Human Resources

by Brad Carter

"Wolf of Wall Street meets John Carpenter's 'They Live' with Lovecraftian overtones."
Gav - Library Thing review Worker drone Curtis Henson’s life is a mess. His days are split between his stalled career as a cubicle jockey and his failing marriage. Then the unthinkable happens. Driven to desperation by the seemingly endless routine of the daily grind, Curtis has a revelation that could change everything. The only problem is, Curtis isn’t sure how much of it is real. Is his workplace at the center of a vast cosmic conspiracy to enslave humanity or is he simply cracking under the strain? Are his corporate masters a sinister alien race or is Curtis finally succumbing to the madness that consumed his parents? A blackly comedic mashup of the reality-bending novels of Philip K. Dick, the workplace satire The Office, and H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror, HUMAN RESOURCES is a novel that goes off the rails into the unknown.

390 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2020

Reviews

[Joelle Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would result if you crossed an episode of the dystopic Black Mirror with the The Matrix and added a good helping of The Office ‘s winking humor? In written form, the optimal combination might resemble Brad Carter’s ambitions for his recent release Human Resources. While the novel does succeed in encapsulating some of these elements and does offer a good number of chuckles, it has also has flaws that detract from its potential appeal. Carter’s Curtis Henson numbingly toils in the marketing department at the monolithic ALM Corporation. It is a soulless company whose end-product and objectives are vague and possibly even non-existent. Henson’s marriage is a loveless rut, and his only friend is a womanizing boor with no observable redeeming qualities. The only way he can function is with the help of a medication that keeps his depression and nightmares at bay. While home on a rare sick day, a mysterious man appears at his door with a manifesto that exposes the nefarious alien force that is operating in the highest levels of ALM. In predictable fashion, Curtis is drafted and manipulated by both sides in an ongoing conflict between his employers, the all-powerful “Overlords” and the scruffy rebels seeking to overthrow them. Having witnessed his parents shared descent into madness, Curtis questions his own genetic propensity to distort reality-continually mistrusting what he is experiencing. The reader may also be confused by the erratic jumps in time and may tire of the endless parade of goons that take turns torturing a protagonist that is not particularly sympathetic. Curtis does deliver some witty lines and provides clever and sarcastic asides, but his overall narcissism and misogynistic attitude make him a repellent character. The frequent sex scenes are clumsily depicted and border on farcical “Penthouse Forum” type of wish-fulfillment that becomes banal after repetition. Carter’s book works as a commentary on modern man’s acceptance of the status quo and his willingness to be brain-washed by pointless ambition. The “Overlords” control us because they find humans and their fruitless attempts to achieve significance and differentiation as a source of entertainment and folly. This is not a particularly new theme, but Human Resources delivers an interpretation that is quirky and original enough to provide a worthwhile diversion for die-hard fans of alterative reality fiction.

Thanks to the author, Petulant Child Press and Library Thing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Buffy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get this as an early review copy. I was expecting a fun tongue-in-cheek look at corporate America. What I was met with...well it was sorely lacking. The story of Curtis Hansen has great potential. Curtis is a work hard, play by the rule's employee at ALM Corp. Who comes to find out he quite possibly might be a pawn in some alien reality TV show? His only real friend is the one he's had since college and not much has changed with his playboy pal since. His wife Erika is presented as some sort of hypochondriac b**ch. This was the first turn-off for me in this seemingly never-ending story. While you later find there is a method to Brad Carter's madness here it comes far too late in the pipeline to change my mind on the tone he was trying to set. The supposed humor was so dry it was missed more than it was hit. Couple that with poor editing on the eBook and it just made for an overall not enjoyable read. To each their own, and perhaps the official released copy has fixed many of the editing issues that caused issues with the early release. While I am thankful to have received this for an early peek, I can't say I would have been happy with it had I paid to read it.

[Muneer Uddin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written very competently. But the story never really got going before I lost interest.

The dialogue's stilted nature was distracting. There too much exposition, and details that perhaps paid off later are repeated. Like the story of the Koz. When we learn about the Koz in the talk with Erica, there's no need to repeat these details in another conversation with Scott.

I wish the author the best of luck with this book, but it wasn't for me.

[Coriander · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an early review copy of this book. I really wanted to like it. I thought the story had lots of potential. I have to admit I couldn't get beyond a certain point, and I read far beyond where I wanted to stop. The problem for me was the excessive misogyny the main character exhibits.