Hey Daniela, thank you so much for reading the book and taking time to write such a thoughtful review. I hear your point about the stories being too short and therefore a bit unfulfilling. This is the number one criticism that I've heard from readers. It was a conscious choice, for better or worse.
For one, I wanted the overall effect of the book to feel like a montage of the future, composed of a collage of snapshots. And just as a pile of mysterious polaroids is fascinating because they inspire curiosity about what was going on when the pic was snapped, I wanted the reader to walk away with new avenues of wonder. My hope was that a want for more, instead of just being a dissatisfaction about some content, would actually engender curiosity about what more the future could be.
As Black Mirror so forcefully water boards us with the notion that the future will absolutely suck because of technology, I didn't want to do the exact opposite and zealously proclaim the unblemished good of technology and its role in the future. Instead I wanted to do something a bit different: I wanted to inspire wonder about the future by giving readers a wide array of possibilities.
I was also conscious of the fact that books are now competing with things like tiktok and instagram and all that slopcore trash. Attention spans are diseased and fragmented. So I figured ultra short stories... that can be read in any order... might have a strategic edge in the modern world. I've had a few readers reach out to tell me that White Mirror "got them back into reading" so those few small victories mean a lot, and at least for me, they are worth the unfortunate dissatisfaction of more seasoned readers. Everything has trade offs, and I did my best given the time and energy I had for the project.
Regardless, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read my book. It truly is an honor, and I can't tell you nice it was to read you review.
For one, I wanted the overall effect of the book to feel like a montage of the future, composed of a collage of snapshots. And just as a pile of mysterious polaroids is fascinating because they inspire curiosity about what was going on when the pic was snapped, I wanted the reader to walk away with new avenues of wonder. My hope was that a want for more, instead of just being a dissatisfaction about some content, would actually engender curiosity about what more the future could be.
As Black Mirror so forcefully water boards us with the notion that the future will absolutely suck because of technology, I didn't want to do the exact opposite and zealously proclaim the unblemished good of technology and its role in the future. Instead I wanted to do something a bit different: I wanted to inspire wonder about the future by giving readers a wide array of possibilities.
I was also conscious of the fact that books are now competing with things like tiktok and instagram and all that slopcore trash. Attention spans are diseased and fragmented. So I figured ultra short stories... that can be read in any order... might have a strategic edge in the modern world. I've had a few readers reach out to tell me that White Mirror "got them back into reading" so those few small victories mean a lot, and at least for me, they are worth the unfortunate dissatisfaction of more seasoned readers. Everything has trade offs, and I did my best given the time and energy I had for the project.
Regardless, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read my book. It truly is an honor, and I can't tell you nice it was to read you review.