Off: The Day the Internet Died

One day all the screens went dark--and we couldn't even post about it.

We all dream about it: a life free of scrolling, tweeting, liking, faving, streaming, replying, apologizing for not replying, and other assaults on our poor, saturated brains. But what would an analog world actually look like? Chris Colin, author of What to Talk About, paints a picture that's a little Edenic and a little demented. Un-barraged by celeb gossip and political news, we begin to notice nature again. We take walks, stare at the clouds, and listen to podcasts consisting of our own thoughts. Snapchatting gives way to endless rounds of Go Fish. Minecraft is a game involving sticks and leaves. We talk to our neighbors--not about the TV shows we're streaming--and occasionally we fall in love. Delivered in a pitch-perfect, tongue-in-cheek biblical style, this little book imagines an alternate reality that will hit home in our tech-addled worlds. Rinee Shah's playful illustrations perfectly capture the absurdity of life reflected in our screens. Whether you're addicted to tech or not, you'll see something of yourself when you put down your phone and pick up this smart, funny book."So funny and so necessary. For humanity to stay sane, this must be read like the Bible."  –Dave Eggers, author of The Captain and the Glory

"A beautiful, hilarious children’s book (for grownups). It’s funny and smart and if you don’t like it you must still have dial-up. OFF is the bedtime story our Internet-addled brains dream of. I love this book.”–Wendy MacNaughton, artist/illustrator/journalist, Salt Fat Acid Heat, The Gutsy Girl, and Meanwhile in San Francisco.

"I did not know how badly I needed this weird and hilarious book until I read it. I laughed harder reading this than I do at most things. And, honestly, I’m a pretty hard laugher." –Carson Ellis, author and illustrator, Home and Du Iz Tak?CHRIS COLIN's writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Pop-Up Magazine, Saveur, Outside, Wired, Smithsonian, and Best American Science and Nature Writing. He is the author, most recently, of What to Talk About, What Really Happened to the Class of '93, and Blindsight. He co-wrote This Is Camino, which was nominated for a James Beard Award. He lives in San Francisco, CA.

RINEE SHAH's work spans multiple mediums, from music videos to mobile apps. Her clients include Apple, The New York Times, Facebook, Fendi, O Magazine, Fitbit, and Simon & Schuster. She is the author and illustrator of The Made-Up Words Project, a visual dictionary of made-up words. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.