Freelance: A Novel

Freelance: A Novel
Kevin M. Kearney



Simon McNamara might only be 19, but he knows he’s destined for greatness. Sure, he barely finished high school. And, okay, he’s hopelessly in love with Angelica, an OnlyFans girl who constantly reminds him to renew his subscription. And, fine, he’s driving for HYPR, the ride-sharing app notorious for its long hours and low pay.

Simon, though, knows better than to read into all those minor details. HYPR is just a placeholder—it’s only a matter of time until he finds his true purpose.

Simon quickly learns, however, that HYPR isn’t like other jobs. The company’s app begins speaking to him directly, offering bonuses, a real-life girlfriend, and justice for passengers who disrespect him. When it invites him to the Gifted Young Dryver’s Academy, a secret initiative that promises stability, wealth, and prestige, Simon believes he’s found his path to greatness.

By the time politicians and organizers begin calling on HYPR to change its unjust practices, he struggles to quiet the app’s soothing voice, even when it asks him to kill its critics.

A vivid snapshot of our fraught relationships with labor and artificial intelligence, FREELANCE explores the hyperrealities of work in the digital age, asking what we owe to our jobs and, ultimately, what we owe to each other.

FREELANCE is all the best things: suspenseful, darkly funny, addictive, and a lot of fucking fun. Kearney so astutely peels back the layers of the gig economy to reveal the quiet terror of trying to survive in a late capitalistic hellscape. It’s what happens at the intersection of hustle culture, selfishness, and ignorance—all while being extremely entertaining. This book is one hell of a ride; 5 stars for my driver. —Marisa Crane, author of A SHARP ENDLESS NEED