Марк Уве-Клинг, «Страна качества».
Уве-Клинг в первую очередь стендап-комик и автор комедийных скетчей, что сильно повлияло на книгу. Лично мне не хватило какой-то сюжетной целостности: весь текст это как бы склейка отдельных сценок в общем мире с общими героями. Персонажи, кстати, очень архетипичны, а главный герой, наоборот, сравнительно безликий наблюдатель. Я бы даже сказал, что главный герой тут — вы, тот, кто читает произведение.
Тем не менее, в едкости и интересных идеях автору не занимать. «Страна качества» это сатирическая антиутопия об обществе потребления, причем, совсем не такая, как, например, «О дивный новый мир». Если у Хаксли за основу взяты глубинные соблазны людей, и на их основе смоделировано общество, то Уве-Клинг просто взял текущие реальные тренды и выкрутил в них все ручки на максимум.
Не столь далёкое будущее, центром действия становится государство под названием Qualityland. Всех людей тут зовут именем + профессией родителя того же пола в момент зачатия. Например, главный герой Петер Безработный, хотя у него самого есть работа, но у его отца в момент его зачатия не было. Есть ещё, допустим, Мартин Управляющий, Конрад Повар, Мелисса Проститутка и другие. Конечно же, не обошлось без упоминания человека с именем Ганнибал Лектор. Вообще, у автора прекрасное чувство юмора с кучей пасхалок и отсылок.
В Qualityland гипертрофированное до абсурда общество потребления, а люди в основном тупы, инертны и ленивы. В большинстве модальных окон в интерфейсах есть только кнопка ОК, даже если там задан вопрос, подразумевающий возможность отказа («Хотите посмотреть рекламу?»). Ещё в этом мире было посчитано, что уникальный рисунок губ более точен, чем отпечатки пальцев, поэтому люди оплачивают покупки, целуя экран своего гаджета — очень символично. Что касается товаров, то их доставляют дроны из магазина, даже если ты сам ничего не заказывал, потому что умные алгоритмы автоматически вычисляют, что именно тебе нужно, списывают с твоего счёта деньги за это и оформляют покупку без твоего участия. Это кажется диким, если не вспоминать, что у нас в нашей объективной реальности примерно такие же взаимоотношения с информацией: соцсети и алгоритмы корпораций решают за нас, какую информацию мы хотим потреблять, и доставляют её к нам.
Вообще, читая эту книгу, я сначала пребывал в слезах от абсурдности и нереалистичности происходящего, а потом пребывал в слезах от осознания того, насколько близка наша реальная жизнь к чему-то подобному. Хоть центральный сюжет, на мой взгляд, вышел у автора беззубым и скомканным, острые и едкие детали в отдельных сценах и в описании мира можно пересказывать часами.
Сквозь сатиру и гротеск иногда проглядывают любопытные размышления автора о неизбежном вреде человечеству от ИИ, исторические вставки с реальными фактами и вполне правдоподобные объяснения некоторых экономических эффектов.
В общем, скорее рекомендую, чем не, но читать нужно с осторожностью, заранее воспринимая роман не совсем как обычное художественное произведение. Уже есть вторая книга, начну её сегодня.
#fiction
🚨 Zionist soldiers are documented hovering over a child they shot in Al-Aroub camp, #AlKhalil after they obstructed medical crews from reaching him.
Two other children have also been wounded by zionist bullets in the camp.
24-year-old prisoner Afnan Abu Hussein was released on a financial bail of 5,000 shekels on October 14 after being arrested the day prior from her home in the town of Bani Naim, #AlKhalil.
Afnan, who is in her ninth month of pregnancy (with a scheduled caesarean section on 16/10) and is a mother to a two-year-old child was beaten by the IOF in her home before they detained her. They abducted her before she was able to wear her hijab. She described the terrible conditions she experienced during her detention:
"They provoked me in the worst ways; it was psychological torture for me. They filmed me on TikTok while I was tied with shackles to the bed, and they danced around me. I would ask for a cup of water, after two days of no eating or drinking, and they would throw it in front of me; as a result, I became dehydrated and the water dried up for the baby. They didn't give me any medical treatment."
During her detention, the IOF also forced her to sign a paper which says she is responsible in the case of the death of her baby because she refused to give birth in an occupation hospital.
"Between us and them are mountains of corpses, rivers of hatred, blood, and blood, and blood, wailing, and a long revenge."
The ancient words repeated by our leaders, the Lion of the Den Mishal Al-Baghdadi and NidalKhazem, are present at the event honoring the second anniversary of martyr Nizar Banat's assassination by the traitorous Palestinian Authority in #AlKhalil.
Beyond the Envelope: Towards Al-Quds:
Under the cover and support of rocket fire, the resistance began a new and large incursion by land, air, and sea into occupied Palestine about three hours ago:
- Paratroopers have reportedly landed in "Netivot."
- Commandos of the resistance's naval units have set foot in IOF naval bases near occupied Asqalan and are engaged in fierce clashes.
- A large number of fighters stormed settlements with vehicles, taking over Route 232 and making their way deeper and deeper into the occupied interior.
Meanwhile, shooting operations and confrontations do not stop in the West Bank. Hezbollah has targeted IOF posts in occupied Shebaa Farms. An operation in Alexandria, Egypt led to the killing two zionists. One million settlers are leaving the entity, and thousands are fleeing settlements.
The temporary entity has declared a state of war. Over 100 settlers have been captured in Gaza, yet the IOF continues to indiscriminately bomb the Strip. At least 700 settlers have been killed, as many in two days as in three years of the Second Intifada.
Liberating land in real time, the resistance is closing in on the West Bank, at the door of "Kiryat Arba" in #AlKhalil. The resistance is a mere 10 kilometers away from splitting the zionist entity in two.
Free our Lions!
Despite the Palestinian Authority courts deciding to release him, the traitorous Palestinian Authority continues to kidnap the wanted resistance fighter, a Lion of the Den and Al-Qassam Brigades member, Musab Shtayyeh. Musab has been tortured and held in solitary confinement by the PA since the moment of his arrest. Musab was a strong link between Gaza and Nablus; the PA criminalizes his righteous resistance for the sake of the people they claim to represent because they work hand-in-hand with the zionist enemy.
The wanted resistance fighter and Al-Qassam Brigades member Musa Attallah has been kidnapped by the "Authority" for 135 days today.
The PA's tyranny knows no bounds, as it has also kidnapped one of its own officers, Emad Odeh. He has been held for 211 days as of today, simply for opening fire against a colonial settler as he was being attacked by them. Emad went on hunger strike in April.
The traitorous PA attacks Palestinians, doing the bidding of the zionist enemy. In the last few weeks, they have used undercover forces to arrest student activists and freed prisoners, to burn their cars, and open fire on the families of martyrs and prisoners. Following a large campaign of arrests in #AlKhalil, a number of students have been held for over a week. Two prisoners kidnapped by the PA are on their 9th day of hunger strike: Ismail Abu Shkeidem and Abdullah Al-Sous. Just a few days ago, its forces opened fire on mourners of resistance leader and martyr Khader Adnan, a figure that they repeatedly attacked in his life.
The list of similar cases goes on... Khader Adnan, Basil Al-Araj, Nizar Banat, Ahmed Sa'adat. The PA is simply a servant of zionism, and in the words of Basil, it "participates in our annihilation."
🚨 The IOF arrested 6 children during a raid on the town of Beit Ummar, north of #AlKhalil, according to local sources.
Separately, the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that medical teams are treating a 21-year-old man who sustained gunshot wounds to the thigh and back from "israeli" occupation forces fire in Birzeit, north of #Ramallah.
🚨 IOF units are conducting a widespread campaign of raids and incursions across occupied Palestine, with operations concentrated in #Nablus, #Qalqilya, and #AlKhalil.
Concurrently, armed settlers are launching violent assaults with live fire against residential areas in the vicinity of Al-Arroub camp. Settler provocations are also reported across the Nablus district.
🚨 IOF units are conducting a widespread campaign of raids and incursions across occupied Palestine, with operations concentrated in #Nablus, #Qalqilya, and #AlKhalil.
Concurrently, armed settlers are launching violent assaults with live fire against residential areas in the vicinity of Al-Arroub camp. Settler provocations are also reported across the Nablus district.
🚨Summary of settler attacks in the West Bank over the past 24 hours:
• A settler attempted to run over a Palestinian woman near Al-Minya village, east of #Bethlehem.
• Settlers uprooted a large number of olive trees in the Wadi Musa area of Turmus Ayya, north of #Ramallah.
• Settlers attempted to block farmers from plowing their lands in the plains of Turmus Ayya.
• Settlers erected a tent near citizens' homes by the Carmelo roundabout near Al-Taybeh village, east of #Ramallah.
• Settlers released livestock in the vicinity of Palestinian homes in Susya village, Masafer Yatta, south of #AlKhalil.
• Settlers stormed Kafr Malik village, northeast of #Ramallah.
• Settlers attacked farmers and blocked access to their lands in the Ghuraba area, northwest of Sinjil village, north of #Ramallah.
• Settlers cut down and uprooted 400 centuries-old olive trees in the lands of Qusra, south of #Nablus.
• Settlers released livestock onto farmers' lands in Khirbet Al-Tawil, east of Aqraba, south of #Nablus.
🚨Summary of settler attacks in the West Bank over the past 24 hours:
• A settler attempted to run over a Palestinian woman near Al-Minya village, east of #Bethlehem.
• Settlers uprooted a large number of olive trees in the Wadi Musa area of Turmus Ayya, north of #Ramallah.
• Settlers attempted to block farmers from plowing their lands in the plains of Turmus Ayya.
• Settlers erected a tent near citizens' homes by the Carmelo roundabout near Al-Taybeh village, east of #Ramallah.
• Settlers released livestock in the vicinity of Palestinian homes in Susya village, Masafer Yatta, south of #AlKhalil.
• Settlers stormed Kafr Malik village, northeast of #Ramallah.
• Settlers attacked farmers and blocked access to their lands in the Ghuraba area, northwest of Sinjil village, north of #Ramallah.
• Settlers cut down and uprooted 400 centuries-old olive trees in the lands of Qusra, south of #Nablus.…
🚨 The IOF and armed settlers conducted a series of aggressions across the West Bank today:
Armed settlers attacked farmers in the village of Al-Mughayyir in #Ramallah and prevented them from harvesting olives. (media 1,2) Settlers also cut down olive trees in the village of Yasuf, east of #Salfit (media 3,4).
The IOF invaded the town of Beita, south of #Nablus, where confrontations erupted between resistance youth and the zionist forces. (media 5,6,7).
The IOF fired live bullets heavily at Palestinian homes at the entrance of Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of #AlKhalil. (media 8,9)
The IOF invaded Shufat refugee camp in #AlQuds. (media 10)