What if... your workday could be magic?
You might never look at your life the same way again.
Science fiction, fantasy and horror takes on worklife. Go, click, read. Remember to support your favourite publications and creators. ♥️
[Watch: TV series] Severance
Work sucks, right? What if you could send your body to work but your mind never has to suffer through the daily grind? All you need to do is have your personality “severed”, creating a servant personality that turns up at the office for you. Sure, you lose 40 hours a week, but you get paid handsomely for your time!
Severance creates an office world rich with mystery, as the characters come to grips with their identities and learn the mystical art of their work tasks.
You might also like:
Wool (aka the Silo series) by Hugh Howie, now also a TV series I haven’t watched yet. Set in an underground silo where the outside world hasn’t been seen for generations, except once every few years when one (un)lucky person is sent outside to clean the cameras.
The City & The City by China Miéville (also made into a TV series I haven’t watched). Set in two cities that overlap geographically, but exist as separate entities.
The Thirteenth Floor, a movie I only just this second learned is based on a novel 🤯. I haven’t seen this in forever but it involves virtual worlds and murder.
Maniac, a TV series which messes with reality through psychological experiments.
Other movies: Dark City, Source Code, Oxygen, Arrival.
[Read: 10 minutes] Blame by Warren Benedetto.
What if hunting down software bugs revealed a lot more about your recently departed predecessor than you expected? This dark short story is told through chat transcripts, help tickets, code excerpts, and emails. There are quite a few subtle details and it took a group discussion to get all the nuances. If you like the story, share it with (trusted) friends.
Warnings: Contains swears; Implied sexual assault
[Read: 6 minutes] RE: REQUEST FOR PROPHECIES AND QUEST FUNDING APPLICATION GUIDELINES by Sara Ryan
What if the whole genre of epic fantasy quests could be boiled down into one simple funding application? This short story is told in the format of a funding application form — both the questions and responses reveal a long backstory. Winks and nods and inside jokes for readers and writers in this one, too.
Okay, Bob, we know what your bosses want us to say here. We’re supposed to say that our Adversaries are the dragons. And yeah, they are damaging crops and raiding livestock in our community, and it’s a giant pain in the ass. And we’re supposed to tell your bosses that we have a detailed plan for how we’re going to slay the dragons. A detailed plan that’ll play out like every other freaking Quest the Foundation has ever funded. We’ve listened to so many dragon QFRs. They all sound the same! They’re all literally in the same key. Don’t your bosses ever get tired of C major? And they’re all about straight-up murder!
So, we’re not doing that. We’re going to talk to the dragons and find out what their deal is.
See also: “Re: Your Stone” by Guan Un
[Watch: 3:24] Think of Nothing by Samantha Jayne
What if you couldn’t control your own thoughts? Ok, maybe this spoken-word performance about meditation isn’t exactly speculative but it’s kind of magical. Or maybe it’s too real… you be the judge.
Warnings: swear words shouted loudly in a satisfying release of frustration and hey why don’t we all give that a try in 3, 2, 1… Mind clear, all here.
Well thanks, Mom, that helped me a lot. Here’s a thought: how ‘bout I stop. Lock a man down, set the plan down and pop out a tot. It’s not like I’m caught in a spot where I’m working on the grind in the 9-to-9 climb to find and redefine my reason for being alive.
[Read: 2 minutes] The Time Bureau Came to Careers Day by Sarah Jackson
What if time travel was real, but the secret to doing it was pretty dark? This short poem captures the anticipation and disappointment of career days everywhere. And then the feeling seeps beyond the boundaries of that one afternoon in the high school gym.
When I say “time travel,” I know what you’re thinking. I do.
Dinosaurs, right?
Or some wild machine fizzing with lightning, hurtling through the aeons!
But it’s not like that. Firstly, dinosaurs are out.
I know; I was disappointed too.
You can only go back along your own lifetime.
That might seem nothing to you—you’re what, 17?
Musical interlude: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
What if your job was to battle giant robots? Not an easy life. Here’s a fan-made paper animation for this Flaming Lips song (which sounds awesome in stereo so pop your headphones on).
[Read: 1 minute] Spin Drive Class with Captain Ryan by Brandon Case
What if spin class was better than the alternative? A microfiction (i.e. very very short) sci-fi story that puts a new spin on things.
[Read: anthology] Seven Day Weekend!
What if everything was automated and we had the freedom to live our best lives? There’s a brand new anthology of 37 short stories and poetry that explore what happens after that glorious day, and we all get a permanent Seven-Day Weekend — currently $5 on Kindle.
To get you in the mood for that, here’s a short video [1 minute] that I narrated:
And now, this:
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If you like these recommendations, what else should I read/watch/listen to?