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Influenca: A Horror Satire
Beauty is only filter deep, but madness spoils to the core.
Beau Rutledge tells his story, his way. Selfies? All perfect shots the first time. Photoshop? That’s for losers with no work ethic. Early morning live streams? Beau rolls out of bed looking like a million bucks. That’s not highlighter on his face, he just looks dewy from the sweat he works up pissing off his haters. The #SouthernCharmer wants every follower to know, he’s better than them, and nine million fans can’t get enough.
When his manager tells Beau he must hit ten million by the end of the month, the summer heat becomes a swelter. On top of that, his greatest rival, Brant Cantrell, keeps poking fun at Beau’s content. As Beau fights to hold onto his perfect world, the cracks in his mask of sanity become craters. One thing is for Beau gives new meaning to a killer look.
The slow burn satirical horror novel will feel right at home for fans of Chuck Palahniuk and Brett Easton Ellis. Influenca exposes the vapid narcissism of influencer culture and answers the what happens when the filters get turned off?
Beau Rutledge tells his story, his way. Selfies? All perfect shots the first time. Photoshop? That’s for losers with no work ethic. Early morning live streams? Beau rolls out of bed looking like a million bucks. That’s not highlighter on his face, he just looks dewy from the sweat he works up pissing off his haters. The #SouthernCharmer wants every follower to know, he’s better than them, and nine million fans can’t get enough.
When his manager tells Beau he must hit ten million by the end of the month, the summer heat becomes a swelter. On top of that, his greatest rival, Brant Cantrell, keeps poking fun at Beau’s content. As Beau fights to hold onto his perfect world, the cracks in his mask of sanity become craters. One thing is for Beau gives new meaning to a killer look.
The slow burn satirical horror novel will feel right at home for fans of Chuck Palahniuk and Brett Easton Ellis. Influenca exposes the vapid narcissism of influencer culture and answers the what happens when the filters get turned off?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2023
5 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Nader
29 books108 followersWrites novels about the dark things floating around in his head because the demons won’t let him sleep otherwise. Jokes are his weapon of choice, but will resort to deflection in times of emergency. Did you know Maine is closer to Africa than any other state?
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 2, 2023
I was especially excited to see Nader doing something different with this work; one about influencers with a weird horror vibe, and right up my alley - I can honestly say that his work hasn't steered me wrong yet.
But he misled me a little bit with this release...if just because I wasn't expecting him to visit these places, darker, messier (in a good way) and all-the-better because of it.
Beau is an influencer, very aware of the exact number of his followers, and desperate to reach 10 million; he's also perfect, doesn't need filters and (while remaining individual) works as a close group with other influencers playing with their own brands. Like many influencers...Beau is completely fake, and wholly unlikeable because of that.
Of course, like real-life influencers...they play a good game at hiding just how fake they are.
Nader and Beau are so good at that game that there are a few, jarring moments within the book that (I have to be honest) felt like typos. When I stuck with things, these turned into a powerfully subtle decline of Beau's mental health and power; the guy is wrong about most things but, as the first-person narrator, the reader will have to stick with these flaws as Beau continues to decline.
And what a decline, as we're treated to Beau's abusive murderous thoughts; as-and-when these occur, their presence is jarring and dark, summoning the reader to question what they have just read. And, in keeping with Beau's narrative, some are played up, some aren't real and some are brutal fact.
Influenca walks this line between real and unreal in such a fashion that I expected pay-off; by the book's close, there were at least three beats that gave me such kicks that I couldn't put the book down and just HAD to read the last 20% in one go.
Beau's inhumanity is reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis or Chuck Palahniuk's characters and it's a delight to see Nader playing with such a different narrative, style, and character from his usual. There are only two negatives here: the first that I wanted it to be a BIT more obvious/early as to how fake Beau was; the second that I just wanted Nader to go darker...to make those kills all the more brutal, to make those characters even more hateable.
If this is the direction he will be going with future releases, I'm looking forward to following him all the way.
But he misled me a little bit with this release...if just because I wasn't expecting him to visit these places, darker, messier (in a good way) and all-the-better because of it.
Beau is an influencer, very aware of the exact number of his followers, and desperate to reach 10 million; he's also perfect, doesn't need filters and (while remaining individual) works as a close group with other influencers playing with their own brands. Like many influencers...Beau is completely fake, and wholly unlikeable because of that.
Of course, like real-life influencers...they play a good game at hiding just how fake they are.
Nader and Beau are so good at that game that there are a few, jarring moments within the book that (I have to be honest) felt like typos. When I stuck with things, these turned into a powerfully subtle decline of Beau's mental health and power; the guy is wrong about most things but, as the first-person narrator, the reader will have to stick with these flaws as Beau continues to decline.
And what a decline, as we're treated to Beau's abusive murderous thoughts; as-and-when these occur, their presence is jarring and dark, summoning the reader to question what they have just read. And, in keeping with Beau's narrative, some are played up, some aren't real and some are brutal fact.
Influenca walks this line between real and unreal in such a fashion that I expected pay-off; by the book's close, there were at least three beats that gave me such kicks that I couldn't put the book down and just HAD to read the last 20% in one go.
Beau's inhumanity is reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis or Chuck Palahniuk's characters and it's a delight to see Nader playing with such a different narrative, style, and character from his usual. There are only two negatives here: the first that I wanted it to be a BIT more obvious/early as to how fake Beau was; the second that I just wanted Nader to go darker...to make those kills all the more brutal, to make those characters even more hateable.
If this is the direction he will be going with future releases, I'm looking forward to following him all the way.
June 11, 2023
Alex Nader has a sharp wit that carries across the peculiar band of influencers he has brought together for this horror satire.
Beau, the main protagonist/anti-hero/ superficial psychopath extraordinaire, is the kind of creep you hate to love. His worldview is grounded in just enough truth about hard work and other people’s entitlement issues to make him believable, even at times endearing, while his outrageous self-obsessed career and lifestyle make him someone you simultaneously love to hate. The comparison to Patrick Bateman other reviewers have made is clear and apt, while Nader’s homespun Tennessean is a more down-to-Earth nut that for me was a little easier to relate to.
I really enjoyed this tale with its humor and self-denying look into the narcissistic spiral that is often times social media and its tendency to bring out the worst in us. As someone who has an opportunity to read for leisure in brief and occasional spurts, I only wish that the story moved a little quicker after firmly establishing itself in the dark world of Beau’s mind.
Beau, the main protagonist/anti-hero/ superficial psychopath extraordinaire, is the kind of creep you hate to love. His worldview is grounded in just enough truth about hard work and other people’s entitlement issues to make him believable, even at times endearing, while his outrageous self-obsessed career and lifestyle make him someone you simultaneously love to hate. The comparison to Patrick Bateman other reviewers have made is clear and apt, while Nader’s homespun Tennessean is a more down-to-Earth nut that for me was a little easier to relate to.
I really enjoyed this tale with its humor and self-denying look into the narcissistic spiral that is often times social media and its tendency to bring out the worst in us. As someone who has an opportunity to read for leisure in brief and occasional spurts, I only wish that the story moved a little quicker after firmly establishing itself in the dark world of Beau’s mind.
January 30, 2024
This book is both incredibly funny and incredibly scary in its own right. It felt like American Psycho: Instagram Influencer Edition. Nader crushes it with this dark satire about influencer life, reminding us all that not everything you see on your phone is real life, and the envy we may feel for those who appear to have a perfect life is often misplaced. The main character in "Influenca," Beau Rutledge, is a prime example of our modern society's narcissism run amock as he does just about anything he can in his quest to attain 10 million followers... even if that means doing some pretty heartless and horrible stuff. Nader has a keen eye for detail as he lets us live behind the eyes of the #SouthernCharmer, a life full of self-imposed stresses, self-indulgence, and a shocking obliviousness to the needs of others. This book is a load of fun, with an excellent ending that took me by surprise. Well done!
August 7, 2024
I was initially amused when Beau's follower count dropped. However, Alexander swooped in and turned the situation around with his brilliant writing. Suddenly, I found myself captivated by the manic chaos of Beau. The writer unveiled the less glamorous, almost desperate, side of being an influencer.
The characters felt incredibly real, portraying their shallowness, self-obsession, lack of depth, and inauthenticity. It felt like a reflection of real life. I have to admit, the ending made me burst out laughing. I need more. Did Beau have kidney stones? Did he actually do it? Did Mason take matters into his own hands and strangle him himself? Because I would have... Violent Beau was the best Beau.
The writing in this piece was truly exceptional, from the captivating storyline to the clever chapter headings mirroring follower counts. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of it.
You should definitely give this book a read.
The characters felt incredibly real, portraying their shallowness, self-obsession, lack of depth, and inauthenticity. It felt like a reflection of real life. I have to admit, the ending made me burst out laughing. I need more. Did Beau have kidney stones? Did he actually do it? Did Mason take matters into his own hands and strangle him himself? Because I would have... Violent Beau was the best Beau.
The writing in this piece was truly exceptional, from the captivating storyline to the clever chapter headings mirroring follower counts. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of it.
You should definitely give this book a read.
January 15, 2024
Holy moly that book! What a wild ride! And that ending?!?! I enjoyed...well I'm not sure enjoyed was the right word. To some degree I did. I liked a lot of the humor and parts were fun. Parts were so disturbing and felt painful to read too. Very interesting though. I liked trying to figure out what really happened. This book was a puzzle in some ways. I really liked it. Lots to think about.
April 26, 2023
what a great trip!
I don’t usually write reviews I just enjoy the reading. But this book is amazing! If you want to find out how fake social media is and how ridiculous their influencers are this book is for you! loved every second of it.
I don’t usually write reviews I just enjoy the reading. But this book is amazing! If you want to find out how fake social media is and how ridiculous their influencers are this book is for you! loved every second of it.
May 1, 2023
woah, what?!
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
I’m truly not sure what genre to classify this as, and can’t tell you too much without taking away from the experience. Very suitable choice for fans of Brett Easton Ellis.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
I’m truly not sure what genre to classify this as, and can’t tell you too much without taking away from the experience. Very suitable choice for fans of Brett Easton Ellis.
November 14, 2023
We are proud to announce that INFLUENCA: A Horror Satire by Alexander Nader has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
April 22, 2023
Fascinating!
Revealed a world that was completely new to me. Engaging characters I will probably remember. Great story telling. So this is how it all works. Who knew?
Revealed a world that was completely new to me. Engaging characters I will probably remember. Great story telling. So this is how it all works. Who knew?
December 19, 2024
“I am perfect.” I give him Charming Smile™. “All I do is document what’s already there and share it for the world to see.”
(with apologies to the late Hunter S. Thompson) It was somewhere around Chapter 9,455,109 on a drive near the Blue Ride Parkway that I started to notice something really weird was going on. I remember thinking something like "What is wrong with this guy's head; maybe he shouldn't be driving...." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around and the road was full of a bunch of pricks driving Mustangs, all swerving and screeching and coming way too close to the truck, which was going about a hundred miles an hour while I was still taking calls and counting post hits.
If the internet thinks it happened, it happened.
OK, I'll admit that I like to occasionally read a book outside of my comfort zone, which granted is made easier if it's one from an author I already know and respect. Well, not only did Alexander Nader's - one of my favorite young urban fantasy-slash-horror writers - "Influenca" (think a bizarre combo of "influencer" and "influenza" and you're on the right track!) take me out of my comfort zone, but it also drove me to an airstrip in the middle of nowhere, put me on a rigged up old Cessna and flew me below radar to an area my comfort zone couldn't even find if it wanted to! This was, needless to say at this point, one crazy ride! But a very much expertly crafted and executed ride! Seriously, just the chapter titles alone were genius and once again, wowzers on another perfect cover!
That sounds like the kind of mentally stimulating evening only a lobotomy could cure.
Having said all that and having delivered my flowers, too, Nader handles a topic I pretty much know nothing about - I'm one of the Ancient Ones that does only the Book of Faces and avoids the Instatoks and Twitgramming - and turns it into a psychological thrill ride that will leave you guessing until the final utterly bizarre reveal. And even then we aren't entirely sure what has happened or will happen shortly. This story follows the struggles of the obviously long-suffering (oh to be born beautiful and sexily stupid!) Beau Rutledge. You know the kind of guy you knew in High School who was THE BMOC even though anyone with the realization that life did continue after age 18 was wondering what would ever become of them. We get to witness Beau, sorry #SouthernCharmer wake up in the morning (after his pre-filmed wake-up preparation process), his dietary intake (2/3s of which he throws away without eating) and all the rubbing in, around, and onto of various lotions, potions and other age-defying goop. Add in all the foreign dieting and exercise information and it was literally alien enough to this reader to qualify for scifi!
“Nachos?”
“I’d rather die in obscurity than put that anywhere near my body.”
Soon enough though ol' Beau's struggles begin to crystallize into some real-life back-stabbing, as the battle for followers reaches a fevered and often unfair (or was it?) pitch. And as his stress levels exceed any amount of healthy (put in about 20 question marks here) release through exercising, we are party to what can only be described as a tenuous grip on reality. This includes not only the sequences of sheer brutality that run through his own well-coiffed head but also those created by those skilled at producing deep fake videos and other electronic shenanigans. It is, in brief text, an absolutely perfect reflection of American society, bundled up nice and neat into the eastern mountains of Tennessee, which I assume is also still crawling with demons if Nader's books are intended to carry on any kind of cross-referenced continuity!
In the immortal words of Vladmir Stalin from the movie Raging Bull, “I must break you.”
The story though does reach a kind of Stephen King-esque level of misdirection. We're never sure whether to sympathize or really even utterly dislike Beau, as he stumbles through life with a stupidly naive self-absorption that can only be considered Kardassian in its nature. He knows nothing about the ones he's supposedly meant to care about in his life and burns bridges faster than a retreating army trying to save their own hides in a losing effort. But Nader - an author that has really caught my eye and warrants closer attention for the next years to come for sure - again handles this bizarre take on modern day America with aplomb and a growing skill you just have to read and enjoy to believe! The prose is smooth as well-treated skin after an exfoliating facial scrub and with enough tongue-in-cheek humor to please anyone who silently or even professionally mourns the death of the America we once assumed existed!
Bro we live in Tennessee. I’m pretty sure your guns are safer than babies.
Bottom-line: what deliciously uncomfortable fun! Oh and sorry for all the big words, hope I didn't lose to many of you along the way. LOL, OMG, stay fleek and y'all be good now, ya hear?
(with apologies to the late Hunter S. Thompson) It was somewhere around Chapter 9,455,109 on a drive near the Blue Ride Parkway that I started to notice something really weird was going on. I remember thinking something like "What is wrong with this guy's head; maybe he shouldn't be driving...." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around and the road was full of a bunch of pricks driving Mustangs, all swerving and screeching and coming way too close to the truck, which was going about a hundred miles an hour while I was still taking calls and counting post hits.
If the internet thinks it happened, it happened.
OK, I'll admit that I like to occasionally read a book outside of my comfort zone, which granted is made easier if it's one from an author I already know and respect. Well, not only did Alexander Nader's - one of my favorite young urban fantasy-slash-horror writers - "Influenca" (think a bizarre combo of "influencer" and "influenza" and you're on the right track!) take me out of my comfort zone, but it also drove me to an airstrip in the middle of nowhere, put me on a rigged up old Cessna and flew me below radar to an area my comfort zone couldn't even find if it wanted to! This was, needless to say at this point, one crazy ride! But a very much expertly crafted and executed ride! Seriously, just the chapter titles alone were genius and once again, wowzers on another perfect cover!
That sounds like the kind of mentally stimulating evening only a lobotomy could cure.
Having said all that and having delivered my flowers, too, Nader handles a topic I pretty much know nothing about - I'm one of the Ancient Ones that does only the Book of Faces and avoids the Instatoks and Twitgramming - and turns it into a psychological thrill ride that will leave you guessing until the final utterly bizarre reveal. And even then we aren't entirely sure what has happened or will happen shortly. This story follows the struggles of the obviously long-suffering (oh to be born beautiful and sexily stupid!) Beau Rutledge. You know the kind of guy you knew in High School who was THE BMOC even though anyone with the realization that life did continue after age 18 was wondering what would ever become of them. We get to witness Beau, sorry #SouthernCharmer wake up in the morning (after his pre-filmed wake-up preparation process), his dietary intake (2/3s of which he throws away without eating) and all the rubbing in, around, and onto of various lotions, potions and other age-defying goop. Add in all the foreign dieting and exercise information and it was literally alien enough to this reader to qualify for scifi!
“Nachos?”
“I’d rather die in obscurity than put that anywhere near my body.”
Soon enough though ol' Beau's struggles begin to crystallize into some real-life back-stabbing, as the battle for followers reaches a fevered and often unfair (or was it?) pitch. And as his stress levels exceed any amount of healthy (put in about 20 question marks here) release through exercising, we are party to what can only be described as a tenuous grip on reality. This includes not only the sequences of sheer brutality that run through his own well-coiffed head but also those created by those skilled at producing deep fake videos and other electronic shenanigans. It is, in brief text, an absolutely perfect reflection of American society, bundled up nice and neat into the eastern mountains of Tennessee, which I assume is also still crawling with demons if Nader's books are intended to carry on any kind of cross-referenced continuity!
In the immortal words of Vladmir Stalin from the movie Raging Bull, “I must break you.”
The story though does reach a kind of Stephen King-esque level of misdirection. We're never sure whether to sympathize or really even utterly dislike Beau, as he stumbles through life with a stupidly naive self-absorption that can only be considered Kardassian in its nature. He knows nothing about the ones he's supposedly meant to care about in his life and burns bridges faster than a retreating army trying to save their own hides in a losing effort. But Nader - an author that has really caught my eye and warrants closer attention for the next years to come for sure - again handles this bizarre take on modern day America with aplomb and a growing skill you just have to read and enjoy to believe! The prose is smooth as well-treated skin after an exfoliating facial scrub and with enough tongue-in-cheek humor to please anyone who silently or even professionally mourns the death of the America we once assumed existed!
Bro we live in Tennessee. I’m pretty sure your guns are safer than babies.
Bottom-line: what deliciously uncomfortable fun! Oh and sorry for all the big words, hope I didn't lose to many of you along the way. LOL, OMG, stay fleek and y'all be good now, ya hear?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews