Author: Calvin Kasulke
Published: 2021
Audience: Adults (Appropriate 16+)
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MODERATE SPOILERS AND DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
While working on a spreadsheet for a New York-based PR firm, Gerald somehow accidentally uploads his consciousness into his company’s Slack channel. He posts for help, but coworkers assume it’s an elaborate scheme to exploit the new work from home policy, and now that Gerald’s productivity has skyrocketed, his boss is more than happy to let him work from…wherever he says he is.
Faced with a disembodied online existence, Gerald manages to enlist his co-worker Pradeep to care for his body and Slackbot - the service’s AI assistant - to help him navigate his new digital reality. But the more Gerald interacts with Slackbot, the more Slackbot learns about the ‘outside’ world. And there just so happens to be an empty body nearby…
Meanwhile, Gerald’s co-workers are struggling to stem a PR catastrophe, the CEO suspects someone is sabotaging his office furniture, and if Gerald gets to work from home all the time, why can’t everyone?
Review:
‘Several People Are Typing’ is a witty workplace comedy with a dash of digital horror from American debut author Calvin Kasulke. The story is written entirely in the chatroom style of Slack (a cloud-based group messaging platform) and skilfully uses the medium’s idiosyncrasies to capture the relatable inanities of modern office life. Gerald’s existential plight is simultaneously explored and ignored in the stream of workplace gossip, consumer profiles, pet photos, private DMs, emojis, Giphy, draft copywriting, Do Not Disturb mode, and more. This distinct format makes for an entertaining and original read, especially for those familiar with Slack or other business communication platforms.
At its core, ‘Several People Are Typing’ is a light-hearted yet intriguing satire of corporate American work culture. The book features a snapshot storytelling style that will have you engrossed in subplots about a PR disaster at a dog food company, a secret office hookup, jostling over desk spots, a new hire, and various other sendups of office life. Intertwined through all of this is Gerald’s struggles to adjust to a disembodied digital existence and convince his coworkers that he is not pulling an elaborate joke. Humorous, nonsensical, and sometimes unnerving, Gerald’s experiences presents an interesting commentary on the overwhelming amount of online information we are subjected to in our everyday lives and the normalisation of this as a byproduct of modern society.
I enjoyed reading ‘Several People Are Typing’ and was keen to recommend it until I reached the final quarter of the book. Then, a coworker confessed they had sex with Gerald’s body with full knowledge that Gerald’s consciousness was not present, that he had no idea what happens to his body, and that he hadn’t consented. The story immediately seeks to distract the reader from the severity of the violation by trying to reframe it a more palatable manner. Firstly, by having Gerald and this coworker reveal mutual crushes on each other post-incident, thus presenting the rape as a wholesome catalyst for them to express their feelings. Secondly, in trying to insert a semblance of shared responsibility by highlighting that Slackbot-inhabiting-Gerald’s-body asked for the sexual experience. However, this argument is indefensible due to:
- the uncertainty of whether Slackbot actually has the sentience to consent;
- the counterargument that even if Slackbot is truly sentient, it only has the life experience and comprehension of an infant; and
- that ultimately it is still Gerald’s body that was used in the interaction.
Worse, the coworker admits that it didn’t really matter to them whose consciousness was present as it is Gerald’s physical appearance and accessibility that they were attracted to. This suggests that even if Slackbot hadn’t vivified Gerald’s body, this coworker may have eventually used Gerald’s unconscious body for their own gratification anyway. The handling of sexual assault in such an inconsequential and romanticised manner was unpleasant and ruined the book for me.
‘Several People Are Typing’ remains a mostly entertaining satirical depiction of modern American office culture. However, the bungled attempt to add romance through rape completely tarnishes the novel. An otherwise unique and fun read, it is a shame how a few pages spoiled the experience and left me unable to recommend this book.
Excerpt:
gerald
help
slackbot
I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I’m just a bot, though! If you need more help, try our Help Center for loads of useful information about Slack.
gerald
uninstall
slackbot
I searched for that on our Help Center. Perhaps these articles will help:
- Change your time zone
- Manage your password
gerald
please help me
slackbot
I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I’m just a bot, though!
gerald
uninstall self
slackbot
I’m sorry, I don’t understand! Sometimes I have an easier time with a few simple keywords. Or you can head to our wonderful Help Center for more assistance!