Microserfs is an insightful, humorous, and thought-provoking novel by Douglas Coupland. Set in the mid-1990s during the dot.com boom in Silicon Valley, the novel tells the story of a group of tech-savvy young adults who leave their day jobs and venture out to start their own dot-com company.
These tech-savvy young adults are called “microserfs”, a term Coupland borrowed from author William Gibson for his label of tech-savvy youth. The main characters in the novel, Daniel, Michael, Tina, Pokey, Susan, and Todd, collectively form their own dot-com start-up and move into a house in Silicon Valley. The novel follows their growth as professionals, as well as their individual journeys of spiritualism and self-discovery.
Much of the novel is focused on the main characters’ journeys as they become microserfs. Daniel and his friends’ struggles with their identity, jobs, careers, relationships, and faith are highlighted and discussed throughout the novel. Through the microserfs’ shared experiences, Coupland highlights the conflicts between Silicon Valley’s highly competitive work culture and traditional expectations of adulthood. In particular, Coupland speaks to the loneliness and anxiety felt by many tech-savvy professionals who are uncertain about their place in society and about their future.
The novel covers a wide range of themes, from passive nihilism and existential angst to human relationships and working in an ever-changing tech industry. However, the primary theme of the novel is the search for meaning and self-realization that is experienced by the characters as they become microserfs. While there is certainly an element of humor in the novel, Coupland takes a serious approach to the questions posed by the characters, examining questions such as “What do I expect out of life?” “What can I do to make a difference?” and “What is the true value of my life?”
Overall, Microserfs is an entertaining and thought-provoking take on a tech-savvy generation’s search for meaning in an ever-changing world. Coupland’s carefully crafted characters and vivid descriptions help readers become emotionally invested in the microserfs’ journey, while his thought-provoking writing style forces readers to contemplate the major existential questions posed by the novel. The novel is certainly worth reading for anyone interested in gaining insight into the lives of the tech-savvy and their struggle to strive for something more than just a career.
