, now 2.49 (90% off)Vampire Survivors - Was 3.99, now 2.79 (30% off) (Note: this is free on Epic Games this week)XCOM 2 - Was 24.99, now 1.74 (95% off)Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED