‘Public Access Afterworld’ Is a Brilliant Mess That ‘Camp Miasma’ Fans Need to Read ASAP

Jane Schoenbrun’s first novel, *Public Access Afterworld*, follows characters whose lives are reshaped by a mysterious television programme. Its release extends themes from Schoenbrun’s films, including identity, isolation and the search for connection, while showing how their storytelling can expand beyond cinema.

The story moves between 2009, when teenagers David and Erin discover the programme during the end of analogue broadcasts, and 2026, when trans woman Bethany encounters it through her content-moderation job. As Bethany investigates its origins, she develops “screen sickness” and is drawn into a conspiracy. The review describes the novel as sprawling and sometimes unwieldy, but says it explores how fantasies and digital obsessions can become traps rather than routes to happiness.