We Will Teach You How to Read

"We Will Teach You How to Read" is a science fiction short story by Caroline M. Yoachim. It was first published in Lightspeed, in May 2024.

Synopsis

Rather than being a standard narrative, "We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read" is presented as a message from an alien intelligence whose thought processes involve a significantly greater degree of parallel processing than those of humans, and whose lifespan is orders of magnitude less than that of humans; thus, as an essential part of communication, the alien intelligence must teach humans to read in a new way.

"We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read" was a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 2024 and the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Short Story, and is a finalist for the 2025 Eugie Award.
The story won the 2025 Ignyte Award for Best Short Story.
Locus described it as "well worth spending some time with".