Juhana reviewed My Work Is Not Yet Done by Thomas Ligotti
Mundane Hell
3 stars
Nowadays working always has that hint of dread in the background. Do people appreciate my work? Are my skills close to being deprecated or replaceable? Do I still have work tomorrow? Or worse: Am I stuck in this deadend job for the rest of my life? That sense of fear is prime material for horror authors, and Thomas Ligotti has branched in particular to his brand of "corporate horror", where towering office blocks replace dark foreboding castles while inhabited by sociopathic business sharks, murderous office workers and oppressively stressful workplace environments that seem to do a number to your mind. And the work never ends, however inane or mundane.
Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Problem is, creating horror from the mundane runs the risk of being mundane itself. Ligotti keeps things interesting with his mastery of words and world building, but the dull beige haze of office life conceals much of …
Nowadays working always has that hint of dread in the background. Do people appreciate my work? Are my skills close to being deprecated or replaceable? Do I still have work tomorrow? Or worse: Am I stuck in this deadend job for the rest of my life? That sense of fear is prime material for horror authors, and Thomas Ligotti has branched in particular to his brand of "corporate horror", where towering office blocks replace dark foreboding castles while inhabited by sociopathic business sharks, murderous office workers and oppressively stressful workplace environments that seem to do a number to your mind. And the work never ends, however inane or mundane.
Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Problem is, creating horror from the mundane runs the risk of being mundane itself. Ligotti keeps things interesting with his mastery of words and world building, but the dull beige haze of office life conceals much of the horror, which is merely insinuated in vacuous office jargon. It's also not the newest of ideas: Matt Groening's "Work Is Hell" comics make the same point, although altogether differently. Still, the stories aren't a drudgery to read, and can be darkly delightful at points.
Fun like office pizzas; that's my report.
