Introduction to Helen Phillips’ ‘Hum’
For those just dipping their toes into speculative fiction, Helen Phillips’ prescient dystopia Hum presents a world relatable enough to not make you feel like a stranger in a strange land. In her sixth novel, Phillips deftly captures the essence of contemporary societal fears and projects them into a hyper-realistic future.
A Dystopian Future Touching the American Zeitgeist
When it comes to dystopian futures, Helen Phillips hits the American zeitgeist jackpot in Hum. The novel delves into cancel culture, job displacement due to AI, government overreach, deteriorating middle-class wealth, missing children, declining air quality, and even bad breakfast cereals. Phillips paints a dark and imminent future where society’s anxieties are magnified to unsettling extremes.
The Plot: An Experiment in Isolation
The protagonist, May, decides to take her family on a vacation to an expensive hyper-natural botanical garden after earning extra money as a test subject for a surgical procedure designed to evade AI recognition. The requirement to leave their phones and other communication devices behind ensures that they reap the full benefit of their isolated experience. However, this seemingly idyllic retreat soon confronts them with unforeseen challenges, reminiscent of classic tales like Deliverance and Into the Wild.
What the ‘Hum’ Represents
The titular ‘Hum’ refers to an AI-powered, jack-of-all-trades android that can serve as anything from a dental hygienist to a pop psychotherapist. This omnipresent device reflects Phillips’ clever observation of our reliance on technology and penetrates deeper social issues by also promoting commercial products, unless one upgrades to an ad-free tier. The ‘Hum’ encapsulates the duality of technological advancement and consumerism in modern society.
A Breezy yet Thought-Provoking Dystopia
As dystopias go, Hum is breezy enough to be enjoyed on a coast-to-coast airline flight or an extended beach stay, making it an excellent antidote to binge-watching your favorite TV show. For those new to speculative fiction, the novel’s relatable setting serves as an accessible entry point into the genre while still offering profound reflections on current societal trends.