So. As a huge fan of whump, dead dove, mixed media, weird niche fiction, unreliable narrators, 'interactive' narrators, playing with the fourth wall, and having spent plenty of time myself in fandom and occasionally observing discourse. I may be biased but this was such such such such SUUUUUUUUUUCH a good read. Truly incredible--the characterization, the slow build of the mystery, the choice regarding what to show and not show. I love it so much whenever I can find a story like this, where instead of seeing the events happening conventionally it's all pieced together from what bits and pieces make it online and we're just following along for the ride. I have a lot of thoughts about how fascinating I find theatre and video games as mediums--how to me, they feel like simultaneously the most 'realistic' and 'separate' sorts of mediums. I think this kind of narrative framing does a similar thing. The internet format makes it increasingly obvious that there's a screen separating you from the events of the story, and yet, because you're only following along stuff that would be seen on a screen regardless, it's almost chilling. Like maybe you did stumble across something a really, truly disturbing discourse document.
Not to mention, again, the mystery! The things never explicitly stated, but which the reader is expected to put together! The foreshadowing! THE SLOW-BURN REALIZATION IN PART FOUR, GAUGHHHHHHHH.
Just. Goddamn. Well played, author. HIGHLY recommended, and I really need to read the rest of your stuff now! Could not put this down until I finished it.
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