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418: I Am a Teapot
418: I Am a Teapot is a near-future dystopian science fiction novel that explores a world where people by choice, birth, or punishment, relinquish the rights to their physical body. Their brains exist in a constantly-connected virtual interface where they enjoy a fantasy world of endless indulgences. However, while their minds have fun, their bodies are controlled by implants doing the filthiest and most dangerous jobs known to humanity.
Stripped of their identities, these dredges of society are simply called staff and they are disposable. But what happens when a staff becomes cognizant of its situation and tries to break free?
When staff number 418’s physical body is broken, he must come to terms with reality before a kangaroo court determines his fate. Will an unlikely friendship save 418 from permanent retirement?
Stripped of their identities, these dredges of society are simply called staff and they are disposable. But what happens when a staff becomes cognizant of its situation and tries to break free?
When staff number 418’s physical body is broken, he must come to terms with reality before a kangaroo court determines his fate. Will an unlikely friendship save 418 from permanent retirement?
- GenresScience FictionDystopia
352 pages, Paperback
Published March 23, 2021
7 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 4, 2021
An intresting premise but wasn't as engrossing as I had hoped but I still enjoyed it.
February 11, 2021
This dystopian sci-fi novel shows a world where people relinquish the rights to their physical body, either by choice, birth, or punishment. Their brains exist in a constantly connected virtual interface where they enjoy a fantasy world of endless indulgences. While their minds are having fun, their bodies are controlled by implants and are doing the lowliest, filthiest, and most dangerous jobs known to humanity. They are known as “staff” and are completely disposable; they really aren’t even treated as human beings, merely an object. But what happens when one of the staff, 418, gets into an accident, and this causes brain damage which allows him to become cognizant of his situation? Can he accept reality? Can he get out?
This story is told from two perspectives, 418 (whose real name is George), and his owner Brian (who for some reason always directs people to call him King, this is never explained). I normally really enjoy books told from multiple perspectives, however it’s normally done per chapter, and this book switches perspectives paragraph by paragraph (it also switches from 1st person to 3rd person). It takes a while to get the hang of reading this book because of this. There is very little world building or background information given. You are pretty much just thrown into this world and have to figure it out as you go. George is described as a “natural“ staff, which as far as I can tell means he was born into this life. When he can’t escape into virtual reality anymore and has to deal with actual reality he is ill-equipped to do so. As time goes by George and Brian transition from staff/employer to friends. It’s interesting watching George learn and evolve as time goes by, because Brian seems to as well. Brian really seems as ill-equipped to deal with reality as his staff is. This ended up being an interesting read, however I do think the formatting could’ve been done in a less confusing way.
Thank you to NetGalley & Black Chateau for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This story is told from two perspectives, 418 (whose real name is George), and his owner Brian (who for some reason always directs people to call him King, this is never explained). I normally really enjoy books told from multiple perspectives, however it’s normally done per chapter, and this book switches perspectives paragraph by paragraph (it also switches from 1st person to 3rd person). It takes a while to get the hang of reading this book because of this. There is very little world building or background information given. You are pretty much just thrown into this world and have to figure it out as you go. George is described as a “natural“ staff, which as far as I can tell means he was born into this life. When he can’t escape into virtual reality anymore and has to deal with actual reality he is ill-equipped to do so. As time goes by George and Brian transition from staff/employer to friends. It’s interesting watching George learn and evolve as time goes by, because Brian seems to as well. Brian really seems as ill-equipped to deal with reality as his staff is. This ended up being an interesting read, however I do think the formatting could’ve been done in a less confusing way.
Thank you to NetGalley & Black Chateau for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
March 17, 2021
3.75 stars--418: I AM A TEAPOT by Edgar Scott is a futuristic, dystopian, sci-fi story line focusing on ‘staff’ 418 aka George, and Brian ‘King’ Agarwal, who runs a staffing business.
Told from first person perspective (418) and third person (King) 418: I AM A TEAPOT follows 418 aka George between his daily routine as a staff, and his virtual persona online. Staff are considered the lowest of the low, either born into poverty and the lower class, or relegated by punishment to become one of the many minions to do the work that no one else wants to do but an accident, also known as an exception, finds 418 fighting for his life, a life that is about to change in many ways. Believed to be ‘brain damaged’ as a result of the exception, 418 is saved from ‘retirement’, and in the ensuing days and weeks quickly realizes that his virtual interface is no longer working as it should. Sentient, and with the ability to become self-aware, 418 begins to reconsider all that he knows, in both his virtual and real worlds. 418 works for King, and in this King is about to set 418 on a path to self-actualization and freedom from control. But all is not well in King’s once-ordered world when King finds himself facing the possibility of a life of outside control.
As mentioned above, staff are the lower class, the workers and minions who have been surgically and pharmaceutically altered as mindless drones to do the work no one else wants to do. While their minds and brains are connected to a virtual world, their bodies are controlled by artificial intelligence, and subjected to outside forces where death and dismemberment are frequent and considered part of the job-‘retirement’ is met with indifference by the people in charge. With his virtual interface working at less than optimal levels, George begins to re-evaluate the meaning of life, and his place in the world.
418: I AM A TEAPOT is, like many futuristic, dystopian, sci fi tales, a philosophical and sociological look at discrimination, power and control. I am not sure where geographically the story line takes place, or when, but the first names are all anglicized and the surnames are all East Indian in nature.
418:I AM A TEAPOT is another, complex and detailed story line of what ifs and hows but I struggled with the lack of delineation between perspectives that changed often and without preamble. A slow building story line, 418: I AM A TEAPOT does not pick up speed until part way through the book.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
Told from first person perspective (418) and third person (King) 418: I AM A TEAPOT follows 418 aka George between his daily routine as a staff, and his virtual persona online. Staff are considered the lowest of the low, either born into poverty and the lower class, or relegated by punishment to become one of the many minions to do the work that no one else wants to do but an accident, also known as an exception, finds 418 fighting for his life, a life that is about to change in many ways. Believed to be ‘brain damaged’ as a result of the exception, 418 is saved from ‘retirement’, and in the ensuing days and weeks quickly realizes that his virtual interface is no longer working as it should. Sentient, and with the ability to become self-aware, 418 begins to reconsider all that he knows, in both his virtual and real worlds. 418 works for King, and in this King is about to set 418 on a path to self-actualization and freedom from control. But all is not well in King’s once-ordered world when King finds himself facing the possibility of a life of outside control.
As mentioned above, staff are the lower class, the workers and minions who have been surgically and pharmaceutically altered as mindless drones to do the work no one else wants to do. While their minds and brains are connected to a virtual world, their bodies are controlled by artificial intelligence, and subjected to outside forces where death and dismemberment are frequent and considered part of the job-‘retirement’ is met with indifference by the people in charge. With his virtual interface working at less than optimal levels, George begins to re-evaluate the meaning of life, and his place in the world.
418: I AM A TEAPOT is, like many futuristic, dystopian, sci fi tales, a philosophical and sociological look at discrimination, power and control. I am not sure where geographically the story line takes place, or when, but the first names are all anglicized and the surnames are all East Indian in nature.
418:I AM A TEAPOT is another, complex and detailed story line of what ifs and hows but I struggled with the lack of delineation between perspectives that changed often and without preamble. A slow building story line, 418: I AM A TEAPOT does not pick up speed until part way through the book.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
June 8, 2021
Super interesting dystopian that gets you thinking about how we live our lives, the internet, and what we do for work. Full review to come
Read
March 24, 2021Evoking such science-fiction classics as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot, Scott shows us the extremes of escaping our reality and leaving our bodies behind. It’s an unsettling tale of a world where humans give away their physical natures in exchange for pleasures of the mind, and one cannot help but see it as a warning for our internet-addicted age.
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/03/24/edgar...
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/03/24/edgar...
April 30, 2021
Without giving the story away, I'll be quick and easy. Sometimes authors are just authors, and write and you can't tell one author from the other. This author, on the other hand, has a style. It's fast and relaxed at the same time. I don't know how he does it, but it's smooth and enjoyable. Along with being a great writer, the story line here is spot on. I immensely enjoyed everything about this book, it makes for a very high action and enjoyable ride.
May 4, 2021
This book will take you on quite the journey.
The world we get from Scott’s mind is so very realistic. I loved the descriptive way he wrote. You can see the world in your mind.
Shocks and Twists along the way will keep you invested and completely sucked in by the book.
So many great sci-fi and dystopian aspects.
The world we get from Scott’s mind is so very realistic. I loved the descriptive way he wrote. You can see the world in your mind.
Shocks and Twists along the way will keep you invested and completely sucked in by the book.
So many great sci-fi and dystopian aspects.
May 5, 2021
The premise was intriguing and I thought the writing definitely had a great amount of polish.
I was flabbergasted, gobsmacked, confounded and more importantly, entertained as hell by this book.
The whole story I was trying to figure things out, it’s a crazy new world and full of so much imagination.
I was flabbergasted, gobsmacked, confounded and more importantly, entertained as hell by this book.
The whole story I was trying to figure things out, it’s a crazy new world and full of so much imagination.
November 25, 2021
418 I am a Teapot is a fresh, unique dystopia, with fine details carefully developed. This story is marred by sloppy grammatical and spelling errors. Nonetheless, it was worth a second read, and I'll probably read it again.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
April 29, 2021
Edgar Scott has no problem getting the story started. It's a wild ride from the very beginning.
This story managed to surprise me several times. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it kept me on my toes
I was very intrigued by the story, world, action, and how everything came together.
This story managed to surprise me several times. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it kept me on my toes
I was very intrigued by the story, world, action, and how everything came together.
June 12, 2021
This book isn't my usual cup of tea (hehe) but I really enjoyed reading it. I hadn’t read a really deep, interesting science fiction book in a while and this one really made me think about our society and the destruction we may be headed to. We abuse our planet, we are glued to our phones/electronics and in turn, we take “shortcuts” in our life experiences/relationships. Even now, so much is available to us on the internet that human contact, exercise, and many other things are replaced virtually.
The staff, as they are called, are dehumanized by other humans going about their daily lives with little regard for their safety, their health, and even their basic human rights. I was slow to get into the story, but then I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out what happened to 418 as he became more aware and wanted something different for his life. He was born into staff, but what we are born into, doesn’t make us who we are. And even though some choose or be punished and become staff, they are seen as lesser beings, essentially fleshy machines.
Are we headed into a world where humans become essentially robots, with no conscious thought of what they do on a day to day basis? Will we, as humans, become little more than robots in order to freely experience "life" and all its indulgences without consequence or effort? Are we taking the easy way out too many times? And if that choice is made, are we denied our basic human rights? Or are we just overlooked & disposable?
Scott writes a compelling book about a series of events that bring two men, a staff & the man who basically owns him, together. And how one comes to realize what he is missing out on & the other what he was taking for granted.
The staff, as they are called, are dehumanized by other humans going about their daily lives with little regard for their safety, their health, and even their basic human rights. I was slow to get into the story, but then I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out what happened to 418 as he became more aware and wanted something different for his life. He was born into staff, but what we are born into, doesn’t make us who we are. And even though some choose or be punished and become staff, they are seen as lesser beings, essentially fleshy machines.
Are we headed into a world where humans become essentially robots, with no conscious thought of what they do on a day to day basis? Will we, as humans, become little more than robots in order to freely experience "life" and all its indulgences without consequence or effort? Are we taking the easy way out too many times? And if that choice is made, are we denied our basic human rights? Or are we just overlooked & disposable?
Scott writes a compelling book about a series of events that bring two men, a staff & the man who basically owns him, together. And how one comes to realize what he is missing out on & the other what he was taking for granted.
April 2, 2021
First of all, let’s make it clear: this book is not for everyone! You have to go back to the good old art of “reading between the lines” to fully appreciate this particular work of literature. This is a story of a personal growth that is experienced by the two very different men: one is reduced to the status of “it”- not even considered to be human and another one is, ironically, his “king and master”.
Both men have obstacles to overcome and choices to make in a society that has largely lost its concern for human life. Technology is a tool, a prison, or a lifestyle- depending on where you are on the social ladder, or could be all three at the same time.
The author explores he very nature of humanity as the friendship between the most unlikely men grows and develops.
A real treat for people who have appreciation for real literature!
Both men have obstacles to overcome and choices to make in a society that has largely lost its concern for human life. Technology is a tool, a prison, or a lifestyle- depending on where you are on the social ladder, or could be all three at the same time.
The author explores he very nature of humanity as the friendship between the most unlikely men grows and develops.
A real treat for people who have appreciation for real literature!
July 3, 2022
Enjoyed this book, fiction for sure easy read! Imaginative futuristic!
June 7, 2021
Read my full spoiler-free review here: https://savoryourreads.com/2021/06/41...
June 21, 2021
Genre: Hard Sci-fi
Rating: Teen (there was no innuendo or anything like that, but the heavy topics are too complicated for a MG reader IMO.)
418 I am a Teapot is an error code that indicates that the server refuses to brew coffee because it is, in fact, a teapot.
And it’s also a title of a sci-fi dystopian book I’ve just finished by Edgar Scott!
This book follows the story of a “staff” who has been in an accident causing him to, well, “wake up” is the best I can describe it.
In a world where people can give up their freedom for being literally constantly online, “staff” have an interface installed into their brain that allows their body to be programmed to do drudge labor (trash service, assembly lines, customer service) while they remain online in what is really a cush virtual prison.
When staff #418 wakes up, he wonders why his life is less valuable than other people.
This is a sci-fi allegory on slavery. It’s written from the POV of both 418 and his owner, King (a wink and a nudge again) who wonders the same thing - why does he believe a staff’s life to be worth less than his.
This book was a bit monologue-y (for obvious reasons) and the writing style is very similar to Dune. I have a tendency to prefer much more emotionally charged stories, but it was still a really interesting read and even has some discussion questions in the back to make you think.
If this was up my alley I'd give it 4 stars. It's well written and would be an excellent high school/college lit pick for a teacher. Check this one out!
Rating: Teen (there was no innuendo or anything like that, but the heavy topics are too complicated for a MG reader IMO.)
418 I am a Teapot is an error code that indicates that the server refuses to brew coffee because it is, in fact, a teapot.
And it’s also a title of a sci-fi dystopian book I’ve just finished by Edgar Scott!
This book follows the story of a “staff” who has been in an accident causing him to, well, “wake up” is the best I can describe it.
In a world where people can give up their freedom for being literally constantly online, “staff” have an interface installed into their brain that allows their body to be programmed to do drudge labor (trash service, assembly lines, customer service) while they remain online in what is really a cush virtual prison.
When staff #418 wakes up, he wonders why his life is less valuable than other people.
This is a sci-fi allegory on slavery. It’s written from the POV of both 418 and his owner, King (a wink and a nudge again) who wonders the same thing - why does he believe a staff’s life to be worth less than his.
This book was a bit monologue-y (for obvious reasons) and the writing style is very similar to Dune. I have a tendency to prefer much more emotionally charged stories, but it was still a really interesting read and even has some discussion questions in the back to make you think.
If this was up my alley I'd give it 4 stars. It's well written and would be an excellent high school/college lit pick for a teacher. Check this one out!
December 19, 2021
This book is a near-future dystopian science fiction where people give up control over their physical bodies in exchange for virtually-connected mental pleasures. These people are called staff; they have no sense of who they are or what their lives were like offline. They do everything online, be it getting married, having kids, eating, traveling, or having fun. In real world, their bodies are being used by real humans who own them, to work dangerous jobs that could lead to losing limbs or suffering brain damage, as they are programmed to live an unquestionable routine.
But the staff number 418, unlike other staff, does have self-awareness and has memories that are supposed to be wiped out after “schooling”. When his body breaks down and it is not suitable to work, it has one ending: retirement, where it is disposed off in the incinerator and replaced by another well-functioning staff. What will staff 418 fate be, when it wants to be free like other humans and not retire?
Read this amazing book to find out what happens. It beautifully explores the effects of technology on humans and how it’s used to shackle them as robots. It’s not limited to just technology, but also makes you think about other aspects of life where you prison yourself with the daily routine, work/job, social media, relationships and thoughts you harbor in your minds.
But the staff number 418, unlike other staff, does have self-awareness and has memories that are supposed to be wiped out after “schooling”. When his body breaks down and it is not suitable to work, it has one ending: retirement, where it is disposed off in the incinerator and replaced by another well-functioning staff. What will staff 418 fate be, when it wants to be free like other humans and not retire?
Read this amazing book to find out what happens. It beautifully explores the effects of technology on humans and how it’s used to shackle them as robots. It’s not limited to just technology, but also makes you think about other aspects of life where you prison yourself with the daily routine, work/job, social media, relationships and thoughts you harbor in your minds.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews