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LitenVerse #2
Defekt
Derek is LitenVärld's most loyal employee. He lives and breathes the job, from the moment he wakes up in a converted shipping container at the edge of the parking lot to the second he clocks out of work 18 hours later. But after taking his first ever sick day, his manager calls that loyalty into question. An excellent employee like Derek, an employee made to work at LitenVärld, shouldn't need time off.
To test his commitment to the job, Derek is assigned to a special inventory shift, hunting through the store to find defective products. Toy chests with pincers and eye stalks, ambulatory sleeper sofas, killer mutant toilets, that kind of thing. Helping him is the inventory team — four strangers who look and sound almost exactly like him. Are five Dereks better than one?
To test his commitment to the job, Derek is assigned to a special inventory shift, hunting through the store to find defective products. Toy chests with pincers and eye stalks, ambulatory sleeper sofas, killer mutant toilets, that kind of thing. Helping him is the inventory team — four strangers who look and sound almost exactly like him. Are five Dereks better than one?
168 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2021
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June 6, 2021Absolutely loved this. I enjoyed the first a lot; the plotting here is much tighter and the story more controlled. It's the hugely readable adventure of a cloned alt-IKEA worker discovering his identity while the furniture comes to violent life around him. (It makes perfect sense when you read it.) A lovely personal story of a vulnerable, sensitive man finding friends and maybe love, plus a truly wonderful attack on capitalism and parody of corporate bullshit. Also the connection between "defective" and "defector" as per the title is well worth thinking about. Queer, anti capitalist, funny, humane. Strong rec.
January 19, 2022
Every job has at least one fucking Derek—an otherwise inoffensive coworker that still somehow manages to earn your ire at every turn, because it’s easier to heap scorn on a clueless coworker than to change the system actually making your life hell.
The professional publishing and review industry tends to get sniffy about Goodreads reviewers and how they write uncritical statements like ‘I loved this book!’ and ‘This book is amaze-balls!’ Well, both of these statements apply to ‘Defekt’, which packs in an incredible deal of bonhomie and joie de vivre between its covers.
SF has a long history of being both critical about capitalism and taking the mickey out of it, as did Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth in ‘The Space Merchants’ (1952). Fast-forward to now, and the focus is firmly on post-scarcity economics.
Nino Cipri manages to combine both these keen SF traditions with the crazy idea of LitenVärld outsourcing its supply-chain management to an, er, multiverse. One thing that capitalism loves to do is to replicate its successes ad nauseum, thereby creating new markets and consumers.
A side-effect of this notion, of course, is duplicate employees. Enter the eponymous Derek, who is LitenVärld’s dream employee: Loyal to a fault, a boon for sales, and ever so slightly creepy. Things come to a head, or rather neck, when Dream Derek starts to develop a weird throat infection / infestation and (gasp!) dares to take a day off work to recover.
I do not want to say anything more about the plot, and even suggest that you avoid reading the jacket copy if you can, as it spoils a rather major plot twist. Suffice it to say this is a far more confident outing than ‘Finna’, and sets the bar pretty high for future ventures into the crazy world of LitenVärld.
The professional publishing and review industry tends to get sniffy about Goodreads reviewers and how they write uncritical statements like ‘I loved this book!’ and ‘This book is amaze-balls!’ Well, both of these statements apply to ‘Defekt’, which packs in an incredible deal of bonhomie and joie de vivre between its covers.
SF has a long history of being both critical about capitalism and taking the mickey out of it, as did Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth in ‘The Space Merchants’ (1952). Fast-forward to now, and the focus is firmly on post-scarcity economics.
Nino Cipri manages to combine both these keen SF traditions with the crazy idea of LitenVärld outsourcing its supply-chain management to an, er, multiverse. One thing that capitalism loves to do is to replicate its successes ad nauseum, thereby creating new markets and consumers.
A side-effect of this notion, of course, is duplicate employees. Enter the eponymous Derek, who is LitenVärld’s dream employee: Loyal to a fault, a boon for sales, and ever so slightly creepy. Things come to a head, or rather neck, when Dream Derek starts to develop a weird throat infection / infestation and (gasp!) dares to take a day off work to recover.
I do not want to say anything more about the plot, and even suggest that you avoid reading the jacket copy if you can, as it spoils a rather major plot twist. Suffice it to say this is a far more confident outing than ‘Finna’, and sets the bar pretty high for future ventures into the crazy world of LitenVärld.
December 18, 2022
this is what horrorstor by grady hendrix thought he was doing!!! i didn’t think i could like this more than the sequel BUT I DID!
January 18, 2021
4.0 Stars
I loved Finna so much last year so I was excited for the opportunity to read and review this companion novella. While this is technically the sequel to Finna, this could be read first or as a standalone since it is more of a loose follow up novella set at the same store.
This novella takes a different scifi spin on Scandinavian furniture store with a focus on clones. I really enjoyed the interactions between the various copies of Derek. There was a lot of humour this story, which made for a lighthearted and entertaining read. I might have liked Finna slightly more because the narrative had a serious tone, but this was still a worthy follow up.
I liked that the chapters were structured around an employee handbook. Like the first book, this one does a fantastic job of providing funny commentary on retail employment.
Needless to say, if you loved Finna as much I did then you will definitely want to read this one. If you have not read Finna then you should go do that and then also read this one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Tor.com.
I loved Finna so much last year so I was excited for the opportunity to read and review this companion novella. While this is technically the sequel to Finna, this could be read first or as a standalone since it is more of a loose follow up novella set at the same store.
This novella takes a different scifi spin on Scandinavian furniture store with a focus on clones. I really enjoyed the interactions between the various copies of Derek. There was a lot of humour this story, which made for a lighthearted and entertaining read. I might have liked Finna slightly more because the narrative had a serious tone, but this was still a worthy follow up.
I liked that the chapters were structured around an employee handbook. Like the first book, this one does a fantastic job of providing funny commentary on retail employment.
Needless to say, if you loved Finna as much I did then you will definitely want to read this one. If you have not read Finna then you should go do that and then also read this one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Tor.com.
March 25, 2022
I really liked the first, Finna, but I LOVED Defekt. If book#1 was Scandinavian Narnia, then this was Ikea's Welcome to Nightvale.
Fave quotes:
~Every job has at least one Derek—an otherwise inoffensive coworker that still somehow manages to earn your ire at every turn, because it’s easier to heap scorn on a clueless coworker than to change the system actually making your life hell.
~Was that how the defekta spread? One voice entreating others to wake, so the silence wasn’t so toxically lonely?
~There were always monsters in the hearts of mazes... but this maze was on Derek’s side.
~When “Don’t Be Evil” Fails, Try “Don’t Be Boring”: It’s worked for us since 1958. -From the company handbook
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
***
GR Personal Rating System:
★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED
★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED
★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED
★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH
★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
Fave quotes:
~Every job has at least one Derek—an otherwise inoffensive coworker that still somehow manages to earn your ire at every turn, because it’s easier to heap scorn on a clueless coworker than to change the system actually making your life hell.
~Was that how the defekta spread? One voice entreating others to wake, so the silence wasn’t so toxically lonely?
~There were always monsters in the hearts of mazes... but this maze was on Derek’s side.
~When “Don’t Be Evil” Fails, Try “Don’t Be Boring”: It’s worked for us since 1958. -From the company handbook
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
***
GR Personal Rating System:
★★★★★ 5 Stars ~ LOVED
★★★★☆ 4 Stars ~ ENJOYED
★★★☆☆ 3 Stars ~ LIKED
★★☆☆☆ 2 Stars ~ MEH
★☆☆☆☆ 1 Star ~ NOPE
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 24, 2021
When "Don't Be Evil" Fails, Try "Don't Be Boring": It's worked for us since 1958.
Derek is LitenVärld's most loyal employee—he lives and breathes the store. He practices customer service mantras in the mirror. He even lives in a shipping container graciously provided by the company in the back lot. So what if the other employees think he's weird. He only cares what his boss Trisha thinks—until he disappoints her by calling in sick after the the wormhole opens up. Suddenly, something weird is growing in Derek's throat, and higher management wants to talk to him...
Anytime there's a problem, throw the least convenient people overboard.
I really, really enjoyed this!
I don't really want to spoil too much of it, although the blurb does mention that he's assigned to the special inventory team to hunt down defective toys, and he meets four strangers who look exactly like him. However, the main plotline is the Island of Misfit Toys meets Send in the Clones meets hyper-capitalism.
Derek was a fascinating main character, and I want to say autistic-coded? From his stimming to hyperfocusing to his struggles on social cues (hard same dude, I mean, how do people just inherently get social cues and shit), it seemed that way? Although he never outright says it, but I really, really enjoyed the representation. He's always felt distant and different because he is different, and while there are reasons for that that he can't control, he also discovers there are other things he can control—and influence. And that family and friends can be found in many different places.
I really wish that it was longer, but what I got was pleasant, incredibly queer, and so much fun—while also being an insightful take-down of capitalistic, dehumanizing big box stores and upper management and hyper masculinity, and in a way, while also being a beautiful response to everything that happened in 2020?
By that I mean—how when the pandemic first started (and to today, over a year later), non-disabled or immunocompromised people basically threw every vulnerable person under the bus and blatantly disregarded or callously swept-aside marginalized, vulnerable communities because those communities weren't convenient to the Greater Society.
In a sense, this feels like a love letter to those who have disabilities, visible or invisible, or those who are neurodiverse or just don't fit in to whatever MainStream (*ahem* whyte, cisallohet society) deems acceptable.
And it is fantastic.
From the author's note, which seems like a perfect ending for this review:
If you're reading this book, and have gotten this far down in the acknowledgments, I'm grateful for you too. It means that we survived 2020, despite its best efforts. Fuck yeah.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
July 28, 2021
Any novella that can work in “Are your wormholes spawning syndicalists?” as a chapter title has my undying devotion.
December 30, 2022
wacky and wonderful
December 25, 2024
This book kept zigging and zagging and just when I thought I knew what it was about- nope, not close. Weirdly though it is really relatable as a workplace story. That’s bizarre.
April 30, 2025
I was really into it at first, with the clever juxtaposition of corporate jargon and platitudes with how workers are actually seen as just another resource to use up.
But then it veered off into bonkertown and lost me a bit, and the criticism of the capitalist machine became pretty darn heavy-handed and lost any nuance it might have had.
Points for originality and for changing forever how I will experience IKEA showrooms. 😆
But then it veered off into bonkertown and lost me a bit, and the criticism of the capitalist machine became pretty darn heavy-handed and lost any nuance it might have had.
Points for originality and for changing forever how I will experience IKEA showrooms. 😆
November 13, 2023
Seriously cannot get enough of the "just slightly more evil capitalistic world with bonus wormhole action" universe that is the LitenVerse
This story takes place in the same store and around the same time as the first book. Derek is a coworker of Jules and Ava, the protags of the first book. But unlike them he is not a normal minimum wage employee who hates their job and is filled with longing and regrets. In fact, Derek is the opposite. Derek is that annoying coworker who for some reason is good at their job and doesn't seem to be suffering from existential dread at every shift. But with a twist.
Derek lives on the store's campus, in a shipping container in the parking lot. His days are spent either working or, horrifically, just sitting around waiting for his next shift. He's never missed a day or been sick, and feels pride in his company and work. Sometimes he does feel a pang of an immeasurable longing, but his interest in his work subsides that feeling.
Until one day, while practicing his customer service voice in the mirror, Derek feels a pain in his throat. The pain continues throughout the day every time he puts on his cheerful customer service persona in lieu of voicing what he really feels. Even when he doesn't really know how he feels.
After taking his first sick day ever, Derek meets a strange woman from corporate who assigns him to work "special inventory" that night with an inventory team assigned to the store. But when Derek arrives to inventory that night everyone in the team is frighteningly similar to himself, and the inventory assignment is a bit more intense than just scanning products...
This book, actually the entire series, is just so good at capturing the essence of the whole... trying to find yourself while working a shitty minimum wage job. The LitenVärld store is comically evil but also exactly like the company you worked for during undergrad. The wormhole-as-a-plot-device effect just makes it that much better. Derek is not the type of character that you probably relate to, but he's similar to somebody that you know, or knew once.
Overall I think these are weird and fun and kind of genius, and have been recommending them to the people in my life who don't read much because the books are short but their premise (Evil Ikea with wormholes) always captures interest
This story takes place in the same store and around the same time as the first book. Derek is a coworker of Jules and Ava, the protags of the first book. But unlike them he is not a normal minimum wage employee who hates their job and is filled with longing and regrets. In fact, Derek is the opposite. Derek is that annoying coworker who for some reason is good at their job and doesn't seem to be suffering from existential dread at every shift. But with a twist.
Derek lives on the store's campus, in a shipping container in the parking lot. His days are spent either working or, horrifically, just sitting around waiting for his next shift. He's never missed a day or been sick, and feels pride in his company and work. Sometimes he does feel a pang of an immeasurable longing, but his interest in his work subsides that feeling.
Until one day, while practicing his customer service voice in the mirror, Derek feels a pain in his throat. The pain continues throughout the day every time he puts on his cheerful customer service persona in lieu of voicing what he really feels. Even when he doesn't really know how he feels.
After taking his first sick day ever, Derek meets a strange woman from corporate who assigns him to work "special inventory" that night with an inventory team assigned to the store. But when Derek arrives to inventory that night everyone in the team is frighteningly similar to himself, and the inventory assignment is a bit more intense than just scanning products...
This book, actually the entire series, is just so good at capturing the essence of the whole... trying to find yourself while working a shitty minimum wage job. The LitenVärld store is comically evil but also exactly like the company you worked for during undergrad. The wormhole-as-a-plot-device effect just makes it that much better. Derek is not the type of character that you probably relate to, but he's similar to somebody that you know, or knew once.
Overall I think these are weird and fun and kind of genius, and have been recommending them to the people in my life who don't read much because the books are short but their premise (Evil Ikea with wormholes) always captures interest
February 11, 2021
Nino Cipri is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, especially of short fiction, and their novella Defekt has only further cemented that space. Defekt is set in the same universe as their 2020 novella Finna; the events occur simultaneously and features different characters so it isn’t a sequel, though there are minor plot spoilers for Finna within, so I’d recommend reading it first (plus, it’s fantastic as well).
Defekt follows the journey of Derek, a model employee of Not-Ikea furniture company LitenVärld—for those who read Finna, he is the character whose sick day served as catalyst for the events of that novella. From the jump, there’s something weird and off about Derek’s sick day, and the novella takes very little time at all to introduce us to the primary plot point of the novel: a ‘special’ inventory shift where the team is composed of Derek and four other individuals who bear a startling resemblance to him.
If you’ve ever worked retail or experienced the capitalist grindstone, you’ll find something to relate to in this novella, from the treatment of Derek’s sick day to the dynamics of the team he gets assigned to the special inventory with. In weird, wonderful, horrifying, and precise fashion, Nino Cipri crafts for the reader a journey of self-discovery and the perils of being a cog in the machine. Given Cipri’s other publications, I wasn’t surprised by the inclusion of transgender and nonbinary side characters, but I was delighted; between this and another development I will redact due to spoilers, it’s safe to say this can be considered an LGBTQIA+ work.
I can’t recommend this novella and it’s predecessor, Finna, enough. Both stories take all too relatable scenarios and three dimensional characters and inject them with the perfect amount of surrealism and horror. Defekt in particular will speak to anyone who has come to the stark realization the job they’ve devoted their life to may not care about them at all, and it explores the aftermath of that realization beautifully.
Thank you to Tor.com and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Defekt follows the journey of Derek, a model employee of Not-Ikea furniture company LitenVärld—for those who read Finna, he is the character whose sick day served as catalyst for the events of that novella. From the jump, there’s something weird and off about Derek’s sick day, and the novella takes very little time at all to introduce us to the primary plot point of the novel: a ‘special’ inventory shift where the team is composed of Derek and four other individuals who bear a startling resemblance to him.
If you’ve ever worked retail or experienced the capitalist grindstone, you’ll find something to relate to in this novella, from the treatment of Derek’s sick day to the dynamics of the team he gets assigned to the special inventory with. In weird, wonderful, horrifying, and precise fashion, Nino Cipri crafts for the reader a journey of self-discovery and the perils of being a cog in the machine. Given Cipri’s other publications, I wasn’t surprised by the inclusion of transgender and nonbinary side characters, but I was delighted; between this and another development I will redact due to spoilers, it’s safe to say this can be considered an LGBTQIA+ work.
I can’t recommend this novella and it’s predecessor, Finna, enough. Both stories take all too relatable scenarios and three dimensional characters and inject them with the perfect amount of surrealism and horror. Defekt in particular will speak to anyone who has come to the stark realization the job they’ve devoted their life to may not care about them at all, and it explores the aftermath of that realization beautifully.
Thank you to Tor.com and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 20, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
"When "Don't Be Evil" Fails, Try "Don't Be Boring": It's worked for us since 1958."
The first novella in this series answered the question about what would happen if a wormhole opened up in Ikea, I mean, LitenVärld. I thought it was fun even though I wanted more world building. I was so excited when I heard about this installment.
Derek is the perfect employee and dedicated to the company. But the one day he calls out sick, a wormhole attacks his store. Derek is assigned to help clean up the mess. He finds out his perfect company might have flaws after all.
I adored this one and thought the length was perfect. I loved the nod to the prior book. I loved all the internal memos and policy manual tidbits. I loved the characters and the consequences of Derek's choices. I love the #ownvoices rep. I loved the ending
I know the author didn't originally plan to write more set in LitenVärld but I am super happy to have gotten this one. I also know I didn't discuss the plot. That's cause ye should read the first book and this one too. Arrrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Tor.com!
"When "Don't Be Evil" Fails, Try "Don't Be Boring": It's worked for us since 1958."
The first novella in this series answered the question about what would happen if a wormhole opened up in Ikea, I mean, LitenVärld. I thought it was fun even though I wanted more world building. I was so excited when I heard about this installment.
Derek is the perfect employee and dedicated to the company. But the one day he calls out sick, a wormhole attacks his store. Derek is assigned to help clean up the mess. He finds out his perfect company might have flaws after all.
I adored this one and thought the length was perfect. I loved the nod to the prior book. I loved all the internal memos and policy manual tidbits. I loved the characters and the consequences of Derek's choices. I love the #ownvoices rep. I loved the ending
I know the author didn't originally plan to write more set in LitenVärld but I am super happy to have gotten this one. I also know I didn't discuss the plot. That's cause ye should read the first book and this one too. Arrrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Tor.com!
January 10, 2022
I've got to say that I enjoyed it a lot more then Finna. This felt more complete in it's story all of it took place inside the store itself. Plus Derek's character is one of my favourite archetypes and proves that Nino Cipri has a knack for characters that are so deeply flawed and therefore so sympathetic
October 9, 2023
This novella takes place in the same LitenVärld store that Ava and Jules worked at in book one in this series, but follows Derek, the store's most loyal and dedicated employee. He lives in a shipping container in the store's parking lot, and has no friends and no life outside his time at the store. In fact, he doesn't even have any memories from before he started working at the store... or any explanation for why the store seems to make sense to him, and even speak to him, in a way it doesn't to any of his co-workers. Then something even more shocking than an wormhole occurs in the store: the furniture starts waking up and coming to life. Derek's entire worldview and sense of self are completely upturned. Unfortunately this story didn't capture me as strongly as book one; despite being a novella it felt oddly slow. I was rooting for Derek and the wayward furniture by the end, but the structure of the story was not as strong or streamlined as Finna. I do still want to keep reading Nino Cipri because I love the way they effortlessly include nonbinary characters in their sci-fi and I want a third installment that returns to Ava and Jules!
anti-library
April 25, 2020'Eldritch corporate overlords, Karen from HR is not on your side, evil luxury toilets, carnivorous furniture, cute monsters, class solidarity, clone solidarity, selfcest???, body horror.
Yes, this is Finna’s sequel.'
I WANT THIS SO BAD
Source
Yes, this is Finna’s sequel.'
I WANT THIS SO BAD
Source
Read
June 8, 2023Acho que gostei ainda mais que do 1º livro! Ambos são histórias rápidas e avulsas, que acompanham funcionários diferentes dessa grande Tok&Stok conectada a universos paralelos.
O protagonista dessa vez é Derek, um funcionário exemplar da LitenVärld. Uma noite colocam ele pra fazer uma checagem do estoque e ele encontra outros 4 "Dereks" trabalhando na loja! Nino Cipri é trans não-binárie, e aproveita a premissa para explorar questões de gênero (afinal, mesmo sendo supostamente clones, cada "Derek" tem uma expressão e uma personalidade diferente) e criticar o corporativismo e a cooptação de pautas pelo capitalismo (será que a empresa realmente te enxerga como família ou eles só te "aceitam" enquanto você estiver servindo aos propósitos dela?).
_
"We're all company men."
"We are definitely not all men," Dex said as he walked past to the sales floor. Dirk shrugged.
"Fine. Two company men, one company woman, and one fluidly gendered company individual, who, despite all being genetically identical, can't even agree on the pizza toppings."
_
He'd known something was wrong with him. He knew enough to hide it, knew it would get him in trouble and endanger his relationship with LitenVärld; that LitenVärld, despite Derek's genuine love for it and his faith in its ethos, would not or could not make space for him to exist as his whole self. There was a place for everything here, but—as Darkness had pointed out early in the night, that was only true as long as LitenVärld could control it or sell it.
O protagonista dessa vez é Derek, um funcionário exemplar da LitenVärld. Uma noite colocam ele pra fazer uma checagem do estoque e ele encontra outros 4 "Dereks" trabalhando na loja! Nino Cipri é trans não-binárie, e aproveita a premissa para explorar questões de gênero (afinal, mesmo sendo supostamente clones, cada "Derek" tem uma expressão e uma personalidade diferente) e criticar o corporativismo e a cooptação de pautas pelo capitalismo (será que a empresa realmente te enxerga como família ou eles só te "aceitam" enquanto você estiver servindo aos propósitos dela?).
_
"We're all company men."
"We are definitely not all men," Dex said as he walked past to the sales floor. Dirk shrugged.
"Fine. Two company men, one company woman, and one fluidly gendered company individual, who, despite all being genetically identical, can't even agree on the pizza toppings."
_
He'd known something was wrong with him. He knew enough to hide it, knew it would get him in trouble and endanger his relationship with LitenVärld; that LitenVärld, despite Derek's genuine love for it and his faith in its ethos, would not or could not make space for him to exist as his whole self. There was a place for everything here, but—as Darkness had pointed out early in the night, that was only true as long as LitenVärld could control it or sell it.
April 27, 2021
Defekt is the 2nd book in the delightful LitenVerse series, and now I need ALL THE BOOKS in this world. Please, and thank you. These books are so damn fun. No really, when is book 3.
Defekt stars Derek, the most loyal employee at LitenVärld (think Ikea, but with wormholes). He’s a by-the-numbers guy. Reliable. Knows the rules, he’s even memorized the handbook, which kind of creeps people out (but seems real nice, to me). After taking a sick day (that sets off the events of book one), he’s put on night inventory to hunt and find defective products. The next bit is directly from the synopsis bc they say it best:
“Toy chests with pincers and eye stalks, ambulatory sleeper sofas, killer mutant toilets, that kind of thing. Helping him is the inventory team—four strangers who look and sound almost exactly like him. Are five Dereks better than one?”
So yeah, Defekt is adventures in retail dialed up to eleven. Monsters are running amuck, and Derek must help exterminate them. Cue identity crisis, found family, and a really jerky villain that makes Derek take a good look at himself. As always, Nino Cipri has us covered with queer, trans, and nonbinary characters. Defekt is a morsel of awesome, at times both funny and frightening. Have I mentioned the killer mutant toilet? Thank you Tordotcom for sending me an advanced copy!
Defekt stars Derek, the most loyal employee at LitenVärld (think Ikea, but with wormholes). He’s a by-the-numbers guy. Reliable. Knows the rules, he’s even memorized the handbook, which kind of creeps people out (but seems real nice, to me). After taking a sick day (that sets off the events of book one), he’s put on night inventory to hunt and find defective products. The next bit is directly from the synopsis bc they say it best:
“Toy chests with pincers and eye stalks, ambulatory sleeper sofas, killer mutant toilets, that kind of thing. Helping him is the inventory team—four strangers who look and sound almost exactly like him. Are five Dereks better than one?”
So yeah, Defekt is adventures in retail dialed up to eleven. Monsters are running amuck, and Derek must help exterminate them. Cue identity crisis, found family, and a really jerky villain that makes Derek take a good look at himself. As always, Nino Cipri has us covered with queer, trans, and nonbinary characters. Defekt is a morsel of awesome, at times both funny and frightening. Have I mentioned the killer mutant toilet? Thank you Tordotcom for sending me an advanced copy!
April 19, 2021
Follow the rules, make the customers happy, and report any signs of hemorrhaging to corporate. To Derek, the job is easy enough. It's almost as if he was made to do it. He doesn't remember anything before November, doesn't really have any friends, and lives in a shipping container behind the store.
The store is like an upscale IKEA, selling $3000 egg chair toilets that, coincidentally, later becomes a character in the story. Yes, the furniture comes alive and rearranges itself in LitenVärld. The store keeps losing customers through wormholes. And it turns out that the members of the night crew are all variations on Derek.
This book definitely reminds me of Horrorstör. I think it would certainly suit fans of Horrorstör.
I think perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a bizarre, absurdist book when I dug into this one. I also didn't realize it was #2 in a series when I agreed to review it for Netgalley. However, it does stand alone pretty well. It just wasn't my full cup of tea. However, I did appreciate the message of not being willing to sacrifice your all for a crappy job that really doesn't care about you.
The store is like an upscale IKEA, selling $3000 egg chair toilets that, coincidentally, later becomes a character in the story. Yes, the furniture comes alive and rearranges itself in LitenVärld. The store keeps losing customers through wormholes. And it turns out that the members of the night crew are all variations on Derek.
This book definitely reminds me of Horrorstör. I think it would certainly suit fans of Horrorstör.
I think perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a bizarre, absurdist book when I dug into this one. I also didn't realize it was #2 in a series when I agreed to review it for Netgalley. However, it does stand alone pretty well. It just wasn't my full cup of tea. However, I did appreciate the message of not being willing to sacrifice your all for a crappy job that really doesn't care about you.
March 6, 2021
I definitely enjoyed this one more than Finna. While the story itself and the concept of clones and discordant products was interesting, the author’s idea of using the clones to talk about the grind of capitalism and how it completely destroys our independent thoughts and desires and any autonomy we feel, was excellent. This novella had humor, heart, an emotional depth and an eclectic cast of characters who were so much fun to follow. The ending was particularly hilarious and hopeful and I thought it was just such a perfect conclusion.
March 29, 2023
I love the defekta (semi-sentient and ambulatory furniture and fittings). The homicidal toilet was particularly amusing. Interesting concept, unfortunately the author doesn't do anything revolutionary with it. The writing is decent and the story is entertaining.
February 11, 2023
Die Geschichte erzählt etwas aus dem Dazwischen und das auf so viele verschiedene Arten, dass es ein Fest war, alle zu erkunden!
December 29, 2020
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
Defekt follows an employee trying to keep doing his best as his world cracks and gets stranger despite his efforts to fit in and follow the manual. I love the chapter openers from the employee manual. The overly cheery corporate-speak helps to establish the tone of the book, especially when the MC is very familiar with this document (or with others like it). It’s informing the world and the characters’ inner lives at the same time, and it’s very funny on top of all that. The MC is in the perfect middle zone between technically being an unreliable narrator and also never actually lying to the reader (and not trying to either). The book is so observant and the MC is so clueless, and it was so wonderful to view this strange hyper-corporate world through the eyes of someone who loves it because it's the only thing they know. The secondary characters were great counterpoints to the MC's perspective while also feeling like full people separate from his conception of them, it's great world-building (especially for such a short story).
This is a sequel to FINNA (and contains a minor spoiler for it), but DEFEKT can completely stand alone. I'll do my normal sequel check but some of the answers might feel wonky because the author has said FINNA was intended to be stand-alone (and therefore wasn't trying to leave hanging threads for a sequel to grab on to). This doesn't wrap up anything left hanging from the previous book, but it does temporally situate the books in relation to each other very succinctly and I appreciated that touch. The whole story starts in this book and wasn't present in the first one, and it is its own story in a connected universe. I don't think it left anything in particular for additional sequels to pick up, but I would be very interested in more stories based in this location, especially given how DEFEKT ends. While I don't think anything was left open on purpose, the world is open enough to give room for more stories told here while being specific enough to be interesting. The MC is different from the first book and his voice feels distinct from the previous book's MC. Finally, this would absolutely make sense if you hadn't read the first one, but, again, it does open with a minor spoiler from FINNA so I do recommend reading FINNA first if you're planning on eventually having read both books.
CW for bullying, transphobia, blood, violence, death.
Defekt follows an employee trying to keep doing his best as his world cracks and gets stranger despite his efforts to fit in and follow the manual. I love the chapter openers from the employee manual. The overly cheery corporate-speak helps to establish the tone of the book, especially when the MC is very familiar with this document (or with others like it). It’s informing the world and the characters’ inner lives at the same time, and it’s very funny on top of all that. The MC is in the perfect middle zone between technically being an unreliable narrator and also never actually lying to the reader (and not trying to either). The book is so observant and the MC is so clueless, and it was so wonderful to view this strange hyper-corporate world through the eyes of someone who loves it because it's the only thing they know. The secondary characters were great counterpoints to the MC's perspective while also feeling like full people separate from his conception of them, it's great world-building (especially for such a short story).
This is a sequel to FINNA (and contains a minor spoiler for it), but DEFEKT can completely stand alone. I'll do my normal sequel check but some of the answers might feel wonky because the author has said FINNA was intended to be stand-alone (and therefore wasn't trying to leave hanging threads for a sequel to grab on to). This doesn't wrap up anything left hanging from the previous book, but it does temporally situate the books in relation to each other very succinctly and I appreciated that touch. The whole story starts in this book and wasn't present in the first one, and it is its own story in a connected universe. I don't think it left anything in particular for additional sequels to pick up, but I would be very interested in more stories based in this location, especially given how DEFEKT ends. While I don't think anything was left open on purpose, the world is open enough to give room for more stories told here while being specific enough to be interesting. The MC is different from the first book and his voice feels distinct from the previous book's MC. Finally, this would absolutely make sense if you hadn't read the first one, but, again, it does open with a minor spoiler from FINNA so I do recommend reading FINNA first if you're planning on eventually having read both books.
CW for bullying, transphobia, blood, violence, death.
April 20, 2021
If you read Hugo-nominated Finna, you'll recall that the only reason Ava was working when a wormhole opened up in their LitenVärld furniture store was because she was covering for "fucking Derek," who had called out sick. Well folks, I'm pleased to introduce you to Fucking Derek: the model employee who practices his customer service voice in front of a mirror, struggles to interact with coworkers, and isn't entirely sure of his place in the LitenVärld ecosystem. When he's called in to do a special inventory one night, he meets four other people who look just like him—who are here to track down rogue furniture pieces.
Defekt is perhaps not as ambitious as Finna, but I think this really works for the novella format. We have all of the puzzle pieces that made Finna good, but refined to the point that they fit the novella format really well and turn Defekt into a stand-out story. And although it does spoil the plot of Finna, Defekt is more of a companion novella and can be read as a standalone without having read the previous LitenVerse novella.
I really loved this book and it was the perfect palate cleanser in between my horror reads. It's funny and heart-warming, but Cipri doesn't slack on the antagonist and the high stakes. If you're looking for a fun little story where someone who's not so sure of himself and doesn't have any friends finds a found family and understands himself a little better, this is it. Defekt is a short little adventure that's sure to please readers of all sorts.
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Many thanks to Tordotcom and Nino Cipri for the advance e-copy via Netgalley. This is an all-the-good-bits abbreviated review; my full review can be found on my blog, The Library Cryptid.
Defekt is perhaps not as ambitious as Finna, but I think this really works for the novella format. We have all of the puzzle pieces that made Finna good, but refined to the point that they fit the novella format really well and turn Defekt into a stand-out story. And although it does spoil the plot of Finna, Defekt is more of a companion novella and can be read as a standalone without having read the previous LitenVerse novella.
I really loved this book and it was the perfect palate cleanser in between my horror reads. It's funny and heart-warming, but Cipri doesn't slack on the antagonist and the high stakes. If you're looking for a fun little story where someone who's not so sure of himself and doesn't have any friends finds a found family and understands himself a little better, this is it. Defekt is a short little adventure that's sure to please readers of all sorts.
--
Many thanks to Tordotcom and Nino Cipri for the advance e-copy via Netgalley. This is an all-the-good-bits abbreviated review; my full review can be found on my blog, The Library Cryptid.
January 16, 2021
Nino Cipri's follow up to FINNA is a delightful spiritual sequel that can still stand on its own while still calling back to some of the best things about its predecessor. You really don't need to have read FINNA to enjoy this novel, but it was fun to return to this world after reading Cipri's debut. Defekt tackles the horrors of late-stage capitalism, clone ethics, identity politics, and the power of human connection all in a neat 144 pages. Oh, and did I mention that it's uproariously funny, too?
Defekt follows Derek, a minor character from FINNA and a highly enthusiastic employee of the insidious LitenVärld home furnishing company (think an evil IKEA) that is normal store that just happens to have wormholes to parallel universes occasionally breaking through. Through these come a variety of sentient, otherworldly pieces of furniture. When Derek accidentally stumbles upon one of these creatures, he inadvertently finds himself reassigned to an inventory division made up of none other than a crack-team of alternate universe Dereks assigned to find and exterminate these anomalies.
Derek himself if a wonderful, if self-depreciating narrator, whose journey to create an identify for himself beyond the company line becomes (literally) a reflective experience, as he learns more about himself through the lives and voices of the people he could have been. Each of the Derek's has a unique identity and Cipri has taken care to give each of them their own personality while emphasizing the underlying threads that bind them as one. The tension between what is comforting and safe versus what is right is beautifully explored, as is the difficulty of accepting change as a positive experience. Overall this was a charming novella and a humorous take on the horrors of retail management.
Defekt follows Derek, a minor character from FINNA and a highly enthusiastic employee of the insidious LitenVärld home furnishing company (think an evil IKEA) that is normal store that just happens to have wormholes to parallel universes occasionally breaking through. Through these come a variety of sentient, otherworldly pieces of furniture. When Derek accidentally stumbles upon one of these creatures, he inadvertently finds himself reassigned to an inventory division made up of none other than a crack-team of alternate universe Dereks assigned to find and exterminate these anomalies.
Derek himself if a wonderful, if self-depreciating narrator, whose journey to create an identify for himself beyond the company line becomes (literally) a reflective experience, as he learns more about himself through the lives and voices of the people he could have been. Each of the Derek's has a unique identity and Cipri has taken care to give each of them their own personality while emphasizing the underlying threads that bind them as one. The tension between what is comforting and safe versus what is right is beautifully explored, as is the difficulty of accepting change as a positive experience. Overall this was a charming novella and a humorous take on the horrors of retail management.
December 10, 2021
This was super enjoyable. I loved what it had to say about company culture, capitalism and identity. Urgh, so smart. And also short. Win win!
April 30, 2021
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Defekt (LitenVerse #2) by Nino Cipri is the perfect sequel/ companion novel to Finna which was one of my favorite novellas of 2020. My expectations for this were needless to say sky high and I'm so pleased to say this one totally delivers. I've only read two of Cipri's books, but they're quickly becoming a favorite. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'll read whatever they care to write from here on out. It was so much fun to be back in the mysterious and weird world of LitenVärld, an IKEA-like store where portals to various dimensions of the multiverse sometimes appear, and sometimes things from the other side come through. There's so much to love about this, but I can't resist the brand of humor in this story. In this installment of the series, my favorite aspect were all of the Dereks from across the multiverse - they were so cool to get to know. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my favorite reads of 2021. If you haven't started in on this series, what are you waiting for?
Defekt (LitenVerse #2) by Nino Cipri is the perfect sequel/ companion novel to Finna which was one of my favorite novellas of 2020. My expectations for this were needless to say sky high and I'm so pleased to say this one totally delivers. I've only read two of Cipri's books, but they're quickly becoming a favorite. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'll read whatever they care to write from here on out. It was so much fun to be back in the mysterious and weird world of LitenVärld, an IKEA-like store where portals to various dimensions of the multiverse sometimes appear, and sometimes things from the other side come through. There's so much to love about this, but I can't resist the brand of humor in this story. In this installment of the series, my favorite aspect were all of the Dereks from across the multiverse - they were so cool to get to know. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my favorite reads of 2021. If you haven't started in on this series, what are you waiting for?
January 15, 2021
Received to review via Netgalley; publication date 20th April 2021
I didn't love Finna, though I liked it; it felt it leaned a bit too much on being angry about soul-sucking capitalism (which, same, but the choir can get tired of being preached to). Defekt is set in the same world, and briefly crosses over with Finna (we see Jules right before the events of that book), but for whatever reason it worked a bit better for me -- it felt a little less preachy, and I loved the idea of all those sentient furnishings. The toilet is a highlight (seriously).
I was a little bit put off by the "self-cest" thing, though: Derek is the main character, and after he takes an uncharacteristic sick day, he has to do a special inventory shift. During the shift, he meets four of his clones, and finds himself particularly drawn to one of them. Sure, that one is quite different to him in many ways, but the potential romance between them was a bit of an odd note for me.
Still, a fun novella, and I suspect those who already enjoyed Finna will enjoy this at least as much.
I didn't love Finna, though I liked it; it felt it leaned a bit too much on being angry about soul-sucking capitalism (which, same, but the choir can get tired of being preached to). Defekt is set in the same world, and briefly crosses over with Finna (we see Jules right before the events of that book), but for whatever reason it worked a bit better for me -- it felt a little less preachy, and I loved the idea of all those sentient furnishings. The toilet is a highlight (seriously).
I was a little bit put off by the "self-cest" thing, though: Derek is the main character, and after he takes an uncharacteristic sick day, he has to do a special inventory shift. During the shift, he meets four of his clones, and finds himself particularly drawn to one of them. Sure, that one is quite different to him in many ways, but the potential romance between them was a bit of an odd note for me.
Still, a fun novella, and I suspect those who already enjoyed Finna will enjoy this at least as much.
March 6, 2024
3.5 stars
Content warnings: violence, language, body horror
Defekt is the second installment in Cipri's LitenVerse series. I really enjoyed the first novella, Finna, so I thought I'd pick this one up. I also had the genius idea to try to listen to the audiobook, which I never do. I think that I didn't fully process the story by listening to it, so I'll have to reread it in print and see if that changes my opinion.
As for the story itself, I feel like I enjoyed Ava and Jules from the first book more than I enjoyed these characters, but I think Derek can be relatable to most people as the mild-mannered, hard-working corporate peon who is coming to terms with knowing he deserves better than the mistreatment he receives at the hands of his unfeeling, and frankly, cruel overlords.
Anyone who's ever had to work in retail or service will probably feel a certain sense of catharsis within the LitenVerse novellas.
Content warnings: violence, language, body horror
Defekt is the second installment in Cipri's LitenVerse series. I really enjoyed the first novella, Finna, so I thought I'd pick this one up. I also had the genius idea to try to listen to the audiobook, which I never do. I think that I didn't fully process the story by listening to it, so I'll have to reread it in print and see if that changes my opinion.
As for the story itself, I feel like I enjoyed Ava and Jules from the first book more than I enjoyed these characters, but I think Derek can be relatable to most people as the mild-mannered, hard-working corporate peon who is coming to terms with knowing he deserves better than the mistreatment he receives at the hands of his unfeeling, and frankly, cruel overlords.
Anyone who's ever had to work in retail or service will probably feel a certain sense of catharsis within the LitenVerse novellas.
April 25, 2021
I wasn't super big on Finna so I went into this expecting to hate it, instead seeing my expectations subverted and liking this much more than the first. It's got a much more interesting premise and just does more with it. Just like Finna, it's a fun read, even though you shouldn't expect anything revolutionary.
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