"How many Michaels are there in this world? Nobody told me!"
June 9, 2015 10:41 AM   Subscribe

Michael struggles with this sudden loss of privacy. It's too much for him, and he wants to discuss it at the next meeting.

"I don't have time to myself, either, you know," the Replacement says bitterly.

Michael starts to interrupt, but Dr. Kenston reminds him that the Replacement has the talking stick right now. "You've lived a whole life on your own, Michael," it says. "I've never had that. I've never been by myself. Never even existed completely outside of your abdomen."
The New Middle Class, a short story by Dolan Morgan. [cw: body horror]
posted by divined by radio (14 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
That was certainly...vivid. And probably not the right thing to read before getting ready for my doctor's appointment.
posted by mittens at 10:51 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


Um, well.

Hm.
posted by harrietthespy at 11:24 AM on June 9, 2015


I had nightmares for like a week after the first time I saw this, but it also stuck in my mind's craw like almost nothing else I've ever read, so I just had to share. #sorrynotsorrybutactuallykindofsorry
posted by divined by radio at 11:31 AM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]


Great story! really creepy. Maybe it was because of the introductory picture, but I kind of imagined the Replacement being made out of a substance like wood, but soaked and almost dissolving.
posted by brecc at 11:44 AM on June 9, 2015


Well, I'm...ahhhh...well...ermmm... It was a short story....
posted by Samizdata at 11:54 AM on June 9, 2015


Now I'm getting freaked out by this + what happened to Henrietta Lacks.
posted by domo at 12:09 PM on June 9, 2015


Thanks?
posted by Elementary Penguin at 12:26 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


A nice little does of awfulness.

There's a story by Greg Egan called "Learning To Be Me" that mines a pretty similar vein of fear. The Body-Snatcher worry.
posted by Ipsifendus at 12:33 PM on June 9, 2015


I love this. Thanks for posting it.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 2:08 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


Whoa. Thanks for posting this.
posted by Ruki at 4:31 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


Hm. This was one of those that didn't freak me out, because my "Would actual humans do this?" question came back a "fuck no."

I mean, you could write a story in which they would, but you would have to do it better than this. I could believe a despotic regime would do force that on a person. I could believe that there would be a conspiracy to convince people that they should do it (until they found out the truth, too late!) But that people would just voluntarily do it, why? It made the whole thing ring false to me. Without suspended disbelief, it was just "Eh, that was kind of gross."
posted by emjaybee at 5:54 PM on June 9, 2015


I dunno, if I thought I was going to die very young and there was a way I could sort of, kind of live on (even in a grotesque way) I'd...well, I'd have to think about it. And of course I'd be unprepared for the reality of it, but, well, then it would be too late. In some ways, I don't feel like it's that far removed from the choices people are faced with now about balancing quality and quantity of life with a terminal illness.
posted by kagredon at 6:18 PM on June 9, 2015


Reminds me of Burroughs.
posted by GuyZero at 7:47 PM on June 9, 2015


This is awesome/terrible.

I had the privilege of publishing a story* by Dolan six years ago and have been following his career ever since, as both a fan and a friend. He has the most astounding imagination, and a knack for making people react strongly--in a way that can be shocking or gross, but isn't cheap or offensive--that is a talent in itself.


* Infestation, in the inaugural issue of Armchair/Shotgun. It involves the aftermath of a plague of goats, and also grief and city planning.
posted by hippugeek at 7:11 PM on June 11, 2015


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