Hum: A Novel By Helen Phillips

In Hum, a highly anticipated dystopian thriller by Helen Phillips, the consequences of global warming and rapid technological advancement create a tense and urgent narrative. The story unfolds in a city ravaged by climate change, where intelligent robots known as “hums” are pervasive. May, struggling after losing her job to artificial intelligence, is desperate to secure her family’s future amidst mounting debt. Her solution involves undergoing an experimental procedure that alters her appearance to avoid surveillance.

In search of a temporary escape from their harsh reality and their dependence on technology, May buys passes for her family to spend three nights in the Botanical Garden, a rare green oasis in their bleak environment. The garden, with its lush forests, streams, and wildlife, offers a glimmer of hope. However, May's decision to leave their devices behind proves more challenging than anticipated, and the garden's serene beauty quickly becomes overshadowed by new threats.

When her children’s safety is compromised, May finds herself relying on a hum with ambiguous motives. As she fights to protect her family, the story delves into themes of marriage, motherhood, and selfhood in a world where the boundaries between dystopia and utopia are increasingly blurred.

Hum is a speculative fiction novel that combines taut, urgent prose with a profound exploration of contemporary issues, revealing uncomfortable truths about our present through its examination of a near-future society. As Jeff VanderMeer notes, Phillips’s work bravely confronts the realities of our world by imagining its potential future.