Liann Zhang is a second-generation Chinese Canadian who splits her time between Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. After a short stint as a skincare content creator, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology.
Julie Chan Is Dead is her first novel.
At Electric Lit Zhang tagged seven books that "discuss the realities of being online, and how social media impacts our lives." One title on the list:
The Subtweet by Vivek ShrayaRead about another entry on the list.
The Subtweet follows the relationship of two internet-famous artists, Rukmini and Neela, whose friendship is fractured by one single tweet. The internet storm that follows results in one of their careers being destroyed.
Though the namesake of this book is of a bygone era, it still upholds all the quintessential online culture points, like passive aggressive communication and catty online gossip. This novel investigates career jealousy, friendship, and making art in an era where social justice is at the forefront of social media. It dissects the online racial power dynamic by asking what it takes for artists of colour to be successful in an online world that panders to white people.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
