Olga Ravn

A workplace novel of the 22nd century The near-distant future. Millions of kilometres from Earth. The crew of the Six-Thousand ship consists of those who were born, and those who were created. Those who will die, and those who will not. When the ship takes on a number of strange objects from the planet New Discovery, the crew is perplexed to find itself becoming deeply attached to them, and human and humanoid employees alike find themselves longing for the same things: warmth and intimacy. Loved ones who have passed. Our shared, far-away Earth, which now only persists in memory. Gradually, the crew members come to see themselves in a new light, and each employee is compelled to ask themselves whether their work can carry on as before – and what it means to be truly alive. Structured as a series of witness statements compiled by a workplace commission, Ravn’s crackling prose is as chilling as it is moving, as exhilarating as it is foreboding. Wracked by all kinds of longing, The Employees probes into what it means to be human, emotionally and ontologically, while simultaneously delivering an overdue critique of a life governed by work and the logic of productivity.

The near-distant future. Millions of kilometres from Earth. The crew of the Six-Thousand Ship consists of those who were born, and those who were made. Those who will die, and those who will not. When the ship takes on a number of strange objects from the planet New Discovery, the crew is perplexed to find itself becoming deeply attached to them, and human and humanoid employees alike start aching for the same things: warmth and intimacy. Loved ones who have passed. Shopping and child-rearing. Our shared, far-away Earth, which now only persists in memory. Gradually, the crew members come to see their work in a new light, and each employee is compelled to ask themselves whether they can carry on as before and what it means to be truly living. Structured as a series of witness statements compiled by a workplace commission, Ravn's crackling prose is as chilling as it is moving, as exhilarating as it is foreboding. Wracked by all kinds of longing, The Employees probes into what it means to be human, emotionally and ontologically, while simultaneously delivering an overdue critique of a life governed by work and the logic of productivity.

In this radical, funny, and mercilessly honest novel about motherhood, Anna is utterly lost after giving birth. She and her family move to the unfamiliar, snowy city of Stockholm. Anxiety threatens to completely engulf the new mother, who obsessively devours online news and buys clothes she can’t afford. To avoid sinking deeper into her depression, Anna forces herself to read and write. 'My work' is a novel about the unique and fundamental experience of motherhood: it mixes fiction, essays, poetry, memoir, and letters to explore the thorny, twisted ties between pregnancy, maternity, capitalism, work, art, individuality, and literature.

Tanskalaiskirjailija Olga Ravnin palkittu romaani on upea kuvaus siitä, mikä tekee meistä ihmisiä. Avaruusaluksen miehistö koostuu heistä, jotka kuolevat, ja niistä, jotka eivät. Kun alukselle tuodaan outoja esineitä uudelta planeetalta, miehistön jäsenet huomaavat kiintyvänsä niihin, ja niin ihmiset kuin ihmisenkaltaisetkin alkavat kaivata samoja asioita: lämpöä ja läheisyyttä. Kaukaista planeetta Maata, joka elää enää heidän muistoissaan.

A bordo della seimillesima nave partita dalla Terra, dipendenti umani e le loro controparti umanoidi lavorano insieme secondo protocolli aziendali ben consolidati. La loro missione è quella di curare e accudire i misteriosi oggetti, seducenti e forse senzienti, prelevati dalla valle del pianeta Nuova Scoperta, attorno al quale orbitano. Strutturato come una serie di testimonianze compilate da una commissione chiamata a indagare, I dipendenti è il racconto degli eventi accaduti sull’astronave in seguito alla presa in consegna degli enigmatici oggetti. Dopo il loro arrivo, l’equipaggio di bordo si scopre perplesso di sentirsi profondamente connesso a essi. Gli oggetti influenzano i loro custodi umani e umanoidi in modi diversi ma simili; suscitano risposte erotiche in alcuni, paranoia in altri, perfino un inquieto senso di responsabilità materna. Tutti si rivelano tormentati dagli stessi desideri: calore e intimità, repulsione e disgusto. La situazione – anche per quanto riguarda gli inquirenti – si fa sempre più cupa e preoccupante. A poco a poco, i dipendenti iniziano a vedere il loro lavoro sotto una nuova luce, e ognuno è portato a chiedersi se il processo che li lega può continuare a essere lo stesso. Una domanda su tutte li tormenta: cosa significa davvero essere vivi? Un’epopea fantascientifica sui confini tra vita e non vita, piacere e funzione; una premonizione del nostro futuro dominato dal lavoro e dalla logica della produttività. «Non sono mai stato non occupato. Sono fatto per lavorare. A volte il mio collega umano dice di non aver voglia di lavorare, e poi aggiunge una cosa molto curiosa, assolutamente sciocca. Com’è che dice? Uno è più del lavoro che fa, o è: Uno non è soltanto il lavoro che fa? Ma allora che cosa dovresti essere?»

Dans un futur indistinct, à des millions de kilomètres de la Terre, des employés travaillent sur le six millième vaisseau d'une puissante et mystérieuse compagnie aux allures totalitaires. Il y a les humains et il y a les ressemblants. Ceux qui ont été enfantés et ceux qui ont été créés. Ceux qui vont mourir et ceux qui ne mourront pas. Sur une période de dix-huit mois, une commission compile une série de témoignages au sujet des relations et de la production à bord du vaisseau où l'activité consiste souvent à surveiller d'étranges objets bourdonnants, qui améliorent l'humeur, fécondent les rêves et hallucinent les consciences. Aussi glaçante qu'émouvante, cette science-fiction révèle le désarroi d'humains contraints de vivre loin de chez eux et les interrogations des ressemblants quant à leurs capacités émotives. Je sais que vous dites que je ne suis pas dans une prison ici, mais les objets m'ont dit le contraire.