Severance: The Lexington Letter, by Anonymous
March 18, 2022 7:58 PM - Subscribe
From the minds behind the series, this is the story of Lumon Industries employee Margaret “Peg” Kincaid.
When does the cost of staying silent become greater than the price of speaking up? A desperate woman risks everything to expose the sinister company at the heart of Severance, the thrilling Apple Original series from director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, now streaming on Apple TV+, about a daring experiment in “work-life balance.”
From the minds behind the series, this is the story of Lumon Industries employee Margaret “Peg” Kincaid. When Peg gets hired at Lumon, she undergoes Severance, a surgical procedure pitched by the company as an effortless way to separate her personal and work lives Everyone has their reasons for wanting the easy solution Severance promises, but when Peg realizes that not all is as it seems at the company, she uncovers a reality that’s far worse than the problems she wanted to escape.
At the heart of this story, Peg’s shocking confession reveals the darkest side of corporate America. It raises a chilling question: How far will Lumon Industries go to protect its secrets?
Available for free, and exclusively on Apple Books.
When does the cost of staying silent become greater than the price of speaking up? A desperate woman risks everything to expose the sinister company at the heart of Severance, the thrilling Apple Original series from director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, now streaming on Apple TV+, about a daring experiment in “work-life balance.”
From the minds behind the series, this is the story of Lumon Industries employee Margaret “Peg” Kincaid. When Peg gets hired at Lumon, she undergoes Severance, a surgical procedure pitched by the company as an effortless way to separate her personal and work lives Everyone has their reasons for wanting the easy solution Severance promises, but when Peg realizes that not all is as it seems at the company, she uncovers a reality that’s far worse than the problems she wanted to escape.
At the heart of this story, Peg’s shocking confession reveals the darkest side of corporate America. It raises a chilling question: How far will Lumon Industries go to protect its secrets?
Available for free, and exclusively on Apple Books.
The two details that stood out to me was her ability to bypass the (now upgraded) code detectors and the fact that her innie has the child-like name of Peggy
posted by O9scar at 11:01 PM on March 18, 2022
posted by O9scar at 11:01 PM on March 18, 2022
I really enjoyed the handbook, which is completely free of any potential spoilers for the TV show.
posted by simonw at 8:26 AM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by simonw at 8:26 AM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
On the linked page, I see no way to read or download it. Do I need a Mac or iPhone/iPad?
posted by thedward at 9:25 AM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by thedward at 9:25 AM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
My understanding is iBooks is Apple-proprietary. I assume this will show up soon on pirate sites but a quick look on Z Library came up empty just now.
posted by Nelson at 9:27 AM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 9:27 AM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you open Books.app on your Mac or iPhone or iPad you’ll see it — it’s the #1 free book.
posted by Monochrome at 10:10 AM on March 19, 2022
posted by Monochrome at 10:10 AM on March 19, 2022
thedward, what happens if you follow the link? Have you installed iTunes? That might allow reading, but the book might have DRM, which is apparently a possible issue.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:26 AM on March 19, 2022
posted by Pronoiac at 11:26 AM on March 19, 2022
I don't own any Apple hardware. If it has DRM, I'm probably out of luck because AFAIK no one has cracked the latest Apple Books DRM.
If I click the link on my phone (Android) it tells me I need to install Apple Music; after installing that, clicking the link takes me to the Apple Music app but shows a blank page.
If I click the link on my Linux box, is it opens a new browser tab to a page that has information about the book, but nothing to click to read or download it (whether or not I'm logged in with my Apple ID leftover from when I had a Mac).
I mean, I guess I'm not supposed to even be watching the show without owning some Apple hardware (or maybe a copy of Windows?), so fair enough.
posted by thedward at 1:02 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
If I click the link on my phone (Android) it tells me I need to install Apple Music; after installing that, clicking the link takes me to the Apple Music app but shows a blank page.
If I click the link on my Linux box, is it opens a new browser tab to a page that has information about the book, but nothing to click to read or download it (whether or not I'm logged in with my Apple ID leftover from when I had a Mac).
I mean, I guess I'm not supposed to even be watching the show without owning some Apple hardware (or maybe a copy of Windows?), so fair enough.
posted by thedward at 1:02 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Page 18: you’ll notice that the newspaper editor has a notable surname.
posted by Monochrome at 2:25 PM on March 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Monochrome at 2:25 PM on March 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
> I guess I'm not supposed to even be watching the show without owning some Apple hardware (or maybe a copy of Windows?)...
Video: Their support page mentions non-Apple hardware like "Smart TVs and streaming devices, Gaming consoles, and Cable or satellite services", and there's also browser support I guess?
Books: Apparently for Apple hardware only. My local copy of the book doesn't have DRM, but has some fingerprinting, so I'm wary of sharing it.
posted by Pronoiac at 6:10 PM on March 19, 2022
Video: Their support page mentions non-Apple hardware like "Smart TVs and streaming devices, Gaming consoles, and Cable or satellite services", and there's also browser support I guess?
Books: Apparently for Apple hardware only. My local copy of the book doesn't have DRM, but has some fingerprinting, so I'm wary of sharing it.
posted by Pronoiac at 6:10 PM on March 19, 2022
If you're looking for the ebook, maybe check bing.com. A past related Apple TV-related ebook was "Tears of the Anaren", from Mythic Quest, which is easier to find, keywords or site-wise.
posted by Pronoiac at 6:24 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Pronoiac at 6:24 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thanks for the imgur link!
Sorry to be a bummer but I wish the book were more interesting. Sometimes these things are labors of love from the writers, a chance to capture a bunch of ideas that went into the worldbuilding but don't make it to screen. That's not what's here; there's almost nothing in the book that's not directly from the show. Honestly it could have been written by anyone who had just watched the show, these first six episodes.
The plot is surprisingly thin for hanging a short story on. It works well as a written narrative of what life would be like for a Lumon employee, but without the show's amazing visual design it just feels a little dull. It is interesting to contemplate what a conversation between an innie and their outie would be like. And I guess I'm wrong when I say there's no new plot in the book; there's a major reveal on Peggy's theory of what macrodata refinement and Lumon are actually doing. But it's so implausible I think it's a red herring. (Either that or we've reached the end of the writer's ability to keep the plates spinning and are venturing into when this kind of story gets dumb.)
The handbook is reasonably well done. I was hoping for more on the cult-like Kier stuff which they have started showing us on the show. We did get the 9 principles at least: Vision, Verve, Wit, Cheer, Humility, Benevolence, Nimbleness, Probity, Wiles.
One detail that is fun to have beyond the show, there's a very specific description of the MDR computer interface someone could use to flesh out a recreation as a webapp or game. The reference in the boot screen to HE2N_KEY suggests Lumon terminals are Hackintoshes.
Best line from the book, the description of the Sevy mascot as "a little dildo with translucent skin revealing a spiral-shaped digestive tract leading down to his anus". It's a jarringly obscene bit in an otherwise mostly innocuous text.
posted by Nelson at 7:32 AM on March 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
Sorry to be a bummer but I wish the book were more interesting. Sometimes these things are labors of love from the writers, a chance to capture a bunch of ideas that went into the worldbuilding but don't make it to screen. That's not what's here; there's almost nothing in the book that's not directly from the show. Honestly it could have been written by anyone who had just watched the show, these first six episodes.
The plot is surprisingly thin for hanging a short story on. It works well as a written narrative of what life would be like for a Lumon employee, but without the show's amazing visual design it just feels a little dull. It is interesting to contemplate what a conversation between an innie and their outie would be like. And I guess I'm wrong when I say there's no new plot in the book; there's a major reveal on Peggy's theory of what macrodata refinement and Lumon are actually doing. But it's so implausible I think it's a red herring. (Either that or we've reached the end of the writer's ability to keep the plates spinning and are venturing into when this kind of story gets dumb.)
The handbook is reasonably well done. I was hoping for more on the cult-like Kier stuff which they have started showing us on the show. We did get the 9 principles at least: Vision, Verve, Wit, Cheer, Humility, Benevolence, Nimbleness, Probity, Wiles.
One detail that is fun to have beyond the show, there's a very specific description of the MDR computer interface someone could use to flesh out a recreation as a webapp or game. The reference in the boot screen to HE2N_KEY suggests Lumon terminals are Hackintoshes.
Best line from the book, the description of the Sevy mascot as "a little dildo with translucent skin revealing a spiral-shaped digestive tract leading down to his anus". It's a jarringly obscene bit in an otherwise mostly innocuous text.
posted by Nelson at 7:32 AM on March 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
The manual says that Lumon started out selling topical salves. So my headcanon is that, as some 19th century pandemic was winding down, Kier Eagan sold the equivalent of ivermectin. People jumped on it, and years later, there’s the conglomerate, the town, and a religion. Gosh, people were unsophisticated back then.
posted by Monochrome at 1:34 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Monochrome at 1:34 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Sorry to be a bummer but I wish the book were more interesting.
Yeah I was disappointed. Just sort of sloppily done too- the "letter" looks like slightly askew photocopied typewritten pages- who has a typewriter in a hotel room? If not typewritten, why a photocopied email? Elementary school kids have seen "Baby Driver"?
The tone is all wrong, it doesn't sound like a 54 year old woman who dropped out of Kansas State. No one writes a letter like this! And no employee handbook is going to talk about the severance procedure to people that have already had it.
I find it really frustrating because the show seems to have been so tightly conceived and edited which an eye for detail. There's nothing particularly illuminating here and now I have doubts about this show. Grrr.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:37 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yeah I was disappointed. Just sort of sloppily done too- the "letter" looks like slightly askew photocopied typewritten pages- who has a typewriter in a hotel room? If not typewritten, why a photocopied email? Elementary school kids have seen "Baby Driver"?
The tone is all wrong, it doesn't sound like a 54 year old woman who dropped out of Kansas State. No one writes a letter like this! And no employee handbook is going to talk about the severance procedure to people that have already had it.
I find it really frustrating because the show seems to have been so tightly conceived and edited which an eye for detail. There's nothing particularly illuminating here and now I have doubts about this show. Grrr.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:37 PM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
There's nothing particularly illuminating here and now I have doubts about this show. Grrr.
Agree with all the comments above — my take is that this and the LinkedIn tie-in are some marketing person’s poorly conceived brain child. Which is just disappointing.
The only thing I found interesting was the reference in the letter that “the answer is in the handbook” and the place where they reference the the four kinds of numbers/emotions with two letter combos. Maybe there’s a solvable puzzle in there…? I just wasn’t inspired enough to put effort to it.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:29 PM on March 20, 2022
Agree with all the comments above — my take is that this and the LinkedIn tie-in are some marketing person’s poorly conceived brain child. Which is just disappointing.
The only thing I found interesting was the reference in the letter that “the answer is in the handbook” and the place where they reference the the four kinds of numbers/emotions with two letter combos. Maybe there’s a solvable puzzle in there…? I just wasn’t inspired enough to put effort to it.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:29 PM on March 20, 2022
the place where they reference the the four kinds of numbers/emotions with two letter combos.
They correspond to Keir Eagan's "Four Tempers": Woe, Frolic, Dread and Malice.
A potential spoiler about the show's setting is hidden below (click the triangle to open).
posted by Rock Steady at 7:13 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
They correspond to Keir Eagan's "Four Tempers": Woe, Frolic, Dread and Malice.
A potential spoiler about the show's setting is hidden below (click the triangle to open).
I don't know if this is interesting or frustratingly inconsistent, but the book depicts Lumon HQ as being in Topeka, Kansas, while the TV show apparently is set in the town of Keir, in a state with the abbreviation "PE" (based on the news article about the Senator).
posted by Rock Steady at 7:13 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
The impression I got from the book was that Lumen have offices with severed floors in many different cities, Topeka being one of them.
posted by simonw at 7:49 AM on March 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by simonw at 7:49 AM on March 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
One newspaper article mentions Peggy was a David Niven fan.
That weirdly retro note echoes Ms. Cobel's mention of Clark Gable.
posted by doctornemo at 11:40 AM on March 27, 2022
That weirdly retro note echoes Ms. Cobel's mention of Clark Gable.
posted by doctornemo at 11:40 AM on March 27, 2022
Sadly, I agree with Nelson. This text is disappointing.
The second half simply repeats stuff from the show: how to refine data, no communication with outie, etc.
The first half was a thin story.
posted by doctornemo at 11:46 AM on March 27, 2022
The second half simply repeats stuff from the show: how to refine data, no communication with outie, etc.
The first half was a thin story.
posted by doctornemo at 11:46 AM on March 27, 2022
the fact that her innie has the child-like name of Peggy
posted by O9scar
That tracks with Helly R., who (Harmony?) refers to as Helena when discussing her.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:52 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by O9scar
That tracks with Helly R., who (Harmony?) refers to as Helena when discussing her.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:52 PM on March 28, 2022
I finally got around to reading it today.
> Page 18: you’ll notice that the newspaper editor has a notable surname.
Oh, I totally glossed over his name: Milchick.
Mashable read and summarized the book a bit. I'd add that there was a written cipher language from her childhood, using pictures, that apparently bypassed the code detectors on the elevators, for a while.
Something about the book made me wonder if they're in a simulation. That would make it easier to get from sorting numbers with feelings, to industrial espionage and bombs.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:33 PM on April 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
> Page 18: you’ll notice that the newspaper editor has a notable surname.
Oh, I totally glossed over his name: Milchick.
Mashable read and summarized the book a bit. I'd add that there was a written cipher language from her childhood, using pictures, that apparently bypassed the code detectors on the elevators, for a while.
Something about the book made me wonder if they're in a simulation. That would make it easier to get from sorting numbers with feelings, to industrial espionage and bombs.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:33 PM on April 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
A past related Apple TV-related ebook was "Tears of the Anaren"
I wish they would have gone this route and given us “The You You Are”.
posted by Gary at 9:23 AM on April 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
I wish they would have gone this route and given us “The You You Are”.
posted by Gary at 9:23 AM on April 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by Monochrome at 8:45 PM on March 18, 2022