Corporate Horror Precursors
 

Hmmmm. Take a look at John Slakek's 1967 story "Masterson and the Clerks". It's weird, it's wild, it's horrific. (It's in the author's collection ALIEN ACCOUNTS & Michael Moorcock's BEST SF FROM NEW WORLDS 4.) Let's go way back: "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville (Yes, MOBY DICK) and "Miss Lonelyhearts" by Nathanael West (One of the best American writers who didn't live long enough to become as enduring as Hemingway or Faulkner. A shame....) Look these up. You won't be disappointed. It's not necessarily about horror, it's about GREAT reading.

Re: Corporate Horror Precursors, Part One
 

My evil twin can't type. It's John Sladek. Sorry if youv'e suffered Google errors or Boolian errors or worse....
GSC

Re: Corporate Horror Precursors, Part One
 

I just got done reading "Miss Lonelyhearts" by Nathanael West. I liked it. The story reminded me of Palahniuk's "Fight Club" without the fight club. To make sure I wasn't being completely off the wall, I googled both of them, and a few other people came to same conclusion. Both authors have a similar outlook and style - West is a little flashier.

I always liked "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Melville. Am I the only person that thinks this story has an element of humor to it? I saw an excellent film adaptation of it, but it took a very serious tone - which is, no doubt, there.
Melville's "The Confidence Man" is one of the best novels I have ever read, but it is not an anti-corporate tale.

I would recommend Kafka's "The Trial" and "The Castle." Kafka tackles the soulless machine at the level of the ridiculous cogs. Both novels are more bureaucratic dark comedies than corporate horror, but as TL points out, they are intertwined. It was philosopher John Dewey who said "Government is the shadow cast by business over society."

I always liked Karl Marx's line about factory workers as 'appendages of flesh on machines of iron.' I think that line needs to be updated for the cubicle mentality age.

I also read Noam Chomsky's non fiction and listen to his lectures.

A couple of movies I would recommend on the subject: The very funny "Office Space" written by Mike Judge, and the darker, but equally good "A Shock to the System" starring Michael Caine. Bippity... Boppity... Boom!

Re: Corporate Horror Precursors, Part One
 

bendk,

I have to tell you that I think you're right about Bartleby. There is (grim) humour in there! But I'd rather not to.

As far as movies are concerned, Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL jump to my mind. It's both very funny and horrific when you come to think of it.

both Brazil and Office Space are required viewing materials in my world

Re: Corporate Horror Precursors, Part One
 

"Brazil", of course! While I'm at it let me officially add the film "Lonelyhearts", adapted from West's short novel to this thread. Thanks, guys!

Gilliam rocks socks in general :wink:

Re: Corporate Horror Precursors, Part One
 

I just watched a very funny corporate horror movie. It is called Fear and Trembling. It is about a Belgian girl who takes a job in Japan at one of their largest corporations. Not only do you get bosses that are sure to raise your blood pressure, but cultural clashes that are interesting and amusing. It is in Japanese and French with English subtitles.

Re: Corporate Horror Precursors, Part One
 

Testing the site here...
I kind of marvel at how insidious corporate horror can be: I'm sooo much happier since I quit my big job in April. I mean, I didn't really know how much the job was draining me until I'd decompressed aftera few months.

Did anyone see the movie "Kafka" starring Jeremy Irons? It was, pardon the obvious, very Kafkaesque. It is the story of the historical Franz Kafka involved in some very bizarre bureaucracies (sp?) as well as a strange secret organization in the early 20th century Austrian empire. It really brought to life Kafka's concerns and fears and he is a definite precurser of corporate horror.