Several People Are Typing: The Slack Workspace From Hell
The Spooky Season Takes a Digital Turn with "Several People Are Typing"
October has officially arrived, ushering in spooky season. However, debut author Calvin Kasulke’s novel, “Several People Are Typing,” presents a new source of apprehension – the unsettling possibility of being trapped within your office’s Slack workspace, with Slackbot assuming control of your physical form. As Kasulke explained to TechCrunch, “Capitalism is detrimental, and bodies are restrictive, but the absence of a body is even worse.”
A Novel Constructed Entirely from Slack Messages
“Several People Are Typing” is uniquely written entirely in Slack messages. Kasulke even developed style guides to capture the individual typing quirks of each character, aiding in the development of a diverse cast working at a PR agency. Within their digital workspace, the characters navigate a dog food publicity crisis, office romances, and disputes over Gerald’s coveted window desk while he “works from home.”
Gerald’s inability to commute stems from losing control of his body, a detail his supervisor overlooks due to his increased productivity. After all, what else is there to do when confined to Slack? The only impediment to Gerald’s work is Slackbot’s introduction to sunset.gif, which transports him to any workspace where the gif is uploaded. The prospect of existing as a sunset gif appears profoundly unpleasant.
Slack’s Response and the Novel’s Core Themes
TechCrunch reached out to Slack for comment, but the company declined. Kasulke believes Slack views the novel favorably, especially considering Doubleday Books, the publisher, hosted a giveaway in collaboration with Slack. However, the novel’s focus extends beyond Slack itself, delving into the nature of modern work.
The Atlantic recently described Slack as “the first enterprise software to achieve widespread appeal.” Kasulke acknowledges the book’s format as a gimmick, but a remarkably well-executed one. Surprisingly, this distinctly “Weird Internet™” novel was selected as Good Morning America’s Book of the Month, indicating a broader readership than anticipated for a story featuring a Slackbot consuming a meatball sub with unfortunate consequences.
Kasulke suggests that people are more open-minded than often assumed, explaining the novel’s resonance with those who may prioritize text-based communication over traditional prose.
An Interview with Calvin Kasulke via Slack-Style Text
Given the novel’s unique format, TechCrunch interviewed Kasulke via text message. The following is an excerpt of that conversation:
- amanda at 3:08 PM What’s your background with slack and how did you decide to write a book told only in slack messages?
- calvin at 3:08 PM So when I was writing the book I worked at a consulting firm that used Slack pretty heavily, both because we had offices in two different cities and because it was the kind of job where you always had to be plugged in. So I was sending and receiving a ton of work slacks every day, plus you know, DMing coworkers about both work related things and like, if they thought the Knicks were going to make the playoffs or whatever. AND I have a background in screenwriting/playwriting, and what is a work Slack but a long, endless play
- amanda at 3:10 PM yeah I think something that’s really funny about the book is that you can only include conversations that would feasibly happen on slack, but the thing is that you could argue that anything could feasibly be discussed on slack, so I didn’t really bat an eye reading the book when characters start discussing nsfw things on slack because like, of course that would happen in a random marketing agency slack. it’s like, we all know that in theory our managers can read our slack DMs, but people still use them to talk about things maybe they don’t want their managers to see anyway
- calvin at 3:11 PM right exactly, and no one can reasonably expect colleagues to exclusively discuss work. in some ways having a work slack is capitulating to the idea that office communication cannot exclusively take place in an office context. which in many cases is a sort of wedge into a more hybrid approach to office work anyway. And there’s a world of difference between a public slack and a private DM between coworkers. and all of those little differences in how we ~perform~ ourselves at work were a ton of fun to write. because you get this view of characters as their Public Work Selves, as their more Group DM Work Selves and then as total goblins in one-on-one DMs. not all of them are goblins. some, though.
The interview continues, exploring the linguistics of Slack, the creation of character-specific typing styles, and the novel’s exploration of work-life balance and the role of technology. Kasulke emphasizes that the book isn’t an indictment of Slack itself, but rather a commentary on the broader issues of capitalism and the always-on work culture.
A Gimmick That Resonates
While acknowledging the novel’s gimmick, Kasulke believes it’s effective because it feels relatable. The absurd scenarios are grounded in the familiarity of Slack communication, making the story both unsettling and humorous. The novel’s success, including its selection as a Good Morning America Book of the Month, suggests that readers are more receptive to unconventional narratives than previously thought.
Ultimately, “Several People Are Typing” prompts critical reflection on our relationship with technology and work, all while posing the unsettling question: what if Slackbot ate a meatball sub?
