P. Paramita is the author ofAppetite, a novel about a “young chef chasing her dreams—and the pro wrestler she idolizes who derails everything,” out this week from Dial. Below, she discusses three books about parasocial relationships.
Most of us have found ourselves in a parasocial relationship or two. Fandom communities are born when people’s intense love for something or someone brings them together. The unpredictability of what happens when parasocial relationships take over one’s life a little too much leads to great stories. If you’re in search of a book that explores fandom and its undeniable effect on people and culture, these are three I adore.
Superfanby Jenny Tinghui Zhang
Superfanis full of the joys and devastations that come with being a part of an online fan community. The main character, Minnie, finds solace in discovering a boy band at a time of trauma and loneliness. What makes it a standout from other novels that tackle the phenomenon that is K-Pop (and in this case, a group creating K-Pop-influenced music) is that it’s a dual narrative where one of the voices belongs to an idol himself and gives readers a unique look at the pitfalls of fame.
American Spirits by Anna Dorn
Rose finds herself working as the personal assistant to Blue Velour, the artist she created a whole subreddit for. A dual-POV novel that offers insight into how Covid impacted art and artists’ lives, American Spirits is messy in the best way. I love how Dorn crafts Blue’s legacy and explores the relationship between artist/fan, artist/producer, and even producer/fan.
Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet As We Know ItbyKaitlyn Tiffany
“I’m looking for the shrine to Harry Styles’s vomit. I know it was on Tumblr—I remember seeing it there.”
Society looks down on pop culture, especially pop culture whose primary audience is young girls and women; this book investigates why it shouldn’t. Tiffany combines her own experience as a One Direction fan with scholarly research to dive into how fangirls played a pivotal role in communication that permeates Internet culture and daily life. She looks at fandom history, conspiracy theories, and takes readers into the depths of Tumblr with expert knowledge and humor.
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