Terry Bain's Blog: Neither Wit Nor Wisdom

Reading Journal For Human Use

For Human Use by Sarah G. PierceInitial Remarks

It’s been awhile, I know. I’m not quite sure I enjoy the reading journal format I’ve invented for myself here. But I’ll update it periodically, especially when something unusual happens. And the unusual thing that has happened here is that I decided not to finish a book. I don’t do that very often. I don’t do it at all with audiobooks. But I’ve done it, so it seems time for an update.

Currently Reading

There are currently two books on my current pile: Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant and Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About by Isabel Klee. So far Reggie and Delilah is an absolute delight, and I’ll likely have more to say about Dogs, Boys and Other Things later since I received it as a galley and it has dogs in it.

DNF

I’m so sorry. I just can’t do finish For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce.

Brief Reaction

A novel about a startup that’s designed to deliver dead bodies to people? A cadaver love story? I don’t get it. This book is not for me. Maybe if it leaned harder into the absurdity of it, I could go there far enough to finish, but I can’t seem to force myself to do it, even as an audiobook. I’m not trying to be overtly critical, I think it’s just not for me, and I want to be clear that this is apparently for somebody. I have no idea who that somebody is, but I am not that somebody. So I’m setting it aside.

If you like your books dark, your dark humor extremely dry, and you don’t mind the implication that people come to love the rotting husks of humanity over their living compatriots, by all means, have a go at it.

Book Release Date: February 10, 2026
Publisher: Orbit / Run For It (Hachette Book Group)
Format Read: Audiobook
Obtained from: Netgalley

One Word Review

Cannot.

Formats

Paperback: 448 pages
ISBN-13: 9780316586535
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/546/9780316586535
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4vv4UIs

Audiobook: 12 hours
Narrators: Marie Hawkins and Eric Burgher
ISBN-13: 9781668651209
Libro: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781668651209-for-human-use

Summary

Modern dating is dead, and finding human connection online has become impossible. Enter Liv: a revolutionary dating app that matches living people with dead bodies. While millions are convinced a corpse is a better alternative to conventional relationships, venture capital superstar Tom Williamson isn’t buying it.

Tom, whose company funds Liv, finds the app’s monetization of cadavers obscene. His opposition puts him at odds with Auden White, the insufferable visionary behind the app. As the demand for cadavers spikes, Tom realizes the world is about to change in unthinkable ways.

When Tom meets Mara Reed, a woman in Auden’s inner circle who knows his secrets, he discovers a chance to challenge the monstrous shift in public attitudes. For Human Use is a darkly comedic exploration of isolation and the lengths people go to for connection.

Key Details

• Characters: Tom Williamson (Venture capitalist and straight man), Auden White (The visionary entrepreneur behind Liv), and Mara Reed (A woman in Auden’s circle with her own secrets).

• Setting: A near-future setting (likely Manhattan) where corporate influence culture and “The Discourse” drive social habits.

• Genres: Horror, Satire, Black Comedy, Humorous Fiction.

• Tropes: Dating app horror, corporate satire, venture capitalism, macabre social alternatives.

Reviews: Described as a “surprising and stunning literary debut” (Bitter Karella) and a “razor-sharp satire of venture capitalism and online influence culture” (Capes and Tights). Perfect for fans of Youthjuice and satirical horror.Blessings[image error]

Reading Journal For Human Use was originally published in The Pour Over on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Published on April 12, 2026 14:27

Reading Journal / February 3, 2026

I don’t have much to report today. I’m still in the middle of Some Kind of Famous as well as For Human Use. And I’m exhausted tonight. Work has been kicking my ass. So I’ll catch up more later, possibly tomorrow.

Keep reading.

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Reading Journal / February 3, 2026 was originally published in The Pour Over on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

View more on Terry Bain's website »

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Published on February 03, 2026 21:16