«Distant» existence in the Robert M. Sonntag’s novel «Scanners»

Abstract

Aim. The novel by the contemporary German writer Robert M. Sonntag (pseudonym of the author Martin Schäuble, born in 1978) «Scanners» (2013) reveals the essence of remote communication. The specific feelings of the hero lead him to discover his own existence – resistance to the system, the choice of «live» communication and love for a real (not virtual / remote) woman, the desire to preserve the «book» as a tool for transmitting the experience of previous generations to descendants. The conflict of the novel by Robert M. Sonntag boils down to a clash in the thinking of the main character between existence and transcendence, when Scanner refuses to ‘fit’ into the system and «chooses» autonomy from the illusion of well-being/success generally accepted in the work, authenticity in harmony with the values of art and authorship as a phenomenon of human achievements (as opposed to the technological leveling of individuality), and the freedom to make one's own decisions.