Reviews

The Employees: A workplace novel of the 22nd century by Martin Aitken, Olga Ravn

uselessconsumer's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.0

dunder_mifflin's review against another edition

4.0

More like a 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this and I liked the way everyone's statements remained anonymous so there were no clear characters to root for. It made it easier to consider every perspective in this.

pmbisiar's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

3.25

itisnatal's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

elisefi's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

mrspdb's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

pidginjpg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

mrchrn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

reredots's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective

3.5

dngoldman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense

4.75

“The Employees” by Olga Ravn is a weird and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of identity, workplace dynamics, and our relationship with the unknown. This unique blend of science fiction, satire, and existential exploration. (Think unnerving workplace drama of Severance, the flat technology takes over something is up vibe of 2001, with the general weirdness of  Dead Astronauts era Jeff Vandemeer.)  I read the novel in almost one sitting. Highly recommended. 

 

 

Set in the 22nd century, the story unfolds aboard the Six-Thousand Ship, orbiting above the distant planet New Discovery. The crew consists of both humans and humanoids, blurring the lines between organic and artificial life. The ship carries strange objects retrieved from New Discovery, and these enigmatic artifacts become central to the crew’s existence. Something happens 1/4 through the novel that sets the characters on a spiral. Is the relationship with the mysterious objects, the disappearance of codes 4, or the new program uploaded to the humanoids, the humans start becoming more depressed and the humanoids more independent, reclusive, violent, and murderous.  Raven’s writing is clear and percussive.  She managed to be sparse and off putting but managed to make the humans and humanoid situations heartbreaking.  Here poet’s use of language adds to impact, the prose direct and weird at the same time. 

Here are some key aspects of the novel:

1. Corporate Language and Workplace Satire:
    
   • Ravn masterfully satirizes corporate language and the late-capitalist workplace. The novel takes the form of statements made by the crew to a bureaucratic committee investigating the effects of the mysterious objects. These statements focus not on the objects’ nature but on their impact on performance and understanding.
   • The mundane discussions about cleaning the objects contrast sharply with their cosmic significance. Lines like “I normally use a little brush” highlight the banality of the extraordinary. The technique also allows the plot to unveil slowly, adding to the suspense. 
   • While the mission ends in disaster, the corporates bosses are pleased as the have intellectual property for the next exploration
   • Thus, the capitalist system treats humans as object, just as the humans imbibe the objects with life. 

1. Ontological Uncertainty:
    
   • The crew grapples with questions of identity. Who is human? Who is humanoid? The novel intentionally blurs these distinctions, leaving readers to decipher which statements come from which beings.
   • One humanoid asserts, “I may have been made, but now I’m making myself.” This struggle for selfhood underscores the theme of existence and agency.“ “ what would it mean for me to know that I was not living? That I, who am human, or instead a chiselled sculpted Stone like the stones in this room…. And what would it mean if one could move only between two rooms one containing the objects the other voices to pass from room to room to stream of light?…. These rooms contained every space occupied.”
   • The humanoids start acting collectively and stop talking to the humans. 

1. Longings and Memories:
    
   • Amid corporate jargon, the novel is haunted by memories from a long-lost Earth. The crew yearns for warmth, intimacy, and connections to their past.
   • The objects evoke nostalgia and provoke emotional responses. They become imbued with personalities as the crew assigns them names.
2. Humanity and Regulation:
    
   • The characters are pawns in a corporate mission, their purpose unclear. The company regulates their lives, spooling out nostalgia through child holograms
   • Although the novel ends in destruction, the corporation deems it a success. The question of what it means to be truly free lingers.

 

1. Interplay of Characters:
    
   • The humans, biological beings, humanoids, and objects interact in intricate ways. The humans form attachments to the humanoids and objects, blurring the boundaries.
      
     • When the child puts its mouth to my breast body and an object to it. When the milk squirted, I was both the milk and not the milk. If I squeezed my breast hard, I can still produce a drop or two, but for whom into what purpose?”
   • The humanoids evolve, seeking autonomy and becoming more like their human counterparts. Fear of death becomes a defining trait. “ I appreciate this feeling of sadness because it’s a sadness I can endure. It’s not hard to bear it’s more like a delicacy. You can say what you want, but I know you don’t want us to become too well what? Too human? But I like being alive. I look out at the endless deep outside the panorama windows. I see asun. …I know without doubt that I am. I may have made, but now I am making myself And the humanoids becoming more human. “it felt good to kill a human… I am a pomegranate ripe with moist seeds each seed a killing I am going to carry out at some future time. When I have no more seeds inside me, when there’s nothing left but flesh, I want to meet the man who made me. These are my conditions “ Yet, the novel isn’t bleak - the escaped humanoid, cadet 004, finds life outside - unwatched.