Notes from the Uncanny Valley

Submerged in a post-truth dystopia and suspecting he might already be dead, the invisible narrator of Notes from the Uncanny Valley floats with wry, dark humor through landscapes of crowded public transit and low-income housing. When a series of bizarre encounters with psychotic neighbors draw him into an absurd mystery lurking beneath the surface of daily life, he begins questioning everything, including the increasingly fantastic news headlines. As the world grows more alien by the moment, the clues lead our undercover detective down deep into the uncanny valley. Is he living in a simulation? Or is the truth even stranger?

Uncle Gib Episode 2: The Future is Stupid

Part 2 of a pilot episode of my new experiment in podcasting. Don’t forget to like me.

10-27
24:56

Uncle Gib Episode 1: The Brain is an Indoor Cat

This is not Notes from Uncanny Valley, it’s a new podcast idea I’m trying out. Part 2 will be up next week. Hope you enjoy.

10-24
26:49

Uncanny Valley Christmas

The thick rubber entombing their faces makes it difficult to understand what is being said. 52:35 Minutes

12-25
52:20

Uncanny Valley Thanksgiving Special

I stand there at the precipice, and gaze upon the hidden world of the elevator, now revealed to me. 66 minutes  

11-27
01:05:43

Fall is here again

I let personal circumstances interfere with my attendance. My situation is stable now. 61 minutes

10-31
01:01:08

13. I’m a Stranger Here Myself

People who can’t even control their own minds want to control the minds of others. 27 minutes “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter, “Disintegration Loops” by William Basinki, “Following” by Justin Walter, “Pathologically Bored” by Deru, and “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere

12-27
26:59

12. The Night Watchman

Occasionally a tenant has left their key in the door lock. 24:30 minutes “Baby (slowed down 800 percent)” by Justin Bieber, “Three Cheers for Existence,” by Deru, “Murmur’s Ebb” by Greater Than or Equal To, “1979” by Deru, “Kontakte” by Karlheinz Stockhausen, “Pathologically Bored” by Deru, and “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere

12-24
24:29

11. Real Person Blues

I fantasize that if I focus hard enough, I will find a way to reach out to myself. 19 minutes “Vid Loss” by Pye Corner Audio,“Spiral Insana” by Nurse with Wound, “Blown-Out Joy from Heaven’s Mercied Hole” by A Silver Mt. Zion, and “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter

12-16
18:59

10. The Healthy Skeptic

. . . a graphic of two faceless cartoon figures communicating via tin cans and a string. 19 minutes “Witchs Will” by Wilburn Burchette and “No Riders” by Pye Corner Audio

12-08
19:02

9. My Selfie Hurts

It’s the fixed determination in their faces that gives it away—clearly they’re leading double lives as remote controlled avatars, turning corners in virtual landscapes, and firing digital weapons at artificial enemies. 12 Minutes “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter, “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere  and “Blown-Out Joy from Heaven’s Mercied Hole” by A Silver Mt. Zion

12-02
11:42

8. The Way Home

The clock tower rings in the background . . . 11:30 minutes “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter and “Pathologically Bored” by Deru

11-23
11:28

7. Interpreting the Interpreters

Or are the codes getting scrambled in some kind of cosmic game of telephone? 22 Minutes “Unseen Forces” and “Following” by Justin Walter, “Kontakte” by Karlheinz Stockhausen, “Spiral Insana” by Nurse with Wound, “Untitled” by Constance Demby, and “Pathologically Bored” by Deru

11-03
22:09

6. Sound Reasoning

Sound travels funny in these apartments. What sounds like it’s coming from one side is often coming from the other side. 17 minutes “1979” by Deru and “Blown-Out Joy from Heaven’s Mercied Hole” by A Silver Mt. Zion

10-30
16:44

5. The “Real” Question

Next time you encounter a CAPTCHA take a moment to appreciate this irony: no machine can fool a human into believing that it’s human, yet humans must constantly prove they are human to the machine world they’ve built around them.  11:30 minutes “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere

10-13
11:28

4. The Invisible Script

Looking at the TV it occurs to me that these poor ghost hunters have been captured on video and in that sense have already been forced into ghostly repetition . . . 16 minutes “Unseen Forces” and “Red Cabin” by Justin Walter  

10-11
15:45

3. TMI

Most people ignore him but occasionally someone looks in his direction as they pass, triggering an angry crescendo in the glossolalia streaming from him. The effect is rather like a radio signal full of static that becomes clearer when one stands near—or makes contact with—the antenna. 24:30 minutes “Disintegration Loops” by William Basinki

10-05
24:32

2. Plato’s Cave-In

I watch the novice robot mimicking his mentor’s demonstration of this glitchy dance from the future of our distant past . . . 19:30 minutes “Pathologically Bored” by Deru

10-02
20:49

1. Somewhere in the Distant Present

At first, not being recognized by others bothered me. But then I saw the inherent freedom in playing the part of a complete stranger.  18 minutes “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere, “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter

09-29
16:38

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