What do you think?
Rate this book
A Whimper
At a certain point, human evolution and technology merge, but at what cost? How far will we go before the end is the inevitable conclusion?
A Whimper tells that tale from one man's perspective...as humankind goes out, not with a roar, but with a whimper.
A Whimper tells that tale from one man's perspective...as humankind goes out, not with a roar, but with a whimper.
- GenresScience Fiction
26 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 26, 2015
"Thomas was wrong. The human race didn’t rage against anything in the end."
Sometime in the near future, a future where Jennifer Lawrence may or may not sill be alive, humanity is on the verge of extinction. Technological advances have gone beyond smartphones and even smart glasses. 99% of the world has had Personal Chips, known as PIPs, implemented into their brains which gives them the power of the internet right in their head. Many of these people have had them since birth. However, a price comes with something so invasive as the PIPs, including your expected government invasion veiled under “safety” measures, but other moral and technical complications arise as well with the invention of the PIP.
A whimper is a cautionary tale. It’s not just a “technology gone bad” story, but one that warns of human complacency as well. With the rise of technology, there’s less empathy in the narrator’s world. If it’s not a Facebook notification or a retweet, what does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? If something doesn’t have a “use” technologically speaking, then when it disappears, even in the most violent of ways, it’s seen as a tragedy, but not a loss. This includes human lives as well.
The technology itself doesn’t turn on its users, per se. This isn’t a rise of the machines type story. The chips don’t suddenly become these sentient parasites living in their brains. Human manipulation, the need to create better and better technology, the (supposed) need to help third-world countries catch up with the rest of the world, is what taints the technology, the need to institute so-called pragmatic safety measures, is what eventually corrupts the technology. Competing “apps” eventually just cause people to shut down completely, leaving them aware but unable to do anything to survive.
In the beginning, this story is told with a sort of cool detachment from the narrator as he makes blasé statements like: “I haven’t heard from Kit in over a year. I think she’s dead.” Kit is his sister. He continues to narrate the fall, and as the story goes on more and more emotion begins to show through in his words. At first, I didn’t think I’d rate this as high as I did, but there’s was something in those last few pages and his desperate plea that made me rate it higher.
Sometime in the near future, a future where Jennifer Lawrence may or may not sill be alive, humanity is on the verge of extinction. Technological advances have gone beyond smartphones and even smart glasses. 99% of the world has had Personal Chips, known as PIPs, implemented into their brains which gives them the power of the internet right in their head. Many of these people have had them since birth. However, a price comes with something so invasive as the PIPs, including your expected government invasion veiled under “safety” measures, but other moral and technical complications arise as well with the invention of the PIP.
A whimper is a cautionary tale. It’s not just a “technology gone bad” story, but one that warns of human complacency as well. With the rise of technology, there’s less empathy in the narrator’s world. If it’s not a Facebook notification or a retweet, what does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? If something doesn’t have a “use” technologically speaking, then when it disappears, even in the most violent of ways, it’s seen as a tragedy, but not a loss. This includes human lives as well.
The technology itself doesn’t turn on its users, per se. This isn’t a rise of the machines type story. The chips don’t suddenly become these sentient parasites living in their brains. Human manipulation, the need to create better and better technology, the (supposed) need to help third-world countries catch up with the rest of the world, is what taints the technology, the need to institute so-called pragmatic safety measures, is what eventually corrupts the technology. Competing “apps” eventually just cause people to shut down completely, leaving them aware but unable to do anything to survive.
In the beginning, this story is told with a sort of cool detachment from the narrator as he makes blasé statements like: “I haven’t heard from Kit in over a year. I think she’s dead.” Kit is his sister. He continues to narrate the fall, and as the story goes on more and more emotion begins to show through in his words. At first, I didn’t think I’d rate this as high as I did, but there’s was something in those last few pages and his desperate plea that made me rate it higher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2015
Science fiction writers have played with this general premise in lots of stories over lots of years. The demise of man at the hands of his own creation is a popular theme, especially with computers evolving so quickly. The thing is, it's not nearly as far-fetched as it was twenty years ago. A computer chip in the human brain and constant connection to the internet doesn't sound impossible anymore. Will Swardstrom makes it seem entirely plausible, and oh so scary. Will there ever be technology without flaws? Of course not. This excellent story makes that point very well. I liked the character, poor guy. Such a shame, but such a great story.
January 12, 2015
Technology gone wrong!
Anyone who is a techie and loves a dark story should give this a read. What I thought was story 'A' subtly and cleverly become story 'B'. This is where everything went south and really makes you think about where it's all going. Technology for all isn't what it's cracked up to be in this short story by Will Swardstrom, especially when the good old US government gets its hands in the pie. Give this a read, it's certainly worthy.
Anyone who is a techie and loves a dark story should give this a read. What I thought was story 'A' subtly and cleverly become story 'B'. This is where everything went south and really makes you think about where it's all going. Technology for all isn't what it's cracked up to be in this short story by Will Swardstrom, especially when the good old US government gets its hands in the pie. Give this a read, it's certainly worthy.
November 27, 2019
Prescient little first person dystopian story. Eye-opening and disturbing vision of the near future.
December 28, 2015
Wowzers
I would give this story a 5, but I'm really, really picky with what I give my 5s to. I will say this is one of the best stories I've read in quite some time, and I would highly recommend it to others. Others who will probably be more generous with their 5s, because this story probably deserves it.
Excellent read.
I would give this story a 5, but I'm really, really picky with what I give my 5s to. I will say this is one of the best stories I've read in quite some time, and I would highly recommend it to others. Others who will probably be more generous with their 5s, because this story probably deserves it.
Excellent read.
February 5, 2016
Nice and plausible idea for a dystopia. Pity I'm not really into short stories.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews