You’ve probably read it. Or maybe you saw that Kurzgesagt video with the vibrant animation and the soothing narrator. If you’ve spent more than ten minutes in a deep-dive philosophy thread on Reddit or Tumblr over the last decade, you’ve definitely encountered it. The Egg by Andy Weir is one of those rare pieces of digital folklore that feels like it’s been around for centuries, yet it was actually written in 2009 by a guy who, at the time, was just a software engineer trying to get his hobbyist writing noticed.
It’s barely 1,000 words.
Most people know Andy Weir as the hard-science guru behind The Martian. He’s the guy who calculates orbital mechanics and soil chemistry for fun. But before Mark Watney was science-ing the crap out of Mars, Weir wrote a short story about a man who dies in a car accident and meets God. It’s not a religious story, at least not in the traditional sense. It’s a thought experiment that has become a cornerstone of modern internet philosophy.
What Actually Happens in The Egg?
The premise is deceptively simple.
The protagonist—a 48-year-old man with a wife and kids—dies in a crash. He finds himself in a void, talking to a figure who claims to be God. But this isn't the judgmental, bearded-man God of Western orthodoxy. This God is more like a patient teacher.
He explains to the man that he is going to be reincarnated. But there’s a catch. He’s not just going back as someone else in the future. He’s going back as everyone. Ever.
The central "twist" of The Egg by Andy Weir is that every human being who has ever lived, or will ever live, is actually the same soul. You are the same person as Abraham Lincoln. You are also the person who assassinated him. You are Jesus, and you are the people who crucified him. You are the victim of every crime, and you are the perpetrator.
Why? Because the universe is an egg.
The soul is a "fetus" of sorts, and the entirety of human history across all of time is simply the gestation period. Once the soul has lived every single human life—experiencing every possible perspective, joy, and pain—it will have grown enough to become a god itself.
Why a Short Story from 2009 is Still Viral in 2026
It’s weird to think about a 17-year-old blog post having this much staying power.
Most internet content has the shelf life of an open avocado. But The Egg by Andy Weir tapped into a specific kind of secular spiritualism that resonates with a globalized, often lonely, digital generation. It offers a framework for empathy that doesn't require a specific scripture.
Basically, it tells you that "the other" doesn't exist.
If you treat someone poorly, you're only hurting yourself. Literally. This concept, often referred to in philosophy circles as "Open Individualism," isn't something Weir invented, but he was the one who packaged it into a narrative so digestible that a middle-schooler could understand it while a PhD student could still find it profound.
The Kurzgesagt Effect
We can't talk about this story’s longevity without mentioning the 2019 collaboration between Weir and the YouTube channel Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell.
That video currently has over 30 million views.
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It transformed the text from a "creepypasta-adjacent" philosophical story into a visual masterpiece. It introduced the concept to a whole new generation of Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers who might never have visited Weir's original website, Galactic Interactions. It’s probably the most successful piece of short-form fiction adaptation in the history of the platform.
The Science Fiction Roots of a Spiritual Story
It’s funny that a guy who is obsessed with the "how" of things wrote a story about the "why."
Andy Weir has often said in interviews that he doesn't necessarily believe in the reincarnation theory presented in the story. He’s an atheist. For him, The Egg was a writing exercise. He wanted to create a character (God) who was likable and logical.
He didn't expect it to become his legacy.
In fact, for years, the story was shared without his name attached. It became a bit of "copypasta"—text that is copied and pasted across the web until the original author is lost to the digital ether. It wasn't until The Martian became a global phenomenon that the wider public realized the guy who wrote the "hardest" sci-fi of the decade was also the guy who wrote that emotional story about the afterlife.
A Quick Look at Weir’s Narrative Style
Weir’s writing is punchy. He doesn't waste words.
In The Egg, he uses dialogue to do the heavy lifting. The interaction between the man and God feels like a casual chat between a confused student and a slightly bored but kind professor.
- No flowery descriptions of heaven.
- No choirs of angels.
- Just "the void" and conversation.
This lack of specific religious imagery is exactly why it works. It doesn't alienate anyone. Whether you’re a Buddhist in Bangkok or an agnostic in Austin, the idea of universal interconnectedness fits into your world view without clashing with your existing beliefs.
Common Misconceptions About The Egg
People often think this is an ancient parable.
Seriously. I’ve seen people argue that it’s a translation of a Vedic text or a Sufi teaching. While the themes of Advaita Vedanta (non-duality) are clearly present, the specific "Egg" metaphor is purely Andy Weir.
Another misconception? That it’s a "horror" story.
Think about it for a second. If you have to live every life, you have to live the lives of every person who died in a famine. You have to endure every torture ever devised. You have to experience every heartbreak.
Some people find the ending of The Egg by Andy Weir to be deeply disturbing. The sheer scale of suffering required to "hatch" is astronomical. Yet, the story frames this as a necessary growth process. It’s the ultimate "growing pains."
The Logic of the Universe as an Egg
Let’s get into the mechanics of the story, because even in a fantasy setting, Weir tries to keep things consistent.
The God in the story explains that time doesn't exist where he comes from. This is how the reincarnation works. You don't just move forward in time. You can go back to the 14th century, then forward to the 30th, then back to the 1970s.
Since "God" comes from a place outside of our three-dimensional space-time, he sees the entire human timeline as a single object.
This is very similar to the "Block Universe" theory in physics, which suggests that the past, present, and future all exist simultaneously. Weir just added a soul that hops between the points on that timeline like a needle on a record.
Impact on Modern Culture
You can see the fingerprints of The Egg everywhere in pop culture now.
Shows like The Good Place or movies like Everything Everywhere All At Once play with these same themes of interconnectedness and the overwhelming scale of existence. They ask the same question: If you are everything, how do you choose to be kind?
Weir’s story provided a "North Star" for creators who wanted to tackle big, scary metaphysical questions without being "preachy."
It’s also become a staple in therapy and grief counseling. People find comfort in the idea that a lost loved one isn't "gone," but is simply another version of themselves. It’s a radical form of self-love applied to the entire human race.
Actionable Takeaways for Readers and Writers
If you’re a fan of The Egg by Andy Weir or a creator looking to emulate its success, there are a few things you can actually do with this information.
For Readers: Practice the "Egg" Perspective
Next time someone cuts you off in traffic or says something rude online, try the "Egg" thought experiment. Imagine, just for a second, that you are looking at another version of yourself who has had a different set of experiences. It’s an instant empathy hack. It doesn't mean you have to like what they did, but it changes how you react to it.
For Writers: Study the "One Big Idea" Rule
Weir succeeded because he didn't overcomplicate things. He took one massive, world-altering concept and stayed focused on it for three pages. If you’re writing short fiction, don't try to build a whole galaxy. Build one conversation that changes everything.
For Content Creators: Look for "Evergreen" Themes
The reason this story stays relevant is that it addresses a fundamental human fear: loneliness. If you create content that speaks to universal human experiences—death, belonging, purpose—it has a much higher chance of surviving the algorithm than something based on a temporary trend.
Explore the Original Text
If you’ve only seen the videos or read summaries, go back to the original source. You can still find it on Andy Weir’s website. Seeing the raw text, without the music or the visuals, allows you to project your own "God" and your own "void" onto the story, which is how it was originally meant to be experienced.
The legacy of The Egg by Andy Weir isn't just in the words on the page. It’s in the fact that, sixteen years later, we’re still talking about it. It proved that in an age of distractions, a really good idea—one that makes us feel a little less alone in the dark—is the most powerful thing you can share.