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What makes a blog paper-worthy? The Unbinding, published first on the Internet, has been bound.
Author of Thumbsucker, Kirn’s wit is well known; but it is his ability to maintain a hum of suspense that keeps the reader turning the pages (refreshing the browser?) to discover the victor in the face-off between Kent and Rob.
Kent, paintball-obsessed, works at AidSat (think OnStar but more intrusive) and stalks his crush through the company’s lifeline device that tracks her down to her vitals. Rob, an FBI agent, rants that he’s been assigned to monitor people (Kent and his friends) who “aren’t bomb throwers… but the people bombers bomb… People subscribers, futon users, humorous-greeting-card senders, snowboard owners and eighth-place karaoke contestants.”
But the text — self-conscious of its original hypertext format — is not about character as much as it is technology. (Hypertext was even worked into the printed version of the novel.) Told in real time, with pop culture references, its modernity becomes quickly dated: Satellites spy, databases hold secrets, characters go see Mission Impossible III and blogs ruminate. The end result is MySpaceish — more titillating than profound.
Author of Thumbsucker, Kirn’s wit is well known; but it is his ability to maintain a hum of suspense that keeps the reader turning the pages (refreshing the browser?) to discover the victor in the face-off between Kent and Rob.
Kent, paintball-obsessed, works at AidSat (think OnStar but more intrusive) and stalks his crush through the company’s lifeline device that tracks her down to her vitals. Rob, an FBI agent, rants that he’s been assigned to monitor people (Kent and his friends) who “aren’t bomb throwers… but the people bombers bomb… People subscribers, futon users, humorous-greeting-card senders, snowboard owners and eighth-place karaoke contestants.”
But the text — self-conscious of its original hypertext format — is not about character as much as it is technology. (Hypertext was even worked into the printed version of the novel.) Told in real time, with pop culture references, its modernity becomes quickly dated: Satellites spy, databases hold secrets, characters go see Mission Impossible III and blogs ruminate. The end result is MySpaceish — more titillating than profound.
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