Please Report Your Bug Here – In the News
Recommended by the New York Times, Amazon (Editors’ Pick in Best Science Fiction & Fantasy), Vulture, Goodreads, Nylon, Men's Health, Debutiful, Powell's Books, Point Reyes Books
"[A] sharp literary thriller."
—New York Times
"Please Report Your Bug Here is a gripping literary thriller that forces us to confront our complicity in the technologies reshaping human connections, and it asks how far we will go to maintain those connections. Dark, funny, and highly inventive, Riedel’s debut is as addictive as the apps it criticizes."
—Vulture
“…a fun and inventive debut thriller…."
—Cosmopolitan
“…the plot points on which the book hinges develop in such unexpected ways….”
—Jezebel
"This novel is a series of mysteries, played out in a well-paced narrative filled with frenetic energy. Riedel succeeds at capturing the intrapersonal dramas of a startup. . . . The novel has an alluring quality that keeps you turning pages."
—Chicago Review of Books
"At its core, this workplace thriller with an eerie sci-fi twist illuminates the value of humanity in a digital world."
—Audible Blog, The 24 Hottest Debuts of 2023 So Far
"A smart exposé of the tech boom imbued with a touch of weird fantastical elements . . . Riedel makes the most of his removed narrator, who has enough distance from the events to offer sharp insights on gentrification, workplace ennui, and the uncanny ways that tech has blurred his sense of reality . . . It's impressive how much Riedel packs into this."
—Publishers Weekly
"Riedel’s bio states that he was the first employee at Instagram and now holds an MFA, which explains his exquisite technical rendering of startup/app culture as well as his deeply romantic portrayal of contemporary San Francisco. The book is a great addition to the growing canon of literature examining the role and reach of Silicon Valley."
—Booklist
“Josh Riedel's inventive debut launches readers into a world of tech startups and media apps while also tackling art and reality and the possibility of portals to alternative worlds.”
—Shelf Awareness
Interviews
Audio
KQED Forum radio show, “Point Reyes Residents Push for Darker Skies”
Chills at Will Podcast
Print/Digital
Esquire – “The Rise of Tech Worker Fiction”
SFGATE – Instagram's first employee turned his experience into a surreal San Francisco novel (profile)
Reed Magazine – Through the Portal (profile)
BOMB – Echoes Across Uncanny Valleys: Josh Riedel Interviewed by Krish Raghav
One Story – “Accessing the Truth” (interview)
The Racket – Interview
Our Culture Magazine – Author Spotlight: Josh Riedel, ‘Please Report Your Bug Here’
Catapult – Josh Riedel Believes Tech and Writing Connects Us Together (interview)
One Story – Q&A about “Midnight Sessions”