LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin

LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin

A WIRED Pick for the 7 Books You Need to Read This Winter and one of Vox's 11 Titles Not to Miss

From the incomparable New York Times and New Yorker illustrator Tamara Shopsin comes a debut novel about a New York City printer repair technician who grows up alongside the Apple computer--featuring original designs by the author.

LaserWriter II is a coming-of-age tale set in the legendary nineties indie Mac repair shop Tekserve--a voyage back in time to when the internet was new, when New York City was gritty, and when Apple made offbeat computers for weirdos. Our guide is Claire, a nineteen-year-old who barely speaks to her bohemian coworkers but knows when it's time to snap on an antistatic bracelet.

Interweaving the history of digital technology with a tale both touchingly human and delightfully technical, Shopsin brings an idiosyncratic cast of characters to life with a light touch, a sharp eye, and an unmistakable voice. Filled with pixelated philosophy and lots of printers, LaserWriter II is, at its heart, a parable about an apple.

Tamara Shopsin is an illustrator and graphic designer whose work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Good, Time, Wired, and Newsweek. Jorge Luis Borges, Charles Lindbergh, and Vladimir Nabokov are among the authors for whom she has produced book jackets. C is le Pied!, a collection of her drawings, has been published in two volumes. In her spare time, she develops and sells novelty items and cracked eggs at Shopsip's, her family's New York restaurant. She is presently a 2012 fellow with Code for America, a non-profit organization.