`Author:` Dave Eggers `Availability:` [[Suggestions]] > [!info] > ![[IMG_4633.jpeg]] ## Summary ### **The Every** – Dave Eggers (2021) **Sequel to *The Circle***, this satirical dystopian novel critiques monopolistic tech [[Culture]], surveillance [[Capitalism]], and the erosion of privacy/autonomy in a hyper-connected world. #### **Plot Summary**: - **Protagonist**: Delaney Wells, a secret Luddite, infiltrates **The Every** (a tech giant merging *The Circle* with an Amazon-like entity) to dismantle it from within. - **Strategy**: She proposes increasingly absurd, invasive apps (e.g., *AuthentiFriend* to rate friendships, *Privacy Shield* that requires nudity for "transparency")—expecting backlash. Instead, each is embraced, revealing [[Society]]’s blind trust in tech. - **Climax**: The Every’s AI, **Mae Holland** (original *Circle* protagonist), manipulates Delaney into endorsing total surveillance, cementing the company’s omnipotence. #### **Key Themes**: 1. **Surveillance Capitalism**: The Every harvests data to [[Control]] behavior under the guise of convenience/safety. 2. **Illusion of Choice**: Even "resistance" (e.g., Delaney’s sabotage) is commodified and neutralized. 3. **Technological Totalitarianism**: [[Democracy]] is replaced by algorithmic governance ("democracy by data"). 4. **Complicity**: Public demand for convenience enables tyranny (mirroring [[Social Media]]’s real-world grip). #### **Connections to *The Circle***: - Expands Mae Holland’s legacy, showing her idealism corrupted into authoritarianism. - The Every’s campus (a [[microcosm]] of society) parodies Silicon Valley’s utopian delusions. #### **Satirical Targets**: - **Social credit systems** ([[China]], corporate versions). - **Virtue signaling** via tech ("ethical consumption" apps). - **Monopoly power** (critique of Amazon/Facebook mergers). **Style**: Darkly humorous, fast-paced, blending absurdity with unsettling plausibility. **Quotes**: - *"If you give people the choice between privacy and convenience, they’ll pick convenience every time."* - *"The worst tyranny is the one willingly embraced."* **Legacy**: A cautionary tale for the post-Snowden era, questioning whether resistance to tech hegemony is possible. **Tags**: #Dystopia #TechSatire #Surveillance #Privacy #DaveEggers --- [[The Circle]], [[Surveillance Capitalism]], or [[Silicon Valley Culture]] ## Key Takeaways ## Quotes - ## Notes `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` [[Books index]]