Die Angestellten

coriander reviewed The Employees by Olga Ravn

poetic science fiction for lingering with

5 stars

I really enjoyed The Employees. It does not resemble other stories! I read it slowly, giving each statement time to sink in, to imagine the life beyond the fragments shared in each snippet. They are each so potent, full of spoken and unspoken longing. So I read each page and lingered with it, going very slowly through this short book. Each page is a world unto itself, yet connected to the other characters and broader story, which unfolds slowly, mysteriously, giving you just enough to wonder more.

The Employees reminded me in style a bit of Piranesi and Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead, two other mysterious tales that I enjoyed, although not in the same space setting. I think if you enjoyed either of those books, you might like The Employees.

V171 reviewed The Employees by Olga Ravn

Review of 'The Employees' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

STATEMENT 084

"...I dream that there are hundreds of black seeds in my skin, and when I scratch at them they get caught under my nails like fish eggs. Then, with a popping sound, new ones appear where I scratched the other ones away. I feel that this has something to do with the objects in the rooms, but I don't know how. There's something about their smoothness in relation to my skin...I got the impression that one of the objects wanted to take my skin away from me..."

The Employees is a short novel comprised of numbered interviews with "Employees" of the Six-Thousand ship, an exploration vessel whose full purpose is mostly unknown, but one of its functions is to house some strange objects that are recovered from an unknown place. Through the interviews with the employees, we get a vague idea of these mysterious objects which may or …

STATEMENT 084

"...I dream that there are hundreds of black seeds in my skin, and when I scratch at them they get caught under my nails like fish eggs. Then, with a popping sound, new ones appear where I scratched the other ones away. I feel that this has something to do with the objects in the rooms, but I don't know how. There's something about their smoothness in relation to my skin...I got the impression that one of the objects wanted to take my skin away from me..."

The Employees is a short novel comprised of numbered interviews with "Employees" of the Six-Thousand ship, an exploration vessel whose full purpose is mostly unknown, but one of its functions is to house some strange objects that are recovered from an unknown place. Through the interviews with the employees, we get a vague idea of these mysterious objects which may or not be alive. However we quickly learn about some of the tensions among the crew as some of them are humans (from earth) and some are "humanoid" or constructed humans, designed to not age and whose consciousness can be uploaded and downloaded. There seems to be a schism rising between these two groups of employees that comes to a dangerous head.

What a fascinating little implication of a story. I loved the interview format that seemed to swing between sometimes quirky, sometimes horrific little anecdotes, and insight into the status of the mission and life on the Six-Thousand ship. It hints at much larger goings on, but the author keeps the reader just out of reach of the full context. Some of the interviews can feel a bit silly or out of place, but all of them together created a really interesting narrative. This is very short, so you really have nothing to lose by picking it up!

anaulin@bookwyrm.social

rated it

Jan. 25, 2023