Parasocial Lovers,

or, the Cynic’s Guide to Falling in Love with Someone You’ll Never Know

wannabe-rockstar Tyler Brundle has been dead for six years when a video about the last song he ever uploaded goes viral

Now, Tyler’s music, the story of his life, and the story of his death, are seeping into people’s lives. As Tyler’s former bandmates are offered record deals, his ex boyfriend finds himself thrust back into grief he had never really processed. A fledgeling musician finds her path to success cast in Tyler’s shadow even though she doesn’t care about his music. The fan who made the viral video is forced to reckon with a world that not only knows who her Tyler is, but who SHE is, too. Their stories are interwoven with an account of the last months of Tyler’s life. As they figure out where they stand, a question remains; what does it mean to love someone who isn’t there?

Read it here.

Part One: Burning

Part Two: Embers

Part Three: Charcoal

Part Four: Ashes

Part Five: Cracks

Part Six: Hatching

Part Seven: Emerging

Part Eight: Fledging

Part Nine: Take Off

Part Ten: Landing