Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun review
The Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma writer-director’s first novel is a wry, hugely fun journey into the dark world behind our screens
TL;DR
- Bethany Peters, a young trans woman content moderator, seeks to save a non-binary person she believes is destined for 'Public Access Afterworld'.
- The novel features interconnected narratives involving a cult leader/serial killer named David Sawyer, a scientist's wife during the Manhattan Project, and a resurrected horror monster named Chimotera.
- A central theme is the centering of trans experience, drawing from the author's own identity.
- The novel possesses an 'internetty' tone, blending high-art horror with kitsch and fan-friendly elements.
- It critiques the attention economy and explores the disturbing nature of screen culture, alongside the human desire to 'become the story'.
- The ending is described as both uplifting and nihilistic, managing to connect diverse plot strands.