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The idea that language and society influence each other reciprocally has become rather commonplace. It is only more true after the introduction of large language models. Therefore, it is unfortunate that academic journals in our field review works of fiction only to a limited extent. While Brave New World , 1984 , Player Piano , Catch-22 , or This Perfect Day are often quoted as illuminating illustrations of established theoretical insights, fiction is rarely evaluated by social scientists for its own artistic critique or poetic contribution. Unfortunate, because it would allow these books to become subjects of study and scientific inspiration, earning them credit for the actual production of innovative thought. Precisely that is my ambition with this review of The Employees by Danish poet and novelist Olga Ravn.
As indicated by its subtitle, A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century, the book could easily pass for a work of science fiction. But the next century is not far enough for fiction to be completely detached from present reality. Many if not most of the children born today will likely experience twenty-second-century workplaces in their lifetime. Amidst so many dystopian ideas about the future of human life on Earth, Olga Ravn has written a surprisingly realistic novel.
First, a warning is in order: the book itself is and does what it is about. From the moment you bring it into your home and open its pages, it begins to insidiously change not just your inner thoughts and feelings, but everything around you, simply by its presence. In terms of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the printed object is a true actant, something that noticeably undermines and influences all familiar frames and connections in one's biotope. Consequently, as the owner, reader, and reviewer of this book, I remained largely in the dark about what exactly I was doing and where it was going to lead me, which offered a unique opportunity to isolate and examine this particular aspect of our lived ex