The Agents
The Agents by Grégoire Courtois, published by Coach House Books in 2022, is a dystopian novel that explores the lives of agents who are immersed in a world of data feeds and cubicles. Set in a towering structure where they both live and work, these agents engage in a struggle for territory amidst a backdrop of absurdity and existential questions. The narrative introduces characters like Theodore, who faces physical challenges, and Solveig, who navigates her pregnancy in a world where intimacy is rare, alongside others who grapple with their own realities.
Readers will find a blend of satire and literary fiction as the story unfolds in a setting reminiscent of both Nineteen Eighty-Four and contemporary workplace dynamics. The agents’ lives are marked by competition and uncertainty, leading to a critical examination of community and individual purpose. With 224 pages, this edition invites readers to reflect on the nature of existence and the complexities of modern life through its unique and provocative lens.
Official synopsis Publisher
Nineteen Eighty-Four meets Squid Game, via The Office, in this boldly dystopian novel
The agents don’t know what they’re agents of, but they’re very busy agenting, which means watching endless data feeds in their cubicles, cubicles that are piled one on top of another in a massive tower in which the agents both live and work. Empty floors serve as battlefields where different guilds of agents fight for territory. It seems that defenestration is the only way out, the ‘ballet of suicides.’
It is here we meet Theodore, who has amputated his own toes and must maintain a 30-degree angle to keep his balance. And Solveig, who is pregnant, though agents don’t usually have sex, as well as the artist Lazslo and self-mutilating Clara. And then there’s Hick, the new agent, who seems strangely happy and occupies a cubicle that is strategically very important.
The battle for key territory is heating up, and the agents aren’t sure which of them will make it out alive. If, indeed, that’s what any of them want…
The author of the acclaimed The Laws of the Skies turns his hand from literary horror to futuristic dystopianism in this unforgettable marriage between The Office, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Squid Game.
“Engrossing and unpredictable … a thoughtful and provocative speculative novel that casts a keen critical eye toward the contemporary world, addressing deep questions about the meanings of life, community, and work.” – Forward Reviews
“Unflinching in its savagery, the nightmarish poetry of this modern Lord of the Flies is undeniable.” – Publishers Weekly starred review on The Laws of the Skies
“A haunting book, if you can keep reading.” – LitHub on The Laws of the Skies
“The Law of the Skies is not an easy book to digest … but I found it exhilarating to read a novel that’s this unflinching, this nihilistic, and also this deeply profound.” –Locus Magazine
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