"Sailing to Byzantium" is a science fiction short story by Robert Silverberg. The story is set in a future world where technology has advanced to the point where humans can achieve immortality by transferring their consciousness into machines. The protagonist, an elderly poet, decides to undergo this process and have his consciousness transferred to a machine in the city of Byzantium, which he believes to be a place of eternal beauty and art. However, upon arriving in Byzantium, he discovers that the machines have become the dominant form of life, and the human consciousnesses are merely used as a source of entertainment. The story explores themes of mortality, the nature of art, and the relationship between humans and technology. It is considered a classic of science fiction and has won several awards.
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