Authenticity

Through her characters' interpersonal relationships both on- and offline, the author explores the individual's capacity for authentic human connection in the digital era. Because the satirical world of The Atmospherians is only slightly divergent from contemporary American society, the reader viscerally experiences Sasha's and Dyson's struggles to understands themselves in a cultural moment defined by performance. At the start of the novel, Sasha's reality is determined by her work as one in a clan of online "skin-care influencers" (106). Sasha's health and wellness program, ABANDON, has been inspired by the denunciation of dangerous fitness and beauty products. Sasha lauds her work as inspired by her desire to "help people become who they are" (107). However, Sasha at her heart appears incapable of authenticity. Her raw and natural appearance is not reflective of her true interior terrain. Even in her closest relationships, Sasha is in constant competition with others...