“Do none of you guys have that feeling… a little ‘it’s too good to be true” alarm ringing in the back of your minds?” one character perceptively asks. Through My Eyes: Humanity’s Unwitting Downfall tells the story of the seemingly innocuous becoming insidiously dangerous. It begins with innovation meant to help people relate to one another in ways never before possible. Putting profits ahead of safety, the engineers, researchers and scientists turn what was once only an experimental idea into a reality for the masses. The human tendency to conform, combined with an endless influx of investors, results in The Empathy Machine taking the world by storm, leaving nothing but a trail of mindless shells of people in its wake.
Daniel Greenbrook has crafted a brief but poignant story reminiscent of Philip Dick. This tight novella includes a massive plot with drastic ramifications, that is simply, even vaguely told. While this story is primarily plot driven, the character known only as N. made the biggest impact on me. If you’ve ever felt there were days when it seems the whole world has gone mad and you struggle to find a single sane person to relate to, you’ll appreciate N. and Shannon’s story. Through My Eyes is chilling and thought-provoking, and will leave you contemplating the role of technology and innovation in the arc of the cumulative human story.
