Uncanny Valley: A Memoir

Wiener’s narrative voice offers many insights and realizations about forces behind the tech industry, while relaying a story in which she, as the protagonist, was often unaware of or indifferent to these forces. Is Wiener a reliable narrator? Using examples from the text, demonstrate what techniques she uses to present herself as more or less reliable to the reader.

Uncanny Valley’s descriptions of San Francisco are vivid, detailed, and complex, and they evolve as Wiener does over the course of the story. Using examples, analyze her portrait of the city and what comment she offers about the city’s present and possible future. 

The analytics company’s “God Mode” setting is one of Wiener’s first experiences with the power of big data. She explains: “This was a privileged vantage point from which to observe the tech industry, and we tried not to talk about it” (45). Discuss the reasons why such a conversation would be avoided, and provide additional examples in which the acknowledgment of power and privilege is neglected.