Off

One day all the screens went dark - and we couldn't even post about it.

We all dream about it: a life free of scrolling, tweeting, liking, faving, streaming, replying, apologising for not replying, and other assaults on our poor, saturated brains. But what would an analog world actually look like? Chris Colin, author of What to Talk About, paints a picture that's a little Edenic and a little demented. Un-barraged by celeb gossip and political news, we begin to notice nature again. We take walks, stare at the clouds, and listen to podcasts consisting of our own thoughts. Snapchatting gives way to endless rounds of Go Fish. Minecraft is a game involving sticks and leaves. We talk to our neighbours - not about the TV shows we're streaming - and occasionally we fall in love. Delivered in a pitch-perfect, tongue-in-cheek biblical style, this little book imagines an alternate reality that will hit home in our tech-addled worlds. Rinee Shah's playful illustrations perfectly capture the absurdity of life reflected in our screens. Whether you're addicted to tech or not, you'll see something of yourself when you put down your phone and pick up this smart, funny book.

About the Authors

Chris Colin's writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Pop-Up Magazine, Saveur, Outside, Wired, Smithsonian, and Best American Science and Nature Writing. He is the author, most recently, of What to Talk About, What Really Happened to the Class of '93, and Blindsight. He co-wrote This Is Camino, which was nominated for a James Beard Award. He lives in San Francisco, CA.

Rinee Shah's work spans multiple mediums, from music videos to mobile apps. Her clients include Apple, The New York Times, Facebook, Fendi, O Magazine, Fitbit, and Simon & Schuster. She is the author and illustrator of The Made-Up Words Project, a visual dictionary of made-up words. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.