The psychological highs and lows that unfold will bring readers deep into the complex lives of these thrilling devices and the power dynamics that users must negotiate. It is an epic thought experiment into how these anonymous actors change peoples’ concept of self-identity. The novel is an exploration of the artificial boundaries we perceive when we interact virtually. As kentuki users attempt to establish their ideal dynamic, whether it’s as a voyeur, a tourist in another lifestyle, a companion, a caretaker, or a star of their own reality show, the relationships devolve into obsession and emotional turmoil when issues of privacy and freedom inevitably surface. A visionary novel about our interconnected world, about the collision of horror and humanity, from the Man Booker-shortlisted master of the spine-tingling. Schweblin’s vignettes of different pairs of kentuki users around the globe explore the full spectrum of demented outcomes when this technology is left unregulated.
The arrival of kentukis establishes a type of hybrid being that is both gadget and human, intelligent and sentient, but with limited autonomy and ability to communicate. Across languages and regions, kentuki “keepers” and “dwellers” are randomly connected when the device starts up for the first time, and people soon realize that this unique relationship is not easily navigated. Kentukis are small stuffed animals on wheels, like a furry robot pet-except behind their little eyes are live-streaming webcams controlled by another person connected to the device. Megan McDowell has translated books by many contemporary South American and Spanish authors her. In Samanta Schweblin’s novel Little Eyes, people around the world are delighted by a new technology bringing anonymous online relationships to a new level. Originally from Buenos Aires, Schweblin lives in Berlin.
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