In Ben Lerner's novel Transcription, the unnamed narrator mentions his mobile phone more than 25 times in the opening pages.
He is on a train to Providence to visit a 90-year-old German intellectual named Thomas.
>>> Pamela Anderson Walks Son Dylan Lee Down the Aisle in Saint-Tropez Wedding
The narrator worries about recording the interview on his phone, texts his wife, has his ticket scanned, takes photos, FaceTimes his daughter, and uses Google Maps.
He even dreams about his phone before accidentally dropping it in the sink.
The novel is set during Covid but avoids naming Donald Trump or Joe Biden. Last month, Transcription won the Orwell Prize for political fiction.
Lerner said, “The question of how certain forms of media flatten or monetise our attention – I do think that’s political territory.”
With its shiny black cover and stark white typeface, the book is designed to remind readers that a book is also a handheld device.
It invites reflection on the relationship between art and technology. The narrator confesses, “I was glitching, craving my cellular phone on a cellular level.”
Lerner is fascinated by the disembodied voice, from radio to voice notes.
The novel raises ethical questions about recording speech for use after death, a practice increasingly common with AI.
A new 13-hour audio version of The Odyssey, “narrated” by 93-year-old Michael Caine, was created entirely by AI with the actor's consent.
Above all, Transcription is about 21st-century anxiety, especially children's experiences. Covid, environmental collapse, and endless wars are part of the picture.
