Some of these stories come and go in the space of a few pages others span a number of chapters, but even these only scud across the surfaces of the people and places they depict. At just over 250 pages, the book is Schweblin’s longest work yet, although in tone it resembles her shorter fiction, reading more like a whorl of disparate stories than a traditional novel. Little Eyes echoes the urgent, clarified style of Schweblin’s earlier works, helped by the return of Megan McDowell as translator. And all you need is $279 and an internet connection. It comes in different forms: bird, bear, rabbit, dragon and its uses are many: household pet, silent companion, information thief, pervert (depending, of course, on who that user is). But think less androids and more electric sheep: Schweblin’s invention is the “kentuki,” a remote-controlled animal with wheels for feet and cameras for eyes, controlled by a random and anonymous user. In traditional sci-fi fashion, Little Eyes centers on a technological invention and its resounding effects throughout society. But in the age of social media, cybercrime, and mass surveillance, the latest book from Argentine writer Samanta Schweblin feels far too believable, if not eerily familiar, to be called “futuristic” or “speculative” (or even, to an extent, fictional). IF LITTLE EYES had been written fifteen years ago, it would have been a work of fiercely imaginative science fiction.
0 kommentar(er)
