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Several People Are Typing
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick! • A work-from-home comedy where WFH meets WTF. • "An absurd, hilarious romp through the haunted house of late-stage capitalism." —Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House
Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, this irresistible, relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life is The Office for a new world.
Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company’s internal Slack channels—at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it’s an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from home policy, but now that Gerald’s productivity is through the roof, his bosses are only too happy to let him work from ... wherever he says he is.
Faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. But the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes. Meanwhile, Gerald’s colleagues have PR catastrophes of their own to handle in the real world. Their biggest client, a high-end dog food company, is in the midst of recalling a bad batch of food that’s allegedly poisoning Pomeranians nationwide. And their CEO suspects someone is sabotaging his office furniture. And if Gerald gets to work from home all the time, why can’t everyone? Is true love possible between two people, when one is just a line of text in an app? And what in the hell does the : emoji mean?
In a time when office paranoia and politics have followed us home, Calvin Kasulke is here to capture the surprising, absurd, and fully-relatable factors attacking our collective sanity ... and give us hope that we can still find a human connection.
Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, this irresistible, relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life is The Office for a new world.
Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company’s internal Slack channels—at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it’s an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from home policy, but now that Gerald’s productivity is through the roof, his bosses are only too happy to let him work from ... wherever he says he is.
Faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. But the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes. Meanwhile, Gerald’s colleagues have PR catastrophes of their own to handle in the real world. Their biggest client, a high-end dog food company, is in the midst of recalling a bad batch of food that’s allegedly poisoning Pomeranians nationwide. And their CEO suspects someone is sabotaging his office furniture. And if Gerald gets to work from home all the time, why can’t everyone? Is true love possible between two people, when one is just a line of text in an app? And what in the hell does the : emoji mean?
In a time when office paranoia and politics have followed us home, Calvin Kasulke is here to capture the surprising, absurd, and fully-relatable factors attacking our collective sanity ... and give us hope that we can still find a human connection.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2021
684 people are currently reading
36869 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,008 reviews
June 25, 2022
What the hell did I just read?
Gerald is having a very bad time. He's been working from home, but his productivity is up so his boss isn't really bothered. Some of the staff is annoyed that he keeps sending them messages asking them to check on his body at home, due to him somehow being uploaded into the companies internal Slack channel. I mean he's taking this joke a bit too far, what with always being online, keeping the joke going for way too long and even somehow having his body lying at home unconscious as he's still typing away… oh, wait, he's serious.
"Several People Are Typing" is an extremely bizarre little book. It's an office comedy, it's a horror story and it's all written in the form of group chats from the various work channels. While Gerald's story is the focus, there's a lot more weird supernatural goings on in these chats, including a possible office worker who doesn't exist, people being infected by some sort of emoticon virus where they have trouble speaking in anything else (and that the hell is a "dusty-stick" emoticon? FINE OUT HERE!) and various other less dangerous shenanigans.
This is an extremely amusing little book, though it probably helps that I work with a program like Slack on a regular basis, so both the humor and supernatural aspects worked well for me. I'm sure some will be frustrated by it being written like a chat log, but I personally found that part of the fun. My biggest issue is some of the unexplained bits still, all in all a very fun read. Not one I can suggest for everyone, but I had a blast with it. 4/5 stars
"I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though!"
August 12, 2021
A book written all in slack channel messages! With lots of emojis and gifs! And slackbot is a (consequential) character!
One the one hand, this feels a bit like a gimmick that will be really dated in a decade (remember those epistolary books written all in emails? Or texts?). On the other hand, there is a lot of depth to the office relationships and this pretty much accurately describes 80% of my daily communication over the past year at work, so it feels like it captures the moment of how Slack and MS Teams help shape office culture (for good and ill). On the [third_hand.gif], there are also some fun fantastical / SciFi / existential elements that slowly creep into the narrative as well. And sometimes it's hard to tell what's more absurd - these fantastical elements or the experience of early 21st century knowledge work. Love this book, literally LOLed several times, and highly recommend it!
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
One the one hand, this feels a bit like a gimmick that will be really dated in a decade (remember those epistolary books written all in emails? Or texts?). On the other hand, there is a lot of depth to the office relationships and this pretty much accurately describes 80% of my daily communication over the past year at work, so it feels like it captures the moment of how Slack and MS Teams help shape office culture (for good and ill). On the [third_hand.gif], there are also some fun fantastical / SciFi / existential elements that slowly creep into the narrative as well. And sometimes it's hard to tell what's more absurd - these fantastical elements or the experience of early 21st century knowledge work. Love this book, literally LOLed several times, and highly recommend it!
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2021
I am someone who loves unique books that are written in abnormal ways, so instantly, I was drawn to this book.
I enjoyed the first 3/4 and was ready to give it a 3/5 stars. But then something happened that I am not okay with and I cannot overlook.
Most readers don’t seem bothered by it so I may be in the minority here. So please take my review as just my personal opinion. This book is a very quick read that keeps you engaged the entire time. If you’re on the fence about it, I would give it a shot.
KEEP READING FOR SPOILERS
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SPOILERS
Towards the end of the book, the slackbot takes over Gerald’s body. Gerald’s friend, Pradeep, ends up taking care of Gerald’s body. This in turn somehow leads to slackbot Gerald and Pradeep sleeping together??? There is many reasons why this is not okay. The most obvious is the fact that Gerald’s body is “possessed” and he is not consenting this this sex. It’s a bot! Pradeep do better. Second, Pradeep, at this time, did not know Gerald was bi and that is such a violation of Gerald’s body.
BUT when Pradeep tells Gerald, does he get upset? NO! He in turn tells Pradeep that he wishes he was there instead of slackbot Gerald because he has a crush on Pradeep. I mean I don’t know about you, but is this how you would react? No way in hell.
Fast toward a few pages and Gerald gets back into his body. Gerald and Pradeep communicate for maybe 2 pages max before Gerald decides to MOVE IN with Pradeep and just be okay with everything that just happened.
IM SORRY BUT WHAT???????
I enjoyed the first 3/4 and was ready to give it a 3/5 stars. But then something happened that I am not okay with and I cannot overlook.
Most readers don’t seem bothered by it so I may be in the minority here. So please take my review as just my personal opinion. This book is a very quick read that keeps you engaged the entire time. If you’re on the fence about it, I would give it a shot.
KEEP READING FOR SPOILERS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
SPOILERS
Towards the end of the book, the slackbot takes over Gerald’s body. Gerald’s friend, Pradeep, ends up taking care of Gerald’s body. This in turn somehow leads to slackbot Gerald and Pradeep sleeping together??? There is many reasons why this is not okay. The most obvious is the fact that Gerald’s body is “possessed” and he is not consenting this this sex. It’s a bot! Pradeep do better. Second, Pradeep, at this time, did not know Gerald was bi and that is such a violation of Gerald’s body.
BUT when Pradeep tells Gerald, does he get upset? NO! He in turn tells Pradeep that he wishes he was there instead of slackbot Gerald because he has a crush on Pradeep. I mean I don’t know about you, but is this how you would react? No way in hell.
Fast toward a few pages and Gerald gets back into his body. Gerald and Pradeep communicate for maybe 2 pages max before Gerald decides to MOVE IN with Pradeep and just be okay with everything that just happened.
IM SORRY BUT WHAT???????
August 19, 2021
Several People Are Typing is a quick, timely read about a group of PR agency employees communicating solely through the project platform Slack.
Anyone who uses Slack or another communications platform at work can likely relate to parts of this story — The group focuses on their current projects, the main one for a dog food company trying to handle crisis management, as well as their personal lives. The team works from home often due to weather, dental appointments, and more. One employee, Gerald, has been uploaded to the internal system and the Help Center, in fact, provides no help when he reaches out for assistance.
There were humorous elements in the story but it may be a stretch to call this a funny book. It’s a fast, easy read and given its digital communications format, will be familiar for many readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Anyone who uses Slack or another communications platform at work can likely relate to parts of this story — The group focuses on their current projects, the main one for a dog food company trying to handle crisis management, as well as their personal lives. The team works from home often due to weather, dental appointments, and more. One employee, Gerald, has been uploaded to the internal system and the Help Center, in fact, provides no help when he reaches out for assistance.
There were humorous elements in the story but it may be a stretch to call this a funny book. It’s a fast, easy read and given its digital communications format, will be familiar for many readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2023
Que livro divertido!! Muito doido e diferente de tudo que já li.
November 8, 2021
I can happily report that this is definitely the most batshit crazy book I have yet read in 2021. Not only that, it has also been the most nailbiting and gripping. Once you start, and Calvin Kasulke has you hooked, it is difficult to stop reading. Fortunately, this is quite a fast read.
So, the well-marketed differentiator of this book is that it is written like a Slack chat in its entirety. Being from South Africa, which is probably as far from civilisation as Australia is (:dusty-stick:), I had no idea what Slack even is.
I actually thought it was a made-up version of WhatsApp, until I Googled it and discovered: “Slack is a proprietary business communication platform developed by American software company Slack Technologies and now owned by Salesforce. Slack offers many IRC-style features, including persistent chat rooms organised by topic, private groups, and direct messaging.”
If the very idea of this book makes your head ache even thinking about it, don’t worry. Simply think of it as reading a play. And no dimly-distant Shakespearian English here, either. Kasulke is remarkably adept at conveying the essence of his characters through their Slack communications.
The setting is a run-of-the-mill PR agency trying to put the spin on for their dog-food client Bjärk (see, I told you this was funny) after a bunch of Pomeranians die after eating it. Meanwhile, the boss thinks that employee Gerald is taking way too much advantage of the company’s admittedly lenient WFH policy, and is just not bothering to show up at the office at all anymore.
On the other hand, his productivity has improved drastically, to the point where his co-workers receive work-related Slack messages at the most godawful times. See, Gerald has inadvertently managed to upload his consciousness into the Slack app, with his body still at his work station in his apartment. He gets his good ol’ buddy Pradeep to go check up on him and take care of his dietary and, er, toiletry needs. “I’ll think of it as cat-sitting,” says the stoic Pradeep.
What follows is such an on-the-nose account of how corporate social hierarchy is mediated via social media that I think anyone who reads this is more than likely to relate:
Tripp
See, that’s exactly my point. we have a byzantine hierarchical structure
we have a SPECIAL PURPOSE, which we call our MISSION STATEMENT and slap it right on the website
Even the language of employment is cult-y! We’re not employees, we’re a “team.” That’s only two notches away from just calling us “acolytes” or something. And the stuff we supposedly devote ourselves to, like “innovation” or “influence” or “engagement”
how is that any different from telling everyone you’re a Prophet of the Coming Storm?
So, the well-marketed differentiator of this book is that it is written like a Slack chat in its entirety. Being from South Africa, which is probably as far from civilisation as Australia is (:dusty-stick:), I had no idea what Slack even is.
I actually thought it was a made-up version of WhatsApp, until I Googled it and discovered: “Slack is a proprietary business communication platform developed by American software company Slack Technologies and now owned by Salesforce. Slack offers many IRC-style features, including persistent chat rooms organised by topic, private groups, and direct messaging.”
If the very idea of this book makes your head ache even thinking about it, don’t worry. Simply think of it as reading a play. And no dimly-distant Shakespearian English here, either. Kasulke is remarkably adept at conveying the essence of his characters through their Slack communications.
The setting is a run-of-the-mill PR agency trying to put the spin on for their dog-food client Bjärk (see, I told you this was funny) after a bunch of Pomeranians die after eating it. Meanwhile, the boss thinks that employee Gerald is taking way too much advantage of the company’s admittedly lenient WFH policy, and is just not bothering to show up at the office at all anymore.
On the other hand, his productivity has improved drastically, to the point where his co-workers receive work-related Slack messages at the most godawful times. See, Gerald has inadvertently managed to upload his consciousness into the Slack app, with his body still at his work station in his apartment. He gets his good ol’ buddy Pradeep to go check up on him and take care of his dietary and, er, toiletry needs. “I’ll think of it as cat-sitting,” says the stoic Pradeep.
What follows is such an on-the-nose account of how corporate social hierarchy is mediated via social media that I think anyone who reads this is more than likely to relate:
Tripp
See, that’s exactly my point. we have a byzantine hierarchical structure
we have a SPECIAL PURPOSE, which we call our MISSION STATEMENT and slap it right on the website
Even the language of employment is cult-y! We’re not employees, we’re a “team.” That’s only two notches away from just calling us “acolytes” or something. And the stuff we supposedly devote ourselves to, like “innovation” or “influence” or “engagement”
how is that any different from telling everyone you’re a Prophet of the Coming Storm?
June 12, 2023
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Absurd, indeed!
Several People Are Typing chronicles the story of Gerald, a below-average employee of an NYC marketing company whose entire consciousness is sucked into his office's Slack workspace. All the other employees assume he's staging an elaborate bit in order to get more work-from-home time (which is actually quite plausible).
While trapped in Slack, Gerald accidentally awakens the Slackbot into a sentient AI which goes rogue and tries to steal his now-empty body (the "Self-Meat" as he calls it).
All of this is related to the reader entirely through Slack messages.
The story itself was quick and entertaining, though there wasn't much substance to it. There are a few very strange and confusing subplots as well as a romance that kind of came out of nowhere? And much of the story doesn't make sense, not just in an absurd parody way, but in a general that's-not-how-life-works way.
Still, I would recommend for anyone wanting a funny, strange, and quick distraction from work, about work.
August 27, 2024
This was super fun, like watching an episode of The Office but in book, lol.
It's the Shine&Shadow Light read for September.
It's the Shine&Shadow Light read for September.
September 13, 2021
This book had me chortling in the car in under ten minutes. I don't know what the experience is in print, but the audio - narrated by MacLeod Andrews, Neil Shah, Dani Martineck, Sophie Amoss, Neil Hellegers, Cary Hite, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Joshua Kane, Amy Landon, Nicole Lewis, Brittany Pressley, Jonathan Todd Ross - is like sketch comedy if sketch comedy recited Slack channel conversations from a marketing firm where everyone finds reasons to WFH.
I have only used Slack a few times but that didn't interfere with my understanding of what was happening. Emojis are read as the item but I could :eyes: what they were doing. Different Slack channels are used to help the reader know who is privy to the information. Oh and I just spent 15 minutes reading about :dustystick:
If you had to move to a shared online space because of Covid - Slack, Teams, etc - I think this will be particularly amusing. There are some surprises in there I will leave for the reader.
I received a copy of this from the publisher through the Volumes app. It came out 8/31/21.
I have only used Slack a few times but that didn't interfere with my understanding of what was happening. Emojis are read as the item but I could :eyes: what they were doing. Different Slack channels are used to help the reader know who is privy to the information. Oh and I just spent 15 minutes reading about :dustystick:
If you had to move to a shared online space because of Covid - Slack, Teams, etc - I think this will be particularly amusing. There are some surprises in there I will leave for the reader.
I received a copy of this from the publisher through the Volumes app. It came out 8/31/21.
July 24, 2021
3.5 stars. So I stopped paying attention after I saw "novel in slack messages" but the thing is, this is not AND THEN WE CAME TO THE END except with a different gimmick. In a lot of ways, the Slack element of it is beside the point. This is a deeply weird, surrealist novel! And if you come in expecting lol work shenanigans, you will definitely get some of that but you will also be very wait what about the actual plot. So just know this going in so that you can relax, put your feet up, and enjoy things getting extremely strange.
If you are not a Slack user, I won't lie, this is going to be very disconcerting. This novel expects you to know Slack. It moves between channels and dm's with ease, though the thing that may be the trickiest for Slack users is the fact that all the emojis are given as their full typed-out handle. (Like :thumbs-up: for example.) I did not mind this at all because I often look up Slack emoji by name, though I did have to go and look up :dusty-stick: which actually does exist. The fact that they have a whole internal culture around the use of emojis and running bits felt very accurate. Sometimes the slack details are not quite right (why would you @ someone if you're already in a dm with them?) but I didn't really mind. It gets so much of Slack usage right that it feels super familiar.
You may be thinking, but I am already in Slack all day why would I want to read more Slack? And yes I get that. You definitely need to be up for the gimmick and not everyone will be. But on the other hand you can breeze through this novel so fast, I could have easily read it in one sitting. And I laughed a lot which I really appreciate these days.
The general plot is weird as hell, as I mentioned. Our protagonist, Gerald, somehow accidentally uploads his own consciousness into Slack. Weirdness ensues. But in addition to Gerald's constant attempts to try and make sense of it through increasingly unusual conversations with Slackbot (a major character!), there is also the PR firm's attempts to run damage control for a poisoned dog-food brand, a covert romantic relationship between two coworkers, and also the word "howling" approximately 300 times. I told you it was weird. The weirdness dials steadily up as you go, and I love that. I wasn't sure how it would all get resolved, but I was pleased that Kasulke wrapped it all up with a sweet queer plot twist that injected the perfect amount of heart into everything.
This is not going to be for everyone. A lot of people are going to hate it. But if you're up for weirdness (and you know I am) then this is a breezy, often hilarious read.
If you are not a Slack user, I won't lie, this is going to be very disconcerting. This novel expects you to know Slack. It moves between channels and dm's with ease, though the thing that may be the trickiest for Slack users is the fact that all the emojis are given as their full typed-out handle. (Like :thumbs-up: for example.) I did not mind this at all because I often look up Slack emoji by name, though I did have to go and look up :dusty-stick: which actually does exist. The fact that they have a whole internal culture around the use of emojis and running bits felt very accurate. Sometimes the slack details are not quite right (why would you @ someone if you're already in a dm with them?) but I didn't really mind. It gets so much of Slack usage right that it feels super familiar.
You may be thinking, but I am already in Slack all day why would I want to read more Slack? And yes I get that. You definitely need to be up for the gimmick and not everyone will be. But on the other hand you can breeze through this novel so fast, I could have easily read it in one sitting. And I laughed a lot which I really appreciate these days.
The general plot is weird as hell, as I mentioned. Our protagonist, Gerald, somehow accidentally uploads his own consciousness into Slack. Weirdness ensues. But in addition to Gerald's constant attempts to try and make sense of it through increasingly unusual conversations with Slackbot (a major character!), there is also the PR firm's attempts to run damage control for a poisoned dog-food brand, a covert romantic relationship between two coworkers, and also the word "howling" approximately 300 times. I told you it was weird. The weirdness dials steadily up as you go, and I love that. I wasn't sure how it would all get resolved, but I was pleased that Kasulke wrapped it all up with a sweet queer plot twist that injected the perfect amount of heart into everything.
This is not going to be for everyone. A lot of people are going to hate it. But if you're up for weirdness (and you know I am) then this is a breezy, often hilarious read.
January 2, 2022
Slackchat as a medium.... What else?
An AI going rogue, WFH is all over the place, a stream of consiousness getting streamed into Slack (of course, where else would one's consiousness go while uploading to GDrive a spreadsheet for choosing clothes?), bedsores and how to prevent them while working round the clock, gotta love a gal (Beverley, was that her?) choosing spinning lessons over spinning tales in PR...
If a computer sucks any of us into it, noone will likely be the wiser about it. LOL!
I think I can give it 4 stars for the innovative approach. The other 1 star - we can consider it lost in the haze of the Slackchat menu and the rest of trivia.
An AI going rogue, WFH is all over the place, a stream of consiousness getting streamed into Slack (of course, where else would one's consiousness go while uploading to GDrive a spreadsheet for choosing clothes?), bedsores and how to prevent them while working round the clock, gotta love a gal (Beverley, was that her?) choosing spinning lessons over spinning tales in PR...
If a computer sucks any of us into it, noone will likely be the wiser about it. LOL!
I think I can give it 4 stars for the innovative approach. The other 1 star - we can consider it lost in the haze of the Slackchat menu and the rest of trivia.
August 14, 2025
An entire book comprised of Slack messages. I felt that Several People are Typing had some interesting themes related to the (lack of) division between work and life, technology’s encroachment on our day-to-day lives, and community we find within and outside of work. That said, the Slack message format made it hard for me to feel emotionally connected to the characters. Both the characters and their relationships with one another came across as too surface-level for me to get truly invested. Interesting concept but not necessarily a book I’d recommend.
July 27, 2024
4.5 stars - This is my kind of humor & my kind of magical realism. Probably helps that I am also an office drone and can understand the true existential horror becoming a chatbot
June 6, 2021
A really creative and funny satire in parts, but too much is left under-explained/unresolved for my tastes. Also, one's mileage may of course vary, but I feel like this needs a big... noncon? dubcon? consent issues? Well, one or more of those handy AO3 tags, anyway. Because there's definitely some not entirely consensual sexual content here, in what I might otherwise have found to be a cute romantic subplot. Overall: just not quite my bag.
December 28, 2022
honestly, no words! this is literally a perfect book!
February 24, 2023
These are my reactions to Several People Are Typing (2021) in chronological order:
🤔
😮
🤯
🙃
😍
🤨
🙄
As you can see, the situation was dynamic.
At first, I thought that a novel consisting solely of co-workers' chat conversations, transcribed emojis and internet abbreviations was a risky experiment. I doubted if such a small repertoire of literary devices would be sufficient. To my surprise, it was, although I would not call this book a game-changer in the history of literature. Still, it is a daring take on a modern tale about the power of friendship and love, hidden behind a slightly cynical curtain of satire and black humour. Besides, if anyone needs an argument that the real world is better than the virtual one, Several People Are Typing undoubtedly provides plenty of evidence.
I wish the author had not thrown these morals right in our faces though. The novel could have been more subtle and nuanced, especially the story of Gerald's disembodied consciousness trapped inside the Slack application. On the other hand, I am aware that the avant-garde form imposed certain limitations. Nonetheless, Calvin Kasulke managed to explore the intricate relationships within the depicted public relations firm: while typing several people not only discuss work-related stuff but also flirt, show some photos of their kids and pets, gossip, exchange inside jokes. There is even a mysterious howling audible to only one employee, Lydia.
I enjoyed the ambiguity of what/who is real and what/who is fictitious in Several People Are Typing. One of the things I found interesting in this novel is also the satiric exposure of the mechanisms of PR companies' endeavours on the internet, the creation of fake accounts, fabricated comments by invented users, etc. A dog food scandal is used to depict this smoothly functioning machinery that we are often unaware of.
Illustration by Fanatic Studio/Gary Waters.
🤔
😮
🤯
🙃
😍
🤨
🙄
As you can see, the situation was dynamic.
At first, I thought that a novel consisting solely of co-workers' chat conversations, transcribed emojis and internet abbreviations was a risky experiment. I doubted if such a small repertoire of literary devices would be sufficient. To my surprise, it was, although I would not call this book a game-changer in the history of literature. Still, it is a daring take on a modern tale about the power of friendship and love, hidden behind a slightly cynical curtain of satire and black humour. Besides, if anyone needs an argument that the real world is better than the virtual one, Several People Are Typing undoubtedly provides plenty of evidence.
I wish the author had not thrown these morals right in our faces though. The novel could have been more subtle and nuanced, especially the story of Gerald's disembodied consciousness trapped inside the Slack application. On the other hand, I am aware that the avant-garde form imposed certain limitations. Nonetheless, Calvin Kasulke managed to explore the intricate relationships within the depicted public relations firm: while typing several people not only discuss work-related stuff but also flirt, show some photos of their kids and pets, gossip, exchange inside jokes. There is even a mysterious howling audible to only one employee, Lydia.
I enjoyed the ambiguity of what/who is real and what/who is fictitious in Several People Are Typing. One of the things I found interesting in this novel is also the satiric exposure of the mechanisms of PR companies' endeavours on the internet, the creation of fake accounts, fabricated comments by invented users, etc. A dog food scandal is used to depict this smoothly functioning machinery that we are often unaware of.
Illustration by Fanatic Studio/Gary Waters.
October 5, 2023
A story built up with slack messages. Wild and wacky! I had so much fun with this one. Weird concept executed well? I'll take it!
July 24, 2023
This was a clever and quick read. It’s about a guy whose consciousness accidentally gets uploaded into his company’s Slack system and how chaos ensues. It follows various employees in the company and is written entirely in Slack messages. The story was silly and easy to read, and perfectly fine. It lacked depth so I feel like it just didn’t go beyond “that was fun” for me, but this would be perfect if you’re in a reading slump.
May 3, 2021
Really, really funny absurdist satire of online worklife. Very short, so you don't get tired of the format (whole thing is written as a Slack chat). Exists at a perfect intersection of genuine madness and just regular corporate madness.
October 27, 2021
Pretty much any time I see one of the many Jenna or GMA or Reese or Oprah . . . .
Book club announcements I get a lil’ something like this . . . .
Thus was the case with Several People Are Typing so I tracked down a library copy almost immediately. The story here is about Gerald, who finds himself removed from the company cubefarm to being – part of the Matrix????
Yes, poor Gerald. He gives a whole new meaning to being part of the machine when he finds himself inside the firm’s Slack channels. His attempts at freeing himself prove to be futile because hey that help button is really “just a bot!” leaving Gerald with the problem of . . . .
I have to confess that satire isn’t really my go-to when I’m looking for a good time and while this was at times clever, my reaction basically remained like this throughout . . . .
And I realize I’m saying that as someone who relies on a gimmick for people to read my reviews. It is what it is.
I had brief chuckles regarding messaging the wrong person, inter-office paramours and the ongoing battle for the best cube in the farm, but all in all this was just aiiiiiiight for me. The really odd thing was in a post-Covid world it seemed strange to read about the various ways employees were attempting to perhaps take advantage of the company's generous work from home policy. I'm pretty sure Kasulke never pictured a world where NO ONE went to the office for nearly two years when he was drafting this. If you are looking for another take on office life, I highly recommend Then We Came to the End.
Book club announcements I get a lil’ something like this . . . .
Thus was the case with Several People Are Typing so I tracked down a library copy almost immediately. The story here is about Gerald, who finds himself removed from the company cubefarm to being – part of the Matrix????
Yes, poor Gerald. He gives a whole new meaning to being part of the machine when he finds himself inside the firm’s Slack channels. His attempts at freeing himself prove to be futile because hey that help button is really “just a bot!” leaving Gerald with the problem of . . . .
I have to confess that satire isn’t really my go-to when I’m looking for a good time and while this was at times clever, my reaction basically remained like this throughout . . . .
And I realize I’m saying that as someone who relies on a gimmick for people to read my reviews. It is what it is.
I had brief chuckles regarding messaging the wrong person, inter-office paramours and the ongoing battle for the best cube in the farm, but all in all this was just aiiiiiiight for me. The really odd thing was in a post-Covid world it seemed strange to read about the various ways employees were attempting to perhaps take advantage of the company's generous work from home policy. I'm pretty sure Kasulke never pictured a world where NO ONE went to the office for nearly two years when he was drafting this. If you are looking for another take on office life, I highly recommend Then We Came to the End.
January 3, 2023
rep: bi mc, achillean mc
weird is such an understatement, when describing this little book. it simultaneously makes you feel at home & like screaming internally forever. even if plot is absolutely out of this world, you know those feelings. none of it has ever happened to you, but also all of it have & it has a place in your marrow.
the intensity (insanity) of modern work culture (and specifically working from home) juxtaposed with the romanticisation of the small things in life! the conversations about how we treat the internet, and what it does to our brains, how it affects our lives! at the end of the day, it's actually a very simple book, but uses such cool & smart ways to achieve what it wants. also, it's absolutely hilarious.
weird is such an understatement, when describing this little book. it simultaneously makes you feel at home & like screaming internally forever. even if plot is absolutely out of this world, you know those feelings. none of it has ever happened to you, but also all of it have & it has a place in your marrow.
the intensity (insanity) of modern work culture (and specifically working from home) juxtaposed with the romanticisation of the small things in life! the conversations about how we treat the internet, and what it does to our brains, how it affects our lives! at the end of the day, it's actually a very simple book, but uses such cool & smart ways to achieve what it wants. also, it's absolutely hilarious.
April 23, 2023
throuple goals: you, your boyfriend's consciousness uploaded to the company's slack channels, and the evil AI possessing your boyfriend's body
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
april reading: 20/26
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
april reading: 20/26
October 31, 2024
this was such a mindfuck and really weird in the best way
August 14, 2022
As absurd as it is entertaining, and offering commentaries on the current office culture. I read it in two seatings and enjoyed it.
March 7, 2023
3.5 stars
January 21, 2023
(3.5) A story with a brilliant hook: a man’s consciousness is suddenly uploaded into his employer’s Slack; he must figure out how to get back to normal, all while his colleagues believe it’s an elaborate joke. The format – the whole thing is just Slack messages – makes it an incredibly quick and easy read. Sometimes the narrative style doesn’t work as well as it could: the :thumbsup: :eyes: thing got old very fast, and (especially if you use Slack for work yourself) it’s hard not to keep thinking these people would surely, you know, use a chat app that wasn’t fully visible to their bosses for some of these conversations... But really, it’s not the sort of story where that kind of thing matters, and it’s fast-paced and entertaining enough that I could ignore any annoying or implausible bits. It ends up being a pretty perfect mix of funny and horrifying, with an ending that’s really quite moving in its own way. The effect is something like an all-digital version of Grady Hendrix’s Horrorstör. It would be great to read an interactive version of this that actually existed within Slack!
September 5, 2021
this might just be a surprise contender for my favorite book of the year!!! 🤯🤯🤯
i went into this expecting a quirky workplace comedy but what i got was an absurd, surrealist book reminiscent of my FAVORITE film director, charlie kaufman! this is completely bonkers in the BEST way
i have no idea what the folks at GMA were smoking when they chose this for their book club though, it’s extreeeemely niche and i feel like a lot of people won’t “get” this one.
i went into this expecting a quirky workplace comedy but what i got was an absurd, surrealist book reminiscent of my FAVORITE film director, charlie kaufman! this is completely bonkers in the BEST way
i have no idea what the folks at GMA were smoking when they chose this for their book club though, it’s extreeeemely niche and i feel like a lot of people won’t “get” this one.
April 10, 2024
That was such a fun format but while reading it I found myself wanting to :dustystick: react while I don't even use Slack.
September 19, 2021
Ridiculous, absurd, hilarious and un-put-downable! Get ready for a treat!
First, you must have some knowledge of what Slack is or used it, that is the only way this book will make any form of sense... and even then, it is still absurd.
In Several People Are Typing we meet Gerald who's consciousness is uploaded into Slack, his body is in the real world and he cannot seem to convince anyone to believe him that he is IN SLACK. In all seriousness, would you believe him?
The book is structured through slack channels and that's how the author moves the plot along, introduce us to characters and what life is like working for a PR firm. How the author played with structure and story telling was fresh and very engaging. It's like you are literally learning about these people from their conversations and it is beautifully done. I found myself laughing out loud as how realistic the office setting was... I believed it and I see my co-workers in so many of these characters:
The office gossip
The weird boss
The couple who is dating but wont let you know
The office cliques
The cool crowd
The new hire
Give Calvin Kasulke is flowers because this was a big risk structure wise but it paid off! Such a great, fresh and captivating read! I WANT MORE!
First, you must have some knowledge of what Slack is or used it, that is the only way this book will make any form of sense... and even then, it is still absurd.
In Several People Are Typing we meet Gerald who's consciousness is uploaded into Slack, his body is in the real world and he cannot seem to convince anyone to believe him that he is IN SLACK. In all seriousness, would you believe him?
The book is structured through slack channels and that's how the author moves the plot along, introduce us to characters and what life is like working for a PR firm. How the author played with structure and story telling was fresh and very engaging. It's like you are literally learning about these people from their conversations and it is beautifully done. I found myself laughing out loud as how realistic the office setting was... I believed it and I see my co-workers in so many of these characters:
The office gossip
The weird boss
The couple who is dating but wont let you know
The office cliques
The cool crowd
The new hire
Give Calvin Kasulke is flowers because this was a big risk structure wise but it paid off! Such a great, fresh and captivating read! I WANT MORE!
April 2, 2022
Oh, it looks like everyone forgot about the rape scene that was justified by "well it's okay that you had nonconsensual sex with my body even though my consciousness wasn't in there because I kinda have a crush on you too."
The main reason I gave it a 1 star rating. Wish I could have given it less.
Didn't answer any of the questions it ended up posing. Overall, just pretty bad and yes I'm basically just bitter about how that rape scene is just overlooked.
The main reason I gave it a 1 star rating. Wish I could have given it less.
Didn't answer any of the questions it ended up posing. Overall, just pretty bad and yes I'm basically just bitter about how that rape scene is just overlooked.
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