The 2025 Anthology

Bioids

What is a bioid?

The word "bioid" combines the root "bio," from the Greek "bios," meaning life, with "oid" from the Greek "eidos," meaning "form" or "appearance." Thus, a bioid is something that has the appearance of a living thing, though it is not alive. Imperial bioids are assembled from microscopic programmable tools called glowworms. Originally created from wild microorganisms, glowworms are bred and programmed for many tasks. Besides creating bioids they serve as communications devices, fashion accessories, and habitat managers, among other things.

Constituent glowworms secrete various substances to form a bioid. Some bioids may have metallic surfaces, while others are covered with skin, hair, or fur. Their insides may resemble machinery or organs.

All bioids have a brain analog directing their actions. They may be programmed to perform only simple tasks, though the most common bioids, those resembling animals or humans, have general intelligence and a large knowledge base, as well as connectivity with planetary systems.

Mindseas, people sensitive to Deep-level phenomena, cannot be fooled by a bioid's outward resemblance to life. They perceive the flatness of its mindscape. In comparison, all living minds possess a Deep-level component. In every moment of choice, possible future states superimpose as awareness dips into the Deep, to be reduced to a single past state when the moment passes.

The bioid manufacturer uses various methods to insure that their products, despite amazing complexity and sophistication, never develop any uncertainty in behavior. If a bioid is not one hundred percent predictable, it is considered flawed, and must be destroyed.

By law, bioids are required to display a mark denoting their status. The mark contains the Lalese letters spelling "bioid." Most commonly, the mark is displayed vertically, but it can also be displayed horizontally.

The mark can be combined with flourishes containing additional information or pure artistry, but the oval containing the word "bioid" must remain central.

"Awakening"

M. M. Stark

"The Three Mysteries of Tytoloth"

Ezra Piehler

"A Precautionary Tale"

C. Flynt

"The Artistic Bioid"

Wendy Vidlak

"The Pattern Singularity"

Fendy S. Tulodo

"Keep Tapping"

Bonnie Brunish

"The Moral of the Story"

Bearheart

"A Cat Is a Cat Is a Cat"

May-Lin Iversen

"Quintessence of Dust"

H. Marie Hickey

Coming Soon

The 2026 Anthology

Wonderdomes