Eliza and Her Monsters

Eliza and Her Monsters dramatizes the phenomenon of internet fandom. When the novel opens, Eliza occupies the center of a community that has sprung up around her webcomic, Monstrous Sea. Fans create content in the form of discussions, art, and fiction, the most important of which is Wallace’s novelization. Eliza interacts with her fandom through the pseudonym LadyConstellation, but even at a distance she keenly feels the possibilities and pitfalls of this relationship. When she goes with Wallace to the Halloween party at his favorite bookstore, Eliza has the chance to see her fandom in person, as many of the attendees are dressed as MS characters and engage in friendly arguments about whether certain “ships” (character relationships) are “canon” (based on the original text and worldbuilding).

Although fan culture and communities existed before the internet, the early 21st century saw the rise of web-based fandoms that coalesced around everything from Harry Potter and Doctor Who to obscure anime and webcomics similar to Monstrous Sea. The internet provides a way for members of these subcultures to find and interact with each other and offers a platform for creative responses to the original stories, which often take the form of fanfiction and art based on existing characters and worlds. Members of fandoms often work together to collate the lore of a given fictional world using wiki-style sites to gather details and references. Online forums and discussion sites offer an opportunity for fans and creators to interact, and the activity often crosses over into the real world through cosplay and meetups. For many, their fandom becomes a lifestyle.

One of the characteristics of fandom platforms like that of Monstrous Sea is an acceptance of pseudonymity. Unlike social media and networking sites that emphasize “real names” and personal branding, the Monstrous Sea forums, like those of many fandoms, allow users to mask their real-world identities. Unlike full anonymity or burner accounts, pseudonyms allow users to build a history and a persona for interacting with others, but in a more limited, private way. These practices are clearly a boon for people like Eliza and Wallace, who are still exploring their identities and capabilities in a public space, even if the novel demonstrates how fragile pseudonymity can be.