Found your Substack via your comment on "Asian American Psycho" at Salieri Redemption. Have you read "Sinking" by Yu Dafu? It was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this title, "The incel as a literary subject", just a click away from "Asian American Psycho". It's a short novella from the 1920s about a Chinese incel in Japan that explores the incel psyche very well ("I'll take revenge on them all" internal monologues included). It's very much about "shame / masculinity / radicalization" from your bio, especially shame stemming from the protagonist's identity as a Chinese man/China's geopolitical status a century ago. Much has changed since then, but in a way, I think this novella still reflects some realities today. Seeing that you're a Chinese-American interested in these themes, would highly recommend if you haven't already read it.
I like your writing from what I've read on here, so definitely will be checking out your book as well.
That's an extremely precise recommendation, and I will be sure to check it out - thanks!
I would add that the earliest "proto-incel" type fiction I've read is, of course, Notes from the Underground, but I've also been meaning to look into No-no Boy (?title?) and Osamu Dazai's 'No Longer Human' as well.
That's the thing - it's more or less definitionally true that folk psychology notions of human agency collapse into a deflating, reductionistic account of the brain - to cite one of many examples, Robert Sapolsky just released a book about this called "Determined."
As I wrote the novel, I started to realize the existential horror aspect doesn't come from the incel driving evolutionary psychology to its most extreme conclusions, but from driving *general neuroscience* to its most *basic* conclusions.
haha, the part where Gabe reacted strongly to that was my favorite part of the pod - although I'd have to listen again to delve into the exact point he was making, which I didn't fully follow (I think he was making a point about a specific scientific consensus in evolutionary psychology).
The short answer is that this character was simply a representation of what the expected institutional response would be to that sort of experiment, and a representation of "normie" advice around interpersonal relationships - which, as we know, anon is not equipped to process effectively (hence his reliance on an unusual methodology).
Found your Substack via your comment on "Asian American Psycho" at Salieri Redemption. Have you read "Sinking" by Yu Dafu? It was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this title, "The incel as a literary subject", just a click away from "Asian American Psycho". It's a short novella from the 1920s about a Chinese incel in Japan that explores the incel psyche very well ("I'll take revenge on them all" internal monologues included). It's very much about "shame / masculinity / radicalization" from your bio, especially shame stemming from the protagonist's identity as a Chinese man/China's geopolitical status a century ago. Much has changed since then, but in a way, I think this novella still reflects some realities today. Seeing that you're a Chinese-American interested in these themes, would highly recommend if you haven't already read it.
I like your writing from what I've read on here, so definitely will be checking out your book as well.
That's an extremely precise recommendation, and I will be sure to check it out - thanks!
I would add that the earliest "proto-incel" type fiction I've read is, of course, Notes from the Underground, but I've also been meaning to look into No-no Boy (?title?) and Osamu Dazai's 'No Longer Human' as well.
The fear and loathing of the incel is not because he's a loon but because he might be right.
That's the thing - it's more or less definitionally true that folk psychology notions of human agency collapse into a deflating, reductionistic account of the brain - to cite one of many examples, Robert Sapolsky just released a book about this called "Determined."
As I wrote the novel, I started to realize the existential horror aspect doesn't come from the incel driving evolutionary psychology to its most extreme conclusions, but from driving *general neuroscience* to its most *basic* conclusions.
Really appreciate this response and interesting that my assumptions regarding the 'reddit army" missed the intended parody element.
Also were Cap and I correct to assume Andrew was meant to be a voice of reason or was the Gabe reading more accurate?
haha, the part where Gabe reacted strongly to that was my favorite part of the pod - although I'd have to listen again to delve into the exact point he was making, which I didn't fully follow (I think he was making a point about a specific scientific consensus in evolutionary psychology).
The short answer is that this character was simply a representation of what the expected institutional response would be to that sort of experiment, and a representation of "normie" advice around interpersonal relationships - which, as we know, anon is not equipped to process effectively (hence his reliance on an unusual methodology).