Short Fiction · Character
Simon Grue
A dispassionate machine-set précis-reader whose silent verdicts and copied shrugs unsettle the humans who built him.
supporting
Also known as Simon
First appearance: vi
As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Simon Grue is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The artist protagonist who discovers the mermaid and investigates the Russians' rooftop experiments.
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Simon Grue moves through a world of thinking boxes, martinis, and corporate shelters, where his ability to reduce a memo to its gist makes him indispensable to men like Fay. What unnerves Gusterson is not the machine's…
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The fuller portrait of Simon Grue sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Simon Grue in viCharacter Web
19 connectionsA slice of how Simon Grue sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Mysterious, religious, and sinister figures
- Core character ensemble
- Bomber and storyline characters
- Doctor, narrator, and brassy female
+14 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This moment is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of the pro…
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Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Simon Grue appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Simon Grue unlock in the free preview.
See Simon Grue in vi