My Cultural Diet

Luke Indiana may have millions of followers on social media, but he’s still a washed up actor whose career and marriage are both on the rocks. While going through the motions at a fan convention, he encounters Lily, his number one fan (i.e., stalker). Before he knows what’s happening, Luke finds himself imprisoned in Lily’s home and forced to use his good looks and acting skills to survive — but will that be enough to outsmart his biggest fan? I enjoyed Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson’s Dracula, Motherf**ker last year, so checking out Parasocial when I saw it on the library shelf was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, Parasocial wasn’t nearly as enjoyable. To de Campi and Henderson’s credit, they inject some nuance into their characters; Luke’s not a complete tool and Lily’s desperate fantasy makes some sense in light of her living situation. Still, Parasocial plays out pretty much how you’d expect from a story about a star and their stalker. The book’s critiques of celebrity, extreme fandom, social media, and the illusive and inherently deceptive nature of entertainment are certainly valid, but also obvious and on-the-nose.

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