Book of the Week: THE EMPLOYEES by Olga Ravn

All questions about Artificial Intelligence are really questions about what it is to be human. The Employees, A workplace novel of the 22nd century by Olga Ravn (translated from Danish by Martin Aitken), takes the form of a set of witness statements made by workers aboard a spaceship that has travelled to a new planet and found there certain strange objects which have served as catalysts for behavioural changes among the crew — some of whom are human and some of whom are humanoid — which have led to the corporation terminating the expedition. Beautifully and effectively written, the novel is packed with enough thoughts, dreams, longings and sense experiences to reward many re-readings. 

• Read Stella's review. 

• Read Thomas's review. 

• Reading with the mouth. 

• Consumed future spewed up as present. 

• A worker's words. 

• In an intergalactic cocoon. 

• Read an extract. 

• Ravn vs Moskovich.

• What do our tools tell us about ourselves?

• Short in length but infinite in scope. 

• Am I human? 

• An interview with Ravn and Aitken. 

• Join the discussion at our online book group in April!

“In the programme, beneath my interface, there’s another interface, which is also me.”