This is fantastic. I do get impatient with descriptions of drunkenness or how stoned someone is or how unpleasant it feels to vomit, so I almost bailed, but the two machine encounters are brilliantly done, and there's a beautiful nexus going on all throughout: between people trying to live up to unreachable public standards, disguised as perfectly attainable (a raise, 20 squats, entry into your home) only to be told they're not good enough to hit that "human" achievement -- which prompts them to lash out in a despairing/relatable/ugly human way. I thought the protag would be a punching bag the whole story, or ~shown the error of his ways~. Delightful/surprising effect, in the end, to see that the most human thing is flopping around, resting your weight where it isnt supposed to go, getting kissed by a dog and recieving, from its owner, the hair of same.
I enjoyed this story a lot. "Kicking against the pricks" (a phrase even more apt as a modern idiom!) is a favourite theme of mine; anyone who has been asked to install yet ANOTHER pay parking app can sympathize with Viktor's plight. The squat machine is an invention integrated well enough that I'm not sure if it's real or not. I was reminded throughout of "The Overcoat" and the feeling of punching at air, i.e. when you kick and there's not even a prick to feel it, the kind of empty airless bureaucracy that doesn't have substance to attack, or is administered from a great distance away. And the ambiguity of the ending is great---dead, rescued, hallucinating, up in Heaven---material yet immaterial. Glad to read it.
Same here. If I’m asked to install another app or click on another link I’d rather not use the services at all. Thank you for such a detailed response and for “The Overcoat” comparison. Glad you enjoyed it!
This is fantastic. I do get impatient with descriptions of drunkenness or how stoned someone is or how unpleasant it feels to vomit, so I almost bailed, but the two machine encounters are brilliantly done, and there's a beautiful nexus going on all throughout: between people trying to live up to unreachable public standards, disguised as perfectly attainable (a raise, 20 squats, entry into your home) only to be told they're not good enough to hit that "human" achievement -- which prompts them to lash out in a despairing/relatable/ugly human way. I thought the protag would be a punching bag the whole story, or ~shown the error of his ways~. Delightful/surprising effect, in the end, to see that the most human thing is flopping around, resting your weight where it isnt supposed to go, getting kissed by a dog and recieving, from its owner, the hair of same.
Wow. Thank you. This comment made my year.
Your story enhanced my coffee!
Powers I didn't know I had.
Really enjoyed this.
Glad to hear.
Ah, the love of machines! Brilliant story!
Thank you!
Despite the cold Moscow weather, I felt the intensity, the burning frustration, of Petrovich. Thanks for the good read, Katya.
Thank you, Michael. I feel sorry for the poor guy, too.
The squat machine scene. Fantastic!
Thank you!
I enjoyed this story a lot. "Kicking against the pricks" (a phrase even more apt as a modern idiom!) is a favourite theme of mine; anyone who has been asked to install yet ANOTHER pay parking app can sympathize with Viktor's plight. The squat machine is an invention integrated well enough that I'm not sure if it's real or not. I was reminded throughout of "The Overcoat" and the feeling of punching at air, i.e. when you kick and there's not even a prick to feel it, the kind of empty airless bureaucracy that doesn't have substance to attack, or is administered from a great distance away. And the ambiguity of the ending is great---dead, rescued, hallucinating, up in Heaven---material yet immaterial. Glad to read it.
Same here. If I’m asked to install another app or click on another link I’d rather not use the services at all. Thank you for such a detailed response and for “The Overcoat” comparison. Glad you enjoyed it!
the squat machine is a Kafkaesque nightmare.
great work 👍
Thank you!