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Target Audience
Today, online ads know what you like, who you chat with and what you search for when you think no one is watching. Creeped out? Wait till you see what advertising is like in the future. You'll find out in Target Audience, a science fiction novella by Shale Nelson.
You'll also meet Dwight, a lonely bookworm, and Sharlut, the tempestuous girl who captures his heart.
One winter day, an ominous message from Sharlut sends Dwight scrambling across the city to save her life. Targeted by nosy drones, pushy AI merchants and pervasive advertising, Dwight must make all the right moves to save the girl he loves. How far will he go to hold on to her?
Target Audience is approximately 21,500 words long.
You'll also meet Dwight, a lonely bookworm, and Sharlut, the tempestuous girl who captures his heart.
One winter day, an ominous message from Sharlut sends Dwight scrambling across the city to save her life. Targeted by nosy drones, pushy AI merchants and pervasive advertising, Dwight must make all the right moves to save the girl he loves. How far will he go to hold on to her?
Target Audience is approximately 21,500 words long.
- GenresScience FictionDystopia
88 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2013
1 person is currently reading
413 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 2, 2013
The concept behind this book is great: what happens when advertising keeps pace with the wild growth of technology? What will it look like when all the personal information we so freely share every day (both online and in person) is used to personalize our consumerism? Furthermore, what is more important: an event or your memory of it?
The mechanics of this story, on the other hand, were a bit clunky, which seems common in sci-fi writing--the author must retain enough of today's places, trends and details to make the environment seem familiar and safe, but must make some radical changes in order to reinforce the fact that this is the FUTURE. For example, in Target Audience, a worldwide, phonetic language has been adopted (somehow, we can do in 40 years what the entirety of civilization has failed to accomplish in 4,000?), so words are spelled, in modified English, exactly as they sound--except "the," which retains its deceptive, non-phonetic "e." It's a tiny detail, yes, but for me, it made the entire plot unravel a bit. That's why I normally don't read sci-fi.
All in all, a good idea fleshed out in a solid-enough way. Nothing earth-shattering, but definitely one of the better short stories I've read in a while.
The mechanics of this story, on the other hand, were a bit clunky, which seems common in sci-fi writing--the author must retain enough of today's places, trends and details to make the environment seem familiar and safe, but must make some radical changes in order to reinforce the fact that this is the FUTURE. For example, in Target Audience, a worldwide, phonetic language has been adopted (somehow, we can do in 40 years what the entirety of civilization has failed to accomplish in 4,000?), so words are spelled, in modified English, exactly as they sound--except "the," which retains its deceptive, non-phonetic "e." It's a tiny detail, yes, but for me, it made the entire plot unravel a bit. That's why I normally don't read sci-fi.
All in all, a good idea fleshed out in a solid-enough way. Nothing earth-shattering, but definitely one of the better short stories I've read in a while.
July 3, 2013
The Future Of Advertising Is Here
Bad science fiction focuses on technology. Good science fiction looks at how technology is used by people and, in the case of this book, against people. In the future, advertising is much more than blips between TV shows and songs on the radio. It's all around. Maybe "around" isn't the correct word. It's even more permeating than that, and the weasels behind it know just who to prey on, just who their target audience is. This quick read deftly establishes a believable futuristic setting and introduces characters that are easy to latch onto, delving into a heartbreaking love story that really is unlike any other.
Bad science fiction focuses on technology. Good science fiction looks at how technology is used by people and, in the case of this book, against people. In the future, advertising is much more than blips between TV shows and songs on the radio. It's all around. Maybe "around" isn't the correct word. It's even more permeating than that, and the weasels behind it know just who to prey on, just who their target audience is. This quick read deftly establishes a believable futuristic setting and introduces characters that are easy to latch onto, delving into a heartbreaking love story that really is unlike any other.
January 28, 2014
I was excited to read this novella as soon as I discovered that I won it in a GoodReads giveaway. Although I don't usually read sci-fi, the premise seemed interesting, it was short enough to force myself through if I didn't enjoy it and I liked the cover (I can't help myself).
The setting was interesting and fairly believable, which made me a bit sad that I was already half way through once into the story, although I did find the writing to be very 1984-esque during Dwight's perspective, which could have become grating. The rest of the book seemed to fly by and I would definitely recommend it to most readers.
The setting was interesting and fairly believable, which made me a bit sad that I was already half way through once into the story, although I did find the writing to be very 1984-esque during Dwight's perspective, which could have become grating. The rest of the book seemed to fly by and I would definitely recommend it to most readers.
September 7, 2013
Really an entertaining read. I'll be honest - sci-fi, what little I've read, has never been able to hold my attention, but I found myself closely reading this book with no concerted effort. It's a quick read by any measure (60 pages), but the story was engaging, the structure held my interest and the conclusion was, for me, satisfying. The premise blends just enough future fantasy with plausible scenarios to not make the average reader feel alienated by genre-specificity. In fact, if there was more to read about Nelson's version of the future, I'd pick it up without hesitation.
November 29, 2013
This was a nice little quick read. It was a little confusing in the middle, but I really liked the story between Dwight and Sharlut, even though it was made for advertisement purposes. I wish it was longer. But the concepts of what this world will be like in the future is weird and enticing, another reason why I wish it was longer. Over all I liked it and am happy that I won this book!
March 14, 2014
While quite short, the message comes across loud and clear - advertising is invading our lives completely. I wasn't expecting the ending but thought it really drove the point home. The book started out a little weird, but kept with it and enjoyed it in the end.
August 22, 2014
Here is all I have to say about this book: I lost several hours of sleep one night because I woke up and decided to "read so I could fall back asleep." Well, I couldn't put the book down and couldn't stop thinking about it once I was finished. I was tired the next day, and it was totally worth it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews