Worlds collide when an American executive attempts a savage restructuring in a small coastal Kentish town.
HUMAN SOFTWARE follows the lives of two women competing against each other, as well as the realities of working in tech, set against a backdrop of global uncertainty and corporate greed.
SOFTWARE
In tech, the recent narrative has been about doing things better, faster, cheaper and more reliably. How do we make people more productive? How can we replace them with AI and LLMs?
In 2010, billionaire Marc Andreessen argued that “Software is eating the world” and kicked off an investment frenzy that directly led to the increased dominance of software in all of our lives. Whether it’s through our smartphones, televisions, dishwashers, or central heating systems, software is everywhere and controlled by a small group that essentially defines how we live our lives.
HUMAN
But what about the people who build and maintain the software? What happens when something goes badly wrong with a software system? The consequences can be dire, as we’ve seen with in recent events such as the UK Post Office Horizon Scandal or the Boeing 737 Max. Who is responsible? Who is on the end of the phone and what are the consequences?
Themes
HUMAN SOFTWARE explores themes of globalisation, community and the impact of burnout in the workplace. It highlights the disconnect between the ideals of modern software systems and the human realities of building and maintaining them.
Inspiration
Inspired and triggered by industry books such as The Phoenix Project and The Goal, HUMAN SOFTWARE is both a reaction to those books and draws parallels with the movies Local Hero and The Pelican Brief.
I wanted to accurately capture what it’s like to work in IT and software engineering in a modern firm where no one truly celebrates a successful ‘digital transformation’. Real life is messier and more complicated, more brutal, and more boring. I wanted to represent that through my characters, Beth, Chrissie, Peter, and Dominic.
The Blog
Here’s where I post updates about what’s happening in the world of Human Software.
- Writing as the Way of Becoming a Better Writer
There is an excellent new podcast episode with Ian Rankin and Count Binface where the (extraterrestrial) interviewer asked the question about how we process information in… Read More »Writing as the Way of Becoming a Better Writer - The Conference
It’s showtime. Big smile on, wait for the applause to die down and remember—speak slowly.” Beth closes her eyes briefly, puts on the smile, and walks… Read More »The Conference - Human Software: The Screenplay
I like writing. I’ve enjoyed writing Human Software. However waiting for feedback can be nerve-wracking, so over the last few weeks I decided to channel some… Read More »Human Software: The Screenplay - Reinventing Kent: Drawing a Map of Sandport
Human Software is set in the fictional town of Sandport. I wanted to imagine a world where great storm of 1287 hadn’t had the same effect… Read More »Reinventing Kent: Drawing a Map of Sandport - What is Human Software really about?
Over the last month, I’ve been completing structural edits and honing the message that I want to get across with my debut novel, Human Software. I’ve… Read More »What is Human Software really about? - Development Complete
I’ve just sent the final chapters of my debut novel Human Software over to my editor. I’m aiming for publication in September ’25. I like to… Read More »Development Complete