In a world that is progressively being corrupted by artificial intelligence, cell phones and other variations of technology, Helen Phillips’ “Hum” examines the unsettling ways that our connection and obsession with the digital world can mess up our ideas of what it means to be human.
The novel follows a mother who resents the infectious use of artificial intelligence and wants her family to disconnect from their devices and get to know their natural environment on a trip to the botanical gardens. After her children get lost, she is forced to confide in an advanced robot to help her find them. Readers can connect with the mother as she navigates parenthood, marriage and the poison of technology.
One of the most powerful themes in “Hum” is the absorption of youth in phones. Phillips explores how a parent struggles to connect their children with a world outside the internet. Phillips also touches on how rejection of change and adaptation to the growth of technology can lead to isolation and alienation.
The protagonist, May, is a mother who struggles with her husband's obsession with his phone and her children’s obsession with their devices. Through the story, readers can see how she is slightly hypocritical with her hate of phones, since she has to work with technology to raise her kids.
Midway through the novel, Phillips writes a world that criticizes May in a way that makes even readers question her capabilities as a mother. Phillips also describes May’s annoyance with Hums, artificially intelligent robot assistants that populate the city, and how easy it is for them to connect with people.
The short novel gives a realistic view of the future and how technology can affect the world. Phillips touches on topics such as climate change, social media and the government's use of AI, making the story seem more likely to happen in the future. The children of the story, Sy and Lu, are described in ways that make them seem easily influenced, attention-seeking and blatantly annoying. This could either make the story feel more realistic or make readers dislike the novel.
There were also a lot of parts of the story readers may think were just added in to make the story longer, such as insignificant conversations between the children. Although “Hum” provides a deep connection to a mother and wife trying to navigate life in a city infected by technology, some readers may feel that the story lacks a reasonable ending. The story comes to a very abrupt and undesirable halt that doesn’t leave readers guessing but simply stops.
For any reader in the mood for a quick story that doesn’t need much emotional investment, this 267-page read may be the book for them. This book was released on Aug. 6 and has been adapted into ebook, audiobook and hardcover, and it is available on Audible, Spotify, Amazon and Apple Books or at Books A Million and Barnes & Noble.