Uncanny Valley: A Memoir

The book’s first part, “Incentives,” introduces the key conflict: Wiener, a 25-year-old Brooklyn native, desires “momentum” and fulfilment in her professional life but has tired of her job as an underpaid assistant at a Manhattan literary agency. After a brief stint at a New York e-book startup, she secures a customer support position at a mobile analytics company in San Francisco. She optimistically immerses herself in the workplace culture, shrugging off incidents of sexism, the company’s morally questionable data collection, and the cruel management style of the company’s CEO. While initially lonely, she meets and begins dating Ian, a robotics engineer who provides a grounded, clarifying presence in her life in contrast to the overstimulating world of tech. Eventually her work environment sours; she finds a new job at a beloved open-source software startup and leaves.

 “Scale,” the second part, charts Wiener’s disenchantment with the industry. As she acclimates, the company confronts issues of discrimination and struggles to control widespread abuse of its platform. Through social media she befriends a well-known CEO named Patrick, who acts as a foil and debate partner as she grapples with questions of the industry’s social responsibility and growing political power. Preparing for an acquisition, the environment at work becomes more rigid and profit-oriented; for every effort towards social change, justice, and equity, Wiener finds evidence of persistent inequity and exploitation. Concerned about the upcoming presidential election, Wiener travels to Nevada to canvass for Hillary Clinton. Her story ends in a muted, ironic anticlimax as she scrolls through hopeful social media posts as the polls close on Election Night. The story’s falling action offers partial resolution in the Epilogue, as a disillusioned Wiener decides to leave not only her company but the industry behind.