Bix Bouton, a tech entrepreneur who appeared in A Visit from the Goon Squad, develops a technology called Own Your Unconscious. This innovation allows individuals to upload every memory they have ever possessed into a digital cloud and exchange them for access to the collective memories of others. The narrative follows a wide cast of characters associated with Bix and his family, including a data analyst tracking "proxies" and a daughter of a record executive who works as a coordinator for high-stakes social interactions. These interconnected stories move between decades and genres, from epistolary chapters to spy missions, examining what happens when privacy becomes a tradeable commodity and human behavior is translated into searchable data.
This book is for readers who enjoy non-linear fiction and complex, ensemble structures. It appeals to those interested in the sociotechnical shifts caused by social media and big data, specifically how digital surveillance alters family dynamics and personal identity. The reader finishes with a precise understanding of the tension between technological convenience and the preservation of the private self. It provides a framework for imagining a world where human intimacy is quantified and the desire for social connection overrides the need for anonymity.
Deep, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2022
- Language
- EN
