Barry Gray isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming the middle-aged CEO of Atlas Wake, the corporation behind the most addictive energy drink in the world. After an awkward date, Barry is “X-ed”—a fate worse than getting canceled…just days before the company’s biggest beverage launch. The reason? An ancient social media post.

As the Atlas Wake executives scramble to find a replacement for Barry, they stumble upon Lo, a sardonic barista with no social media history. Lo eagerly steps into the CEO role, anticipating stacks of cash, only to be jolted by a shocking discovery about the company’s new energy drink — it’s causing people to explode.

Fearing his new life as a social pariah, Barry is rescued by the Brotherhood of the Resigned, a group of X-ed outcasts hiding in the sewers. They believe Atlas Wake is part of a giant conspiracy in which Lo is now entangled. Stories collide as our crew faces a corporate-dominated world on the brink of destruction in this darkly humorous, dystopian tale of power, deceit, and survival.

THEMES CHANGE

“What if canceled individuals were forced to live underground like mole people?” This was my initial idea for SITUATION NOWHERE, and it made me laugh a lot. I thought maybe I was writing a satire on “cancel culture.” (I know.) But after several chapters, I realized the topic was just the starting gun, an inciting incident.

I’m going to write a sentence that is going to make us all cringe a little bit. But it’s the truth…

The novel started taking a life of its own.

I know! I hate myself for writing that. “Oooh, Bobby, your book started talking to you? HOW PRECIOUS!” But it did! And it turned out the book was annoyed at lots of things! AI art, late-stage capitalism, corporate consumerism, the list goes on!

Sure. I could have told the book to shut up. I had an outline, after all! It should obey me! But I was having too much damn fun writing the thing that I let it take over. No regrets.

AI ART IS NOTHING TO FEAR

Let me not mince words. I believe big tech has slowly, methodically devalued art. The arrival of generative AI only exacerbates the perilous condition we’re in.  In my book, all of this is played for maximum absurdity, but in writing it, I realized AI “art” is something I no longer fear. Sure, I still think it’s for losers! Folks who don’t want to put in the work. But I’m not upset about it. No large language model can write how you or I write. (I’m pretty sure LLMS are not ingesting childhood trauma!)

Yes. AI “art” will further decimate the job market for artists, and we’ll need to find a new model that works for us. But AI “art” itself has limited value. Why would anyone pay money for purely synthetic work? It’s the human fingerprints that make art worth enjoying. If anything, human-made art will become more valuable in the age of “AI slop.”

EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE AND FUNNY?

There are plenty of things that keep me up at night. I have existential dread like you wouldn’t believe. But I’ve always found solace in comedy. I wanted my first book to be propulsive and entertaining, a book with things to say! A mystery to unpack!

Most importantly, I wanted it to be funny until the last line—a balm for these chaotic times. I always hoped people would find comfort in the book, but I didn’t realize that writing it would be a much-needed tonic for me. It kept me sane and laughing; sometimes, that’s all one needs to get through this life.

FINDING TIME TO WRITE SAVED MY SOUL.

I became a dad during the pandemic. At the time, I had no idea what the future held. I had directed two feature films and wondered if I would ever direct again. In this creative void, short stories began to pour out of me, eventually coalescing around this novel. I ultimately had to return to office, and my free time drastically shrank. Before the pandemic, before becoming a dad, I could get by finding jobs that could work around my writing schedule. But now it was different. I had to find the time.

I decided the only way was to wake up extremely early. Before the family was up before the day job started…If I could just squirrel away one hour, I could quickly write a first draft and chip away at this thing. (At night, I would edit.) Eventually, piece by piece, the book came together. Was it easy? No. But it is possible. I would argue that having limited time zeroed in my attention. There was no scrolling on social media and no wasted time. I had my hour, and I was flying. And brother, it was fantastic. To have this secret thing while the world seemed on fire. It was a blessing and saved my artistic soul.

CHASING TRENDS NEVER WORKED FOR ME

In the film business, I was fortunate to direct something I wrote. But after that initial success, I began chasing trends. Writing screenplays that weren’t me. I wanted to make a living! The great irony is that the only work that has gotten me any attention has been deeply felt idiosyncratic weirdness. I viewed the pandemic and fatherhood as the great reset button. There was no more time for chasing what I thought people wanted. I needed to listen to my gut.

I also wanted to hold myself accountable. On a film set, you can point blame at myriads of things that can go wrong. “If only we had three more days to shoot,” etc. I was tired of pointing fingers! I wanted to write something that I was solely responsible for. Something I could be confident in saying, “This is me!”

I needed to get out a big scattershot satire with tons of goop. For better or for worse, that’s me. I loved writing it. It saved my life. And now it’s your problem.

Bobby Miller is a writer and filmmaker from New Jersey who lives in Los Angeles. His films have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, and Fantasia. His fiction has appeared in Maudlin House, Expat Press, and Bending Genres. SITUATION NOWHERE is his debut novel.

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