Sam A. Miller (AKA Sam O’Nella Academy) proves a skilled satirist in this debut of sci-fi short stories
If you grew up with access to the family desktop and a website called www.youtube.com, there exists a substantial chance that you have heard of Sam O’Nella Academy. The channel, active primarily from 2017 to 2020, has a reliable format: an animated stick man named Sam O’Nella would teach a lesson on anything from how to ride a unicycle to the assassination of James Garfield. Or it did, until on Friday, Feb 20, when Sam A. Miller, the creator of the channel, appeared in person to announce the release of his first book, a collection of science fiction short stories entitled, Still Lost: Tales from 2080.
The book contains eight short stories, all of which take place in the same canonical universe and (aside from the prologue) titular year, followed by a story notes section, where Miller comments on the writing process and meaning of each story. The author’s famous humor is alive and well in Still Lost, even before opening the book. On the corner of the cover where classics are stamped with a Pulitzer or Blue Bell, Miller places an empty circle, sardonically advertising, “Hasn’t Won a Thing!” The stories themselves are rife with deadpan humor, which alongside the self-deprecating, meandering nature of the story notes, makes him very reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut. The use of the word “anyways” at the beginnings of sentences, as well as quotes like, “Never Seen Before: White Male Sci-Fi Writer Bravely Takes Potshots at Organized Religion,” and “I take umbrage with a number of notions preached as gospel within amateur writing circles” bring the crotchety, anti-author author of Slaughter-House Five and Breakfast of Champions to the forefront of the mind.
Another stand-out characteristic of this book is just how easy it is to read, not in the sense that it lacks detail but in that the reader finds their eyes sprinting across the prose to see the next part of the story. Part of this immense enjoyability may be due to a difference between Miller and Vonnegut: Miller’s general preference for first-person storytelling. Each story is told from a character’s point of view, although, tastefully, not always the main character as was the case in the story “Four Little Words.” The use of first-person also shows Miller’s capabilities as an author in stories like “Bloodstreams” and “Fiat Strepitus,” where he very successfully makes narrators who are both objectively immoral and easy to empathize with. He uses much of the same talents for his final and most poignant story, “Beat,” a gut-wrenchingly human story about addiction.
While Still Lost is an excellent first publication, it is still definitely a first publication. Miller’s skills as an author, while full of raw talent and by no means devoid of polish, are sure to improve after more feedback. For instance, the narrative voice of each character, from a social-media-addicted baboon to a righteously vengeful cybersecurity genius to “a self-absorbed sociopath” are all — at least near the conclusion of the story — very similar.
They all feature a certain aloofness and cool logicality, as well as the same dry sense of humor. While this does make for an enjoyable read, it could be speculated that making more distinct voices while still keeping the author’s own sense of humor alive would be a next move. Additionally, the humor can be repetitive and even a bit trite at times. For instance, the use of an absurdity being referred to in the nature of the everyday is a brand of humor which works because it breaks from the expectation of the reader. However, Miller uses the format so frequently that about halfway through the book it stops invoking any humor response, and by the end it can give the jokes something of a “reddit” feel.
Notorious bibliophile Adam Frye delves into a copy of “Still Lost.”
Photo by Aiden Hoogstra
Although the notes at the end of the book give better commentary on the stories than an outsider could, some of Miller’s better works are the ones he seems to show the least love. As such, below is a general and highly subjective ranking of my favorites:
“The Prophet” — This story is a page turner with a likeable main character and a diverse setting. It’s exactly what you look for when you want to lose yourself in a book for a while.
“Eggs for Roman” — Another page turner, with — what can I say, I’m biased — another likeable main character and a tour-de-force of skilled writing as well. This story’s ideas, prose, and plot are all top-tier.
“Being a Nothingness” — A satire on Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea, this story is funny yet thought provoking. The moral of the story, if it can so be called, is rather pertinent to the average university student, and the setup is just plausible enough and more than witty enough to deliver it perfectly.
“Beat” — This one is good, but not necessarily because it is enjoyable or a fun read. It is raw, personal and beautiful, but it is also exactly as painful as the author wanted it to be.
“Bloodstreams” — Fourth and fifth place were a very close call: Miller’s sixth tale is simultaneously irreverent and unnervingly accurate in its portrayal of human nature and mob mentality.
“Fiat Strepitus” — This was the prologue, written after the rest when Miller said he realized he had to explain “the weird aliens everywhere” in more detail than the rest of the historical events separating our world from his, 44 years in the future. It’s a great story, but not my favorite for almost entirely reasons of taste.
“Xenos” — Another story about the aliens, at least on the surface, this apparently was the most time-consuming of the collection, and is certainly a good read. Even so, the characters’ motivations feel hollow at times, and competition is stiff, so seventh it is.
“Four Little Words” — Not a bad story, but the intentional over-the-top nature takes the reader out of the loop even in a sci-fi future. Definitely an interesting story to think about, but it feels a little less full than its companions.
Overall, Still Lost is a good book and an incredible first book. I highly recommend shelling out the $12 for a copy of your own, and eagerly anticipate the rest of Miller’s literary career.
