Mitchell, a twenty-something Cougar Cub with a midlife girlfriend named Marsha, wakes each morning, living an ever-broadening line between human and machine. As his literal condition progresses, he loses his capacity for human emotion, and potentially Marsha. AS A MACHINE AND PARTS is the story of Mitchell’s struggle to discover which assembly line he belongs to. What makes AS A MACHINE AND PARTS especially unique is the way it integrates illustrative elements to render the story beyond the conventional textual style. As Mitchell morphs from human to machine, the text changes with him, evolving (devolving?) from a handwritten style to a typed style, and ultimately to a schematic diagram. Throughout, the page reflects Mitchell’s change, immersing the reader into the text in ways that traditional storytelling cannot.
Caleb gives an overview of the book:
Mitchell, a twenty-something Cougar Cub with a midlife girlfriend named Marsha, wakes each morning, living an ever-broadening line between human and machine. As his literal condition progresses, he loses his capacity for human emotion, and potentially Marsha. AS A MACHINE AND PARTS is the story of Mitchell’s struggle to discover which assembly line he belongs to. What makes AS A MACHINE AND PARTS especially unique is the way it integrates illustrative elements to render the story beyond the conventional textual style. As Mitchell morphs from human to machine, the text changes with him, evolving (devolving?) from a handwritten style to a typed style, and ultimately to a schematic diagram. Throughout, the page reflects Mitchell’s change, immersing the reader into the text in ways that traditional storytelling cannot.
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About Caleb
Caleb J Ross has a BA in English Literature and creative writing from Emporia State University. His fiction and nonfiction has appeared widely, both online and in print. He is the author of Charactered Pieces: stories, Stranger Will: a novel, I Didn’t Mean to Be Kevin: a...
