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![Calvin Kasulke - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0941Y1B9T.jpg)
Several People Are Typing: A Novel
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick! • A work-from-home comedy where WFH meets WTF.
"An absurd, hilarious romp through the haunted house of late-stage capitalism."-Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House
Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, this irresistible, relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life is The Office for a new world.
Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company's internal Slack channels-at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it's an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from home policy, but now that Gerald's productivity is through the roof, his bosses are only too happy to let him work from . . . wherever he says he is.
Faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. But the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes.
Meanwhile, Gerald's colleagues have PR catastrophes of their own to handle in the real world. Their biggest client, a high-end dog food company, is in the midst of recalling a bad batch of food that's allegedly poisoning Pomeranians nationwide. And their CEO suspects someone is sabotaging his office furniture. And if Gerald gets to work from home all the time, why can't everyone? Is true love possible between two people, when one is just a line of text in an app? And what in the hell does the :dusty-stick: emoji mean?
In a time when office paranoia and politics have followed us home, Calvin Kasulke is here to capture the surprising, absurd, and fully-relatable factors attacking our collective sanity…and give us hope that we can still find a human connection.
"An absurd, hilarious romp through the haunted house of late-stage capitalism."-Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House
Told entirely through clever and captivating Slack messages, this irresistible, relatable satire of both virtual work and contemporary life is The Office for a new world.
Gerald, a mid-level employee of a New York–based public relations firm has been uploaded into the company's internal Slack channels-at least his consciousness has. His colleagues assume it's an elaborate gag to exploit the new work-from home policy, but now that Gerald's productivity is through the roof, his bosses are only too happy to let him work from . . . wherever he says he is.
Faced with the looming abyss of a disembodied life online, Gerald enlists his co-worker Pradeep to help him escape, and to find out what happened to his body. But the longer Gerald stays in the void, the more alluring and absurd his reality becomes.
Meanwhile, Gerald's colleagues have PR catastrophes of their own to handle in the real world. Their biggest client, a high-end dog food company, is in the midst of recalling a bad batch of food that's allegedly poisoning Pomeranians nationwide. And their CEO suspects someone is sabotaging his office furniture. And if Gerald gets to work from home all the time, why can't everyone? Is true love possible between two people, when one is just a line of text in an app? And what in the hell does the :dusty-stick: emoji mean?
In a time when office paranoia and politics have followed us home, Calvin Kasulke is here to capture the surprising, absurd, and fully-relatable factors attacking our collective sanity…and give us hope that we can still find a human connection.
Editorial Reviews
"An absurd, hilarious romp through the haunted house of late-stage capitalism." --Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House and Her Body and Other Parties
"Several People Are Typing is fun, funny, addictive, and surreal…I blazed through it in an hour, came up for air, and then immediately blazed through it again."--The New Yorker
"Gloriously inventive. . .Reminiscent of the perfectly realized drudgery of Joshua Ferris' Then We Came to the End (2006) and the gothic happenings of David Foster Wallace's The Pale King (2011), this is a workplace comedy that brilliantly captures the era of remote work. . .A poignant depiction of the always-on nature of the contemporary workplace. Kasulke's ear for dialogue is remarkable as he truly captures the injokes, asides, and odd language of Slack communication. Funny, relatable, and incredibly timely, this is a hugely entertaining debut." --Booklist, *starred review*
"An existential romp with a wicked sense of humor, Calvin Kasulke's debut novel is a Greek chorus of modern strife, a workplace of woebegone souls. It asks the important questions, like what it means to be a person, but also, what it means to be a gif. Several People Are Typing is a dirge for bureaucracy told by one of the funniest new writers @here." --Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary
"[An] extremely meta debut novel that feels like just the right amount of triggering after working from home for the last 17 months." --Nylon
"Several People Are Typing is the first novel I've read that feels written of, about, and inside the internet. With cursed spreadsheets, pregnant lizards, backchannel smack-talk, :dusty_sticks:, and the creepiest gifs in American literature, Calvin Kasulke doesn't just commit to the bit; the bit commits to him. If you've ever felt imprisoned by work, the internet, or your mortal body, buy this book twice." --Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private Citizens
"Calvin Kasulke knows what makes a spooky story good. Questions like: Is that thing real? Is he possessed? What otherworldly realm is this? Where are those wolves howling from? And the scariest: Did I reply-all? Finding human connection in disembodied Slack chat, Several People Are Typing makes the impossible seem possible." --Helen Ellis, bestselling author of American Housewife and Bring Your Baggage and Don't Pack Light
"Rife with office humor, Internet speak, and sharp criticisms of capitalism, Kasulke's extremely online debut novel is composed entirely of Slack messages." --The Millions, "Most Anticpated Books of 2021"
"A brilliant, laugh-out-loud fu...
"Several People Are Typing is fun, funny, addictive, and surreal…I blazed through it in an hour, came up for air, and then immediately blazed through it again."--The New Yorker
"Gloriously inventive. . .Reminiscent of the perfectly realized drudgery of Joshua Ferris' Then We Came to the End (2006) and the gothic happenings of David Foster Wallace's The Pale King (2011), this is a workplace comedy that brilliantly captures the era of remote work. . .A poignant depiction of the always-on nature of the contemporary workplace. Kasulke's ear for dialogue is remarkable as he truly captures the injokes, asides, and odd language of Slack communication. Funny, relatable, and incredibly timely, this is a hugely entertaining debut." --Booklist, *starred review*
"An existential romp with a wicked sense of humor, Calvin Kasulke's debut novel is a Greek chorus of modern strife, a workplace of woebegone souls. It asks the important questions, like what it means to be a person, but also, what it means to be a gif. Several People Are Typing is a dirge for bureaucracy told by one of the funniest new writers @here." --Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary
"[An] extremely meta debut novel that feels like just the right amount of triggering after working from home for the last 17 months." --Nylon
"Several People Are Typing is the first novel I've read that feels written of, about, and inside the internet. With cursed spreadsheets, pregnant lizards, backchannel smack-talk, :dusty_sticks:, and the creepiest gifs in American literature, Calvin Kasulke doesn't just commit to the bit; the bit commits to him. If you've ever felt imprisoned by work, the internet, or your mortal body, buy this book twice." --Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private Citizens
"Calvin Kasulke knows what makes a spooky story good. Questions like: Is that thing real? Is he possessed? What otherworldly realm is this? Where are those wolves howling from? And the scariest: Did I reply-all? Finding human connection in disembodied Slack chat, Several People Are Typing makes the impossible seem possible." --Helen Ellis, bestselling author of American Housewife and Bring Your Baggage and Don't Pack Light
"Rife with office humor, Internet speak, and sharp criticisms of capitalism, Kasulke's extremely online debut novel is composed entirely of Slack messages." --The Millions, "Most Anticpated Books of 2021"
"A brilliant, laugh-out-loud fu...
Readers Top Reviews
Dr R D TurnerDawnie
The whole book consists of text messages between office workers. Some exchanges are humorous to start off with, but then crop up repeatedly which becomes tedious. The whole "serious" content could easily be summarised in two or three sentences.
Bradley Smith
Let’s get one thing straight: this book is targeted toward those who work in modern day corporate setting. If you haven’t used Slack, you really wouldn’t understand. While the concept was clever, the story and ending left much to be desired.
Sonia BehalAnita Ols
Hard to follow did not make sense . No flow to the story I have no idea what actually happened in this book
cg
I wasn’t impressed with how slow it went but it is still addictive because we want to know what happens!
agesAngie CCassandra
I chose this book because it suppose to be a sign of the times. Instead, it was boring due to the fact that it is long winded. This type of writing could have been much shorter to get the point across about today's communication methods.
Short Excerpt Teaser
gerald, slackbot
gerald
help
slackbot
I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though! If you need more help, try our Help Center for loads of useful information about Slack.
gerald
uninstall
slackbot
I searched for that on our Help Center. Perhaps these articles will help:
• Change your time zone
• Manage your password
gerald
please help me
slackbot
I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though!
gerald
uninstall self
slackbot
I'm sorry, I don't understand! Sometimes I have an easier time with a few simple keywords. Or you can head to our wonderful Help Center for more assistance!
#nyc-office
kerolyn
so this spreadsheet
gerald
yes?
kerolyn
was it like, special?
gerald
not particularly
tripp
what were the contents of the spreadsheet
gerald
does that really matter
kerolyn
it must
clearly
Nikki
Clearly it must, for all this to have happened.
gerald
coats
tripp
no comprende
Nikki
https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/d2I8CYEMxVhL6ZplMC0Ji8o?domain=en.wikipedia.org
Coats
Coats may refer to [read more]
tripp
thank you, Nikki
unnecessary
but thank you
Nikki
You're welcome.
kerolyn
explain the coats, @gerald
gerald
it was a spreadsheet of different winter coats that I was considering purchasing
broken down by price, probable warmth, and other deciding factors
tripp
"other deciding factors"
such as
gerald
Predicted Attractiveness In Coat was a factor
tripp
lol
huge
Nikki
You built out a spreadsheet for that?
kerolyn
no, I get that
gerald
it's a big decision, financially
kerolyn
it's a big purchase
exactly
jinx
gerald
is that what you think it is, maybe? a jinx
kerolyn
that's not what I meant
gerald
maybe you're right though
Nikki, pradeep, Louis C
Nikki
Why do we have these calls?
What is he even saying?
pradeep
I have no idea
I tune out whenever this dude talks
what's his role over there again?
Louis C
He's their comms director.
pradeep
if they have a comms director then why did they hire us?
Louis C
Because he isn't a very good comms director.
Nikki
You're both missing my point.
I mean, *what is he actually saying*?
It sounds like he's taking this call from the bottom of a well.
pradeep
if he's been stuck in a well for a while, that might explain his grasp of like
the entire internet
Louis C
I believe their offices are located in the greater Tampa area.
Nikki
Is this what Tampa sounds like?
pradeep
please tell me this dude didn't just say "myspace"
please tell me I did not just hear him say that
Louis C
Yes. This is what Tampa sounds like.
#nyc-office
kerolyn
which channel were you going to upload a spreadsheet about coats into?
gerald
#gents-only
Nikki
You're joking.
gerald
you guys made a women-only one!!
kerolyn
not the same
Nikki
Not the same.
tripp
why was I not invited??
gerald
we're getting off-topic
point is that's the spreadsheet I was trying to upload when I got stuck
and now I'm just kinda, in here
tripp
@gerald invite me to #gents-only
gerald
I'm trying to explain why I'm not in the office rn
tripp
@gerald invite me to #gents-only, you coward
doug smorin
done
tripp
bless u
doug smorin
missed a lot of messages
someone recap for me?
kerolyn
gerald says he can't come in to work today because he uploaded a spreadsheet wrong, somehow, and now he's stuck inside slack
or smth
doug smorin
what
kerolyn
that's what we were investigating
gerald
I know it sounds like bullshit
tripp
should file a ticket with google suite maybe
would be a real significant bug
I'm checking their troubleshooting page rn and it doesn't look like there's a section dedicated to users getting Tron'd
gerald
I don't know how to get un-stuck
tripp<...
gerald
help
slackbot
I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though! If you need more help, try our Help Center for loads of useful information about Slack.
gerald
uninstall
slackbot
I searched for that on our Help Center. Perhaps these articles will help:
• Change your time zone
• Manage your password
gerald
please help me
slackbot
I can help by answering simple questions about how Slack works. I'm just a bot, though!
gerald
uninstall self
slackbot
I'm sorry, I don't understand! Sometimes I have an easier time with a few simple keywords. Or you can head to our wonderful Help Center for more assistance!
#nyc-office
kerolyn
so this spreadsheet
gerald
yes?
kerolyn
was it like, special?
gerald
not particularly
tripp
what were the contents of the spreadsheet
gerald
does that really matter
kerolyn
it must
clearly
Nikki
Clearly it must, for all this to have happened.
gerald
coats
tripp
no comprende
Nikki
https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/d2I8CYEMxVhL6ZplMC0Ji8o?domain=en.wikipedia.org
Coats
Coats may refer to [read more]
tripp
thank you, Nikki
unnecessary
but thank you
Nikki
You're welcome.
kerolyn
explain the coats, @gerald
gerald
it was a spreadsheet of different winter coats that I was considering purchasing
broken down by price, probable warmth, and other deciding factors
tripp
"other deciding factors"
such as
gerald
Predicted Attractiveness In Coat was a factor
tripp
lol
huge
Nikki
You built out a spreadsheet for that?
kerolyn
no, I get that
gerald
it's a big decision, financially
kerolyn
it's a big purchase
exactly
jinx
gerald
is that what you think it is, maybe? a jinx
kerolyn
that's not what I meant
gerald
maybe you're right though
Nikki, pradeep, Louis C
Nikki
Why do we have these calls?
What is he even saying?
pradeep
I have no idea
I tune out whenever this dude talks
what's his role over there again?
Louis C
He's their comms director.
pradeep
if they have a comms director then why did they hire us?
Louis C
Because he isn't a very good comms director.
Nikki
You're both missing my point.
I mean, *what is he actually saying*?
It sounds like he's taking this call from the bottom of a well.
pradeep
if he's been stuck in a well for a while, that might explain his grasp of like
the entire internet
Louis C
I believe their offices are located in the greater Tampa area.
Nikki
Is this what Tampa sounds like?
pradeep
please tell me this dude didn't just say "myspace"
please tell me I did not just hear him say that
Louis C
Yes. This is what Tampa sounds like.
#nyc-office
kerolyn
which channel were you going to upload a spreadsheet about coats into?
gerald
#gents-only
Nikki
You're joking.
gerald
you guys made a women-only one!!
kerolyn
not the same
Nikki
Not the same.
tripp
why was I not invited??
gerald
we're getting off-topic
point is that's the spreadsheet I was trying to upload when I got stuck
and now I'm just kinda, in here
tripp
@gerald invite me to #gents-only
gerald
I'm trying to explain why I'm not in the office rn
tripp
@gerald invite me to #gents-only, you coward
doug smorin
done
tripp
bless u
doug smorin
missed a lot of messages
someone recap for me?
kerolyn
gerald says he can't come in to work today because he uploaded a spreadsheet wrong, somehow, and now he's stuck inside slack
or smth
doug smorin
what
kerolyn
that's what we were investigating
gerald
I know it sounds like bullshit
tripp
should file a ticket with google suite maybe
would be a real significant bug
I'm checking their troubleshooting page rn and it doesn't look like there's a section dedicated to users getting Tron'd
gerald
I don't know how to get un-stuck
tripp<...
