Internet Chats

It's another round of Jass. Reads. Books.
I'm your host: Jass. Not the same one who reads books, but the other one who wastes time on the internet. A sentence written solely to transition into this post's book-
Book #8: A Dystopian Novel: Notes from the Internet Apocalypse by Wayne Gladstone. 

Actually, I'm going to back track a little before I dive into this novel. It's been a while since we've all sat around our desk/laptops and just chatted. How have you been? What's going on? The kids look taller.  
There, isn't that nice? I feel like we've really bonded just now, and I want you all to know that...my dog once farted in my ear.

And...we're back to the book! So I'm kind of cheating a little bit with the category I've placed this book into. It's not really a typical dystopian world that one thinks of when reading the genre. There's no Katniss playing a game of Hungry, Hungry, Hippos, or 1984 being a boring season of the hit show Big Brother. No, this is a book about the internet disappearing. So it's a million times worse than anything that could possibly happen. Imagine living in the now, without the net? Seems like no big deal right? Except...if you didn't have the internet, you couldn't be reading this blog! THE HORROR! OH, THE HORROR!

Notes from the Internet Apocalypse takes place in our present, or technically a few years ago, and as mentioned the internet has just disappeared. Like vanished without a trace, and no one knows why or how. We're introduced to our protagonist Gladstone (Yes, the author named his character after himself--egotistical twat! Also follow him on twitter, he's pretty funny! He wrote for Cracked, which is basically the only reason I ever heard of this book!) and his recount of what happened. The novel is written as a journal (hence the "notes" part of the title) which is not usually a style I enjoy. My thought is always, if it's a journal, it's the past. If it's the past, I don't see why I need to care because a) everything worked out, or b) the writer is dead. There's nothing I can do at this point. However, I did enjoy it in this book. It worked really well for the journey Gladstone goes on. You see, he and his friend Tobey, decide they should go on a quest to find the internet and bring it back. Along the way they meet a bunch of characters: Oz, a young Australian woman, Jeeves, a psychic/living wikipedia, a special NET Recovery agent (newly created in the dire times of no net), and more.

 

I love this cover

 This is really where Gladstone's work shines: In his descriptions of people and moments. He has some fantastically hilarious lines and I found myself laughing out loud in surprised bursts. The quest is quite funny and the pace of the novel really helps it. He also utilizes a lot of comedy tools like repetition, witty banter, etc. (the etc. is there to hide I don't know what else a comedian needs...jokes? I don't know? Ask that guy on Seinfeld, whatever his name is.) There is an earnestness in the book, that makes the main character likeable. Not super likeable, but enough that you're like- guy, you're okay!

Jeeves (my favourite character) dubs Gladstone the "Internet Messiah" after a premonition. Remember, he's psychic. This sets a slew of people after Gladstone, but luckily for him-they don't know what he looks like. A cult forms around Jeeves to find him, and a radical Christian sect goes on a witch hunt. Additionally the government is looking for him. The interesting thing about this book is that despite being so absurd, it's kind of believable. I mean, not really...but I never really questioned the premise or the plot. That's pretty rare for me. I think part of it is how well it suits a journal style narration, but it's also that Gladstone (Character) recognizes how absurd the world has become. He's just trying to live in it. Which is pretty true to real life.

If you can't tell, I really liked this book. It's particularly funny if you know the internet. You see, because the internet has disappeared-there are people who can't handle it and have become zombies. Not literal zombies, but aimless people who are looking for like minded people to recreate their part of the internet. They hang out in groups based around which area of the web they frequented: YouTube, Reddit, etc. They are frightening in their political message(implied) and hilarious in their descriptions (opposite of implied). Gladstone (Author) particularly gives it to the 4Chan squad. The best is the internet concept of Rule 34 (If it exists, or you can think it, there is porn of it on the internet) taken to it's most literal interpretation with a "club" that caters to all needs. Fill out a form, pay a fee, and the club will set it up. It's both bizarre and delightful...especially if you know the internet.

Another thread that runs through this book is the concept of broken connections: Particularly the moments Gladstone flashes back to memories of his dead wife. We get a look into the character's internal life, and it speaks volumes in minimal scenes. It's probably what keeps this book grounded.

One of the things I disliked is the frequent use of the word "retarded". It wasn't really used in a derogatory sense, but it's still not cool. 

Would I recommend you read this book? I would. It takes an interesting turn in the end and sets up the next book. There's a lot of good social commentary in what is a fairly "out there" premise. Gladstone's a good writer and can keep your attention and the flow of the story going.
Check it out!