Public Access Afterworld

by Jane Schoenbrun

A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow

Find the receiver. Make it real.

At 5:35pm on September 3rd, 1988, Dallas weatherman Ray “Can You Say Sunshine” Davino makes passing reference to Public Access Afterworld during a rambling monologue, right before he puts a gun to his head on live television and pulls the trigger.

On June 12th, 2009, David Sawyer and Erin Morrison, two lonely, TV-obsessed suburban teens who might be falling in love, gather in Erin’s basement to watch TV’s analog-to-digital transition. But in the static that follows, Erin witnesses surreal broadcasts from a pirate TV network called Public Access Afterworld and their lives are changed forever.

Seventeen years later, Bethany Peters toils through the night shift at megacorp GlobalVill’s bleak Austin campus. A trans content moderator, she spends her evenings reviewing an endless stream of horrific videos. But then a young streamer begins to crop up in her feed calling out to Public Access Afterworld.

But what is Public Access Afterworld?

Spanning decades and realities, with an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and nerds, especially the messy but wholly relatable Bethany who must overcome paranoia and self-doubt to transform into a hero of our times, Public Access Afterworld will have you reading through the night and rooting for its characters to survive. A mesmerizing mashup of speculative fiction, horror, and conspiracy, it marks the arrival of a major new force in contemporary fiction by a groundbreaking filmmaker who’s been compared to David Lynch and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Adult, Transgender

608 pages, ebook

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Jane Schoenbrun is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. Their films include I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. Their newest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, releases in 2026. Public Access Afterworld is their first novel.

Reviews

[Renee Godding]

No clue what it’s about. I just read “by the creator of I Saw The TV Glow” and I don’t need any more information. Let’s go.

[Sidney]

officially calling it quits at 76%

this is one of those situations where the idea would be much better as a tv series. the premise is amazing & in no way can i even begin to describe what this book is about. Public Access Afterworld offers a fresh concept that i personally have never seen before. it's weird, but unfortunately it's also too all over the place for my personal taste.

this started out so strong i was positive this was going to be a 4+ star by the end of episode two y'all. i was confused, sure, but i was excited to see what Public Access Afterworld was, how it ended etc. by episode five it felt like i took an edible & had a bad trip or something. i just wanted it to end. honestly, i would have finished it if i hadn't seen other early reviewers who were just as confused as me saying that nothing is ever really explained.

i'm sorry, but i don't have 600 pgs of patience to read a book & nothing be explained in the end. there's way too many ideas thrown into one single book & even for it being 600 pgs, it somehow feels way too long & incomplete at the same time. what was the point? what is PAA? is it a government experiment? is it really just one rich family behind the whole thing? is it a cult? can someone who rated the book 5 stars & clearly understood it better than i did fill me in?

the writing was fine, at times basic & repetitive, with some run on sentences. the pacing around the halfway mark just gets incredibly slow. the characters were ok, i didn't really like or dislike any of them. i'm not sure why the author felt the need to use full names plus nicknames what felt like almost every time a character was mentioned, but that drove me nuts. by the twelfth "Anthony 'Fisch' Fischer" i was over it.

i'm clearly an outlier here, so maybe this was a "it's not you, it's me" issue. there's obviously an audience for this that seem to love it, but for my personal taste, Public Access Afterworld was just trying to do too much & ultimately missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[Sam Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um. I need some time to write a full review bc I am in SHOCK. 11/5 stars. (May 16, 2026)

Okay, review edit (May 20, 2026) -- I truly needed to let this sit for 4 days to try to process that outcome and my emotions —like, will there be a sequel, or is that up to my own interpretation???

I am absolutely ASTOUNDED and thankful to Hogarth Books, the lovely Jane Schoenbrun, and NetGalley for advanced access to this TWISTED analog horror before it shocks the public on October 27, 2026.

Public Access Afterworld is a place that exists underneath all the static of your television's regularly scheduled programming. It traps its crooked inhabitants in a creativity-farming hub that eliminates their physical being from our plane for the rest of eternity... fun.

Our assumed main character, David Sawyer, is on a quest to rescue his best friend, Erin Morrison, from Public Access Afterworld after she was taken by the static decades ago. In an attempt to locate those who could travel to this mystical realm, he gathers a unique group of followers and somehow attains "cult-leader" status as a result of his eccentric views.

Halfway across the country, we're introduced to Bethany Peters, a trans woman who's still trying to find herself and escape her sexless relationship and dead-end job. That dead-end job, however, has a connection to the PAA, and it's only a matter of time before the lore of this evil corporation reveals its true intentions to "save" the world???

GOSH DANGIT. I feel like that's all I can say without giving away too much. Each and every twist left me needing to pick my jaw up off the ground time and time again. I am SHOOK, and obsessed.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist

Three Words That Describe This Book: immersive*, haunted media, Lynchian

*(pun is intended after you read the book)

There are so many more words, but I think Lynchian helps get a few of them. More words, off kilter, overlapping and meshed together storylines and time frames, every detail matters, unsettling, entrancing, a love letter to the early days of the internet and television in general-- but also that's where the horror comes from, episodic (which breaks up the 600 pages) nicely, amazing, diverse, and unforgettable cast of characters, widely original, compelling, fascinating, cinematic, worth every second.

This novel spans decades but they all work together and overlap in ways that are easy to follow.

This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. Full Stop. I do not take recommending a 600 page book likely. Most are not worth you time. This one is.....every second of it is, or should I say every episode.

To be fair Schoenbrun is a filmmaker and this is not their first go round telling a complete story, but still. Debuts are hard. This one makes it look easy.

I don't suggest you read a 600 page book lightly, but READ THIS BOOK if you like Horror. It is that good.

I am also not going to give away much about this book and I really love how the cover copy really doesn't either. It makes it clear that there are multiple time frames and some kind of world called Public Access Afterworld.

Then in the excellent "Foreward," Schoenbrum sets up the entire books, really tells you everything that is going to happen while somehow giving nothing away. They set up the story, how it will be told, and both get readers hooked and also sets the stage for the wild ride to come.

This book does a few things I demand in books I rate so highly-- every detail matters. Things come up, even small things like an HBO Game of Thrones (fake) spin off that is the favorite show of Bethany-- the hero's (which we are told in that forward that she will be our hero) boyfriend. Th boyfriend wants to stay home one night and watch it together. And then--- said TV show is important later!!!! This is but one large example, but it happens over and overagain.

And the final thing I demand-- a satisfying ending, one that wraps up lose ends, makes sense for the sotyr, but leaves enough open for interpretation.

All I will share is that the entire novel is frames as someone telling their version of a story that has been passed down as a "tv series," told and retold. The one our narrator was told was in 30 episodes, of which they were told 29. Their's is 10 episodes. But it involves the episodes of others. As I type this you make be like- Becky none of this makes sense, but I promise you it does. Trust Schoenbrun; they will get you invested and immersed and following their lead immediately.

And even as you get lost in the characters of our unnamed narrator's first season of her TV show, that narrator is brought back enough times, speaking to the reader directly, to remind us-- even in the final lines.

BRAVO!

This is a book for people who like the epic and grand storytelling of Joe Hill's King Sorrow, Haunted media in the vein of The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt or Night Film by Pessl, and especially those who love The Library at Mount Char and have never found a story as wild but satisfying and cohesive. and with great characters. READ THIS.

Other readalikes-- Hailey Piper's Queen of Teeth, Or just Hailey Piper in General, also Chuck Tingle. Although there are not obvious overlaps, I think Chlorine by Jade Song is a good readalike for the type of storytelling and anything by Cassandra Khaw.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that as of this review, I still have not seen the author’s directorial work in film, but I’ve heard very good things. Since I’m now such a big fan of this book, I definitely have to watch “I Saw the TV Glow” as soon as possible.

“Public Access Afterworld” is very addictive once you get into it. The individual stories do feel like episodes of a TV show, (“Just one more!!!”), and the whole thing works together as a cohesive story that reads sort of like an advanced Creepy Pasta. (Complimentary.) I do love just about anything involving haunted or cursed media/videotapes, liminal spaces, and the exploration of our close personal relationships with pop culture.

When I finished this novel, I felt like I had just marathoned an entire season of a TV series. Parts of it felt like a much darker “Pleasantville” and I was so on board with that. There’s a tiny bit of “The Matrix” in there, too. The book is a long journey, and not just because of its page count. I had been through the wringer with these characters, and I could still hear the static.

Parts of this made me so sad. (A lot of the stuff involving Erin was both uncomfortable and depressing. Her chapters specifically were really tough to read.) Bethany’s experiences also seemed to echo real-life struggles in many ways, and I thought about people close to me and things that they unfortunately have to deal with. Kudos to Schoenbrun, though, for seamlessly mixing harsh reality with the imaginative. There was so much going on throughout this narrative, (which other readers appeared to struggle with), that some messaging could have easily gotten lost amidst the chaos but it didn’t. I feel I should mention that the story goes to very dark places. It’s not all neon lights and popcorn.

This is not to say that the novel was perfect, even with the elusive 5-star rating. For example, villainous CEO Fisch’s character made little sense to me, because he contradicted himself so much and not in an intriguing way. I found him confusing and irritating more than anything else.
And what exactly was David Sawyer’s deal? I mean, I know what happened to him, but was I supposed to sympathize? Because I absolutely did not. In fact, til the bitter end I kind of hated his guts. (No spoilers, but the way his story concluded gave me the creeps for very specific reasons, and he had zero redeeming qualities, perhaps by design.) There’s also almost an entire chapter made up of one person talking/monologuing. If I were the other character having to sit there and listen to a story that long, I would be telling them to wrap it the fuck up, but maybe I’m just impatient.

Schoenbrun’s character work overall is admirable, however. If you’re going to commit to 600 pages you need interesting people to follow. Just a warning that you will grow to like some of these characters and their choices will likely frustrate you over and over. But it’s the deeper mystery of this world behind the screens that really draws you in and won’t let you go. I loved the whole concept of Public Access Afterworld and what it was and how television fit into the whole thing. (Don’t want to give too much away, so I’m being vague.) And I also adored all the Chimotera stuff and the concept of how that worked. Chimotera may have been my favorite part of the whole story, actually. I know everyone has different tastes, but I kind of can’t believe that some people hated that subplot.

So many reviewers wrote that things were not explained in this book, but I have to disagree. I felt that every question of mine except for one small one was eventually answered, and I was delighted by all the twists and turns the plot took and how characters and things that were mentioned earlier on would come back later in surprising ways. Schoenbrun really crafted something special and complex here. It’s quite an accomplishment. I would be so psyched if it got adapted for the screen, but it’s amazing as a book.

I even liked the ending. There was one specific thing that, while outlandish, I was really hoping to see as part of the resolution. I did not get my wish, but Schoenbrun has such a creative brain and I’m blown away with what she’s come up with.

Thank you to Netgalley for this early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

* Note: There is a story involving a character who works as an internet content moderator, and if I were to list every single thing that is mentioned in the videos she sees, the trigger warnings would be a huge paragraph. So I limited it to the ones that get the most page time and focus throughout the novel.

Biggest TW: Suicide, Self-harm, Substance abuse, Transphobia/Misgendering/Deadnaming, Slurs, Discussion of SA, Anti-Semitism, Harm to children

[Kyle]

I need this yesterday.

[Chelsea (gofetchabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely obsessed with this book. No notes.

It’s long, but trust me, it works.

It’s speculative fiction exploring the horrifying concept of what really lies behind the static on the tv screen. It has an incredibly eerie nostalgic feel as it follows the different stories of people disappearing into Public Access Afterworld, and those left behind. Some are searching for answers while others are hiding the secret.

The stories of all the different characters are all connected and intertwined. Part of what makes the book not feel so long is that it slips between the POVs and stories across different timelines and they all feel necessary. I liked how the POV would change before you felt like you were reading too long, and then would come back to it.

Overall, I loved it and it will be one of my top 10 books of the year.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is primarily a novel for fans of Schoenbrun’s films (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, I Saw the TV Glow, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma), this book will also appeal to fans of Imaginary Friend (Chbosky), The Locked Tomb (Muir), Night Film (Pessl), and Andrew Joseph White. You might think that because Schoenbrun is first and foremost a filmmaker, they might not have what it takes to write successful narrative prose. But, of course, you’d be wrong.

Somehow Schoenbrun manages to take the skeletons of their film trilogy, rip those bones from their original bodies of work, and repurpose them in a way that not only feels unique and fresh but also coexists with and elaborates on the initial stories. This book is a masterclass on world-building that manages to expand on the themes and lessons of Schoenbrun’s films, and that’s not something I can say I’ve ever seen done before. Not only does this book somehow strengthen the films, but the films seem to exist as an appetizer to this story. All four of these works are in conversation with each other, and yet this book is the culmination of everything. They are intrinsically connected. It’s unprecedented.

I think this book is almost a more successful exploration of the storylines and worlds that Schoenbrun originally built for the film trilogy. [redacted]’s haunting presence and [redacted]’s culty video challenges echo Casey’s descent into madness. [redacted] and [redacted] (with [redacted] specifically) felt reminiscent of Owen and Maddy’s beloved Pink Opaque. And while I have yet to see the final film at the time of writing this, I feel certain that [redacted] (and its numerous bad franchise sequels) draws inspiration from the beloved Camp Miasma franchise. And while many people may find this…gauche, to essentially reference your own projects and your own lore, and in some ways repurpose it all, I think it’s genius. Partially because horror often feeds off itself, it’s such a cannibalistic genre (ha, pun intended), but moreover because the contents of Schoenbrun’s works specifically are circular and intersecting and related. They write about trans identity and the impacts of technology on said identity and the ways mental illness and small town life can work together to cause lasting harm on the psyche. They reflect on fandom and media consumption and how those things can both unite people and tear people apart, and all the while, they manage to do it in a way that is not only smart but also, crucially, cool.

From the very first chapter, I knew this was going to be a special book and I knew it would be the kind of book that would alter the way I see myself and the world. While it’s a great puzzle book and a compelling plot with complex characters, mostly I enjoyed it because it forced me to question my reality. Typical of metalit, you give what you get and you could spend a long time dissecting this book before you fully understand it, but that’s what I found so incredible about it. It’s the type of story you can spend hours with and not get sick of it.

— my official netgalley, written before seeing Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

(will share my final, more personal and reflective commentary upon publication, although having now seen Miasma twice, i can safely say that this book is ESSENTIAL in understanding that film and i'm upset that i can't talk about it with more people at this moment)

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe think of this text as a seance.

Some people are obsessed with David Lynch. Fascinated with Fellini. Enraptured by Scorsese and Buñuel and Capra. My mind has been consumed by Jane Schoenbrun.

It all started one night in 2024, huddled up in my basement in the New Jersey suburbs. I rented a horror movie I'd heard about online—one with great reviews that I didn't know anything else about. I pulled a Jets Snuggie over my shoulders, turned off the lights, and hit play.

Throughout most of it, I had no idea what I was watching. There was a loose mystery, but none of it really made sense. I thought it was going one way, but it turned out that the film didn't operate under cardinal directions. When the credits rolled, I was skeptical. I thought I liked it? But I wasn't quite sure how much.

The next night (within the 48 hour rental window), I watched it again. And everything changed.

Jane Schoenbrun is a surrealist genius and one of the only filmmakers working today who has truly dug into the heart of the depressed suburban weird Gen Z kid psyche (shoutout Donnie Darko for pioneering the genre from the Gen X perspective). Especially of the hyper-online variety.

I Saw the TV Glow and We're All Going to the World's Fair are two of my favorite films of all time, and I mean that in all capacities. Theme, style, format, structure, dialogue, direction... Schoenbrun sings to me through the screen.

And the exact same can be said of their debut novel. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to get my hands on an advanced copy, and even luckier that I got to read it the week leading up to the premiere of their latest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (and got to attend their Q&A!!).

I won't give anything substantial away since I'm writing this ahead of the book's release, but if you're interested in the usual Schoenbrun motifs (hallucinated TV shows, online horror RPGs, ridiculous reboots, trans identity, etc.), you will eat up this story. If I had to encapsulate it in some easy to digest comps, I'd say: Blake Crouch meets the Davids (Lynch and Cronenberg). Dark Matter meets Mulholland Drive à la Videodrome.

So, while you're waiting for this novel to officially hit shelves, I'd highly recommend you dive into the author's filmography and see their latest on the big screen!

~ Release date: October 27, 2026 ~ All quotations are from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change.

[ClaudiaTalksFilm · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this bcos senlinyu blurbed it and was not let down

absolutely GRIPPING and so vividly inventive - as a lover of tv this was so fun (and at times scary) to read. super high concept and can see the authors roots in film easily. such a fun play of form and how that guides storytelling. a book out of my usual genres I read in and REALLY hooked me, highly recommend

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has to be my favorite book of the year ⚡️📺

[ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

initial thoughts: so batshit crazy my mind is reeling but uhhhhh holy shit???????

after letting it marinate: Jane is so fucking cool. This book, much like I Saw the TV Glow, is made for a "rewatch," letting the layers of the story recontextualize all that came before it. There's so much to process! My brain feels like static fuzz! I can't wait to get my hands on my own physical copy so I can underline the shit out of it.

read on netgalley :)

[Allie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited going into this and it fully exceeded my expectations. I feel like in the same way the characters become obsessed with public access afterworld I became obsessed with this story and figuring out what happens.

[Maggie (EvermoreBooklore) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, the nostalgia in this book was AMAZING. As a ’90s kid who frequented Blockbuster (also Family Video) and is currently deep into VHS collecting again, I was immediately sold 📼

For fans of I Saw the TV Glow, Stranger Things, the book Mister Magic and Season 1 of Channel Zero, this is such a unique take on what might exist between the static, the waves and the internet.

In 2009, David and Erin are recording the transition from analog to digital on Erin’s basement TV when later that night, Erin witnesses something strange between the static.

In the present day, Bethany, a down on her luck trans woman works the night shift for a company that monitors videos and posts on a Reddit like platform. Struggling to make ends meet and increasingly disturbed by the content she’s monitoring she decides to take matters into her own hands after discovering a follower of the Public Access Afterworld cult who needs her help.

What follows spans multiple decades, realities and forms of media, all connected by the cult following of Public Access Afterworld.

I will say… I had NO idea this book was 600+ pages when I started it. I was INVESTED for the first 20% but things slowed down quite a bit around the 30–50% mark before picking back up again. That final 15% though? SO GOOD. I honestly wish we had gotten more of that part earlier and for longer.

Even with the pacing issues, I really enjoyed the premise and the overall storyline. It was weird, nostalgic, unsettling and unlike anything I’ve read.

And PLEASE just like I Saw the TV Glow, we need this to become a TV series or movie. I would LOVE to see this entire bizarre world come to life on screen!!

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all what I was expecting. Better!! Mysterious, twisty, nightmarish and exhaustive. Truly a book to live with while you’re reading it. It took me 2 weeks to read and every time I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it.

THE book of 2026. See you in the static.

[Lara Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elaborate and engaging, really kept me on my toes right up to the last page!! Fundamentally I did not 100% buy into the premise of Public Access Afterworld and kept hoping I’d be fully convinced as the novel drew on (sorry to say it may just be the sci-fi hater in me), but even so, I was amazed by the complex entanglement of characters and worlds that Schoenbrun stitched together. I love a book that experiments with structure and perspective, so I especially appreciated some of the sections that felt even more out there than most (will try to remember to elaborate once this book is out in the world!). Schoenbrun explored queerness, transness, otherness, and becoming through the lens of TV and media with unsurprising but nonetheless impressive clarity and compassion.

[Alanna M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book disappointingly missed the mark for me! Definitely a lot in it that I liked but it’s also 600 pages… so I also found plenty I did not like. It felt way too long with so much happening. I liked a lot of the character stories but it just felt like too much all together!
Also being from/living in Austin, I did enjoy the bits and pieces about the rise of big tech and gentrification and change in the city.

I was so excited about this but I’m more excited to be finished reading it. Gonna go watch we’re all going to the world’s fair to soothe my soul.

[Kirsten Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m actually speechless. What a bonkers, captivating, surreal book. I don’t think I’m going to be able to live out my existence the same again.

[talia ♡]

just landed on a bunch of "to be robbed" lists since i just got an arc!

[alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even start?

I will admit that while I was really anticipating this book because I loved both of Jane’s films, I was nervous how their skills would translate from the screen into a novel, and if I would enjoy it as much as their films. Luckily even my highest expectations were surpassed.

Reading this was like being drawn into a really engrossing tv show, staying up all night to binge the entire season because at the end of every episode (chapter) it kept you on the edge of your seat and needing to find out what happens next.

The characters in here were great, I loved how their voices came through and that the protagonists weren’t perfect and didn’t always make the best decisions but I couldn’t help wanting them to still end up alright. Even the antagonists had motivations that were understandable, and they still felt human rather than just evil for the sake of it.

The plot was insane in the best way and always kept driving forward. Although at times the whole lore and concepts behind everything could’ve gotten confusing, we got enough information to still keep the story moving forward and making sense. When the reveals would finally happen, everything clicked and I also felt like I could make sense of the themes and threads that were shared between the author’s films and their novel.

The only minor thing I wish was different here is that the ending felt more fully resolved, but maybe that’s intentional. I really hope they write more novels because they definitely are skilled as an author as well as a filmmaker.

[Bri Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

reclamation of identity. desperation for escapism. inexplicable attachments to television and film. fandom as a life affirming practice. an innate otherness. all the themes that make schoenbrun a trailblazer within their cinematic works remain here in their debut novel. think my admiration for this will only grow as time goes on.

me when i feel so grateful to be alive at the same time as they’re creating work😭😭😭

[Annie Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

{Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth for this ARC}

This book was so much more than I anticipated, and I’m so happy i read it! I watched I Saw the TV Glow recently before starting this book, and experiencing Schoenbrun’s love of television in two different mediums was really informative and special. I’m not often moved to feel this way, but I’m very glad to be alive at the same time as this author. Multiple perspectives, timelines, and interwoven narratives made this an extremely unique and encompassing read. I literally dreamed about this book, and that never happens. I’d happily revisit this book, and will be recommending it to anyone who’ll listen.

[Cait Maltbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thank you to both NetGalley and Hogarth Books for an ARC of this book!

This book felt like it took pieces of Schoenbrun’s first two films and reworked them to create a more refined and complex story about screens, identity, and queerness. It kept me engaged with the plot twists and turns that happen as the different time periods and characters ultimately coalesce into one larger, more horrifying picture.

[litch! (cryptidcasanova) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of an ARC provided by NetGalley

Anyone else, like, REALLY wish they could watch the Chimotera franchise?

My very first brush with Jane Schoenbrun’s particularly nauseating, trancelike brand of storytelling left me slack-jawed and silent sobbing in a movie theater in the summer of 2024. I Saw the TV Glow more times than I can feasibly recall, and then I brought everyone I know back to the scene of the crime to make them watch it with me.

I remember first seeing the trailer, set to a cover of a song that I had once upon a time beaten to death in my angst-ridden teenage bedroom. I played it at parties I had no business attending. I shared it with people I thought I’d be in love with for lifetimes to come and beyond. 10+ years later, I’d all but forgotten it existed until this director I had never heard of used it to rip open a fizzing, primordial fissure in the hollow of my chest.

In many ways, it feels like Schoenbrun reached directly into my cosmic mind sludge and plucked that song out herself JUST to freak me out. I realize now that this is simply the kind of narrative power they wield, and there is nothing else remotely like it on the planet.

Public Access Afterworld is a breathtaking novel debut. It does a fantastic job of setting up the nostalgic, neon-haloed atmosphere fans familiar with Schoenbrun’s work will expect. The menacing fever-dream silhouette of Captain Video, the ethereal video store that appears only to the ‘crooked’ few destined to cross its threshold, really managed to unnerve and allure me in equal measure.

Beware: she’s a hefty tome at around 600 pages, and there are unfortunately some slow segments around the halfway point that drag on a bit longer than necessary. It was interesting (and ironic) to learn from other reviews that this was originally intended to be a TV series - I can see how these chapters may have served a larger narrative purpose in that format.

tl;dr: This one is weird. It’s unkind to the reader at times, and it’s quite a bit to chew on metaphorically, with an ending some will find unsatisfying. Personally, I think it works overall. I cannot wait to see what else Jane gives us in the future. See you at Camp Miasma! ;)

(Special thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for my review copy - it truly means the world.)

[Ruxandra Grrr]

Excuse me, a Jane Schoenbrun NOVEL? Double blessed, since we're also getting another JS movie this year, with Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson??

[Jeff Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth for the opportunity to read an ARC of Public Access Afterworld.

Wow. I’m not sure if I’ve ever devoured such a unique and captivating book in such a quick fashion, an over 600 page novel in the middle of a reading rut that virtually could not be put down. This book had a bit of everything: horror, science fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery, and at the very core, a hamster breaking speed records keeping the pages churning, turning faster and faster. Quips aside, this novel truly is one of the more unique stories I’ve ever read, and I’m a huge Haruki Murakami fan, so that’s saying something.

Hooked by the blurb about its content, expectations were pretty high, and while the quality far surpassed expectations, the blurb actually does a stellar job of breaking down the plot in one sentence. This book is about disappearances going back decades, all seemingly connected to images seen in static, a creepy enough premise and executed brilliantly. From the first chapter to the very final page, it’s a roller coaster ride of a story. The first mention of Public Access Afterworld remains lodged in the readers head, adding to the confusion and making the pages move faster just to find out the reasoning, where it links to the rest of the character arcs (of which there are many). Moving from present day back to the early - mid 20th century and back again felt a tad jarring at first, but quickly it all made sense and upped the intrigue factor.

The cast of characters are all incredibly well written to the point where, by the end of the book, the reader will have intense feelings about nearly all of them, for better or worse. The reader actually cares about the characters from page 1 to the acknowledgements, and already being roped in by the plot makes it all the harder to put down. By the end of the book, we’ve grown accustomed to these characters in our minds eye, as well as the sight and sound of static, so when I say that we’ve been hooked, line, and sinker, it’s no joke. Television static, and to a lesser extent the catalogue of video uploads available on the Internet, will never look or sound the same and by that last page, you’ll feel like you can see something in the static, hear something other than the wall of sound.

Let the blurb be the only information you get before reading this book: rather than do a brief overview of the content, I wanted to express what the book makes you feel, how it captivates and pulls you into its clutches from page 1. Every surprise hits that much harder when it’s truly a surprise.

And one more thing to say about this novel, one that makes this horror fan immensely proud: there are two scenes in here that ran my blood cold. Though the book is not strictly horror, the ramifications of the characters actions are horrific to imagine and the two scenes referenced above are of the stone cold chill up the spine style.

That this is Jane Schoenbrun’s first novel is incredible. The level of detail needed to keep the plot lines flowing with no continuity errors and tie up loose ends while not once letting her foot off the gas pedal is astonishing work and should net her some sort of end of year award for excellence. Public Access Afterworld is one of the best novels I’ve read in years, and I have no doubt I’m not the only one. 5*

[Thye DeForest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not sure where to begin with this one, other than saying that I loved it so much. Public Access Afterworld is the kind of book that you’ll somehow rip through in about 24 hours without trying to. Jane Schoenbrun takes the best parts of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair & I Saw the TV Glow, a healthy dose of WWII conspiracy theories, endless TV static, and turns it into a novel bursting at the seams with meaning and cultural relevance.

I think it’s safe (and maybe obvious) to say this was inspired by The Matrix or by David Lynch, but comparing it to films feels limiting. The novel format allows for breathing room, for atmosphere to build, for characters to live on the page; there are worlds beyond worlds, screens beyond screens, lives beyond lives, and meaning beyond meaning. Public Access Afterworld is a Murakami story set in the backrooms, or A Visit From the Goon Squad & The Candy House by way of creepypasta.

Reading this felt like watching the campiest, most low-budget (complimentary) horror adaptation of a creepypasta you only half-remember reading right before bed twelve years ago. Schoenbrun is a master of these elements visually and narratively, as evidenced by their films. Still, it’s so satisfying to see them do the same thing successfully in a novel format. The complex web of characters and perspectives works so well at building a tense, unputdownable atmosphere. My only complaint is that the story is a lot more propulsive when we’re not privy to what Public Access Afterworld actually looks like or how it functions, but that’s a really minor detail and more of a personal preference rather than an actual critique.

With this novel, Schoenbrun has lifted the atmosphere and language of old internet forums and the backrooms-esque quality of vintage television broadcasts, and created something wholly unique. I think Public Access Afterworld will be a huge hit, and far in the future will sit on shelves next to literary dystopian classics like 1984 and Neuromancer as evidence of the issues on our collective cultural conscience in the 21st century.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, where do I even start?! I knew going into this I was going to love it because I was absolutely sucked into the worlds of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma, which were both written and directed by the author, when I first saw them. I definitely saw small elements of both of those movies reflected in Public Access Afterworld, such as getting sucked into the TV and the questions around who really creates our favorite media, but this book takes those ideas to a whole other level! Afterworld takes you on a journey to hell and back, blurring the lines of fiction, media, and reality for both the characters and the reader. It is structured fantastically well, broken up by “episodes” and even includes a whole interlude section for the fictional movie monster, Chimotera. There was so much lore about Chimotera that I was sitting there Googling if this was a real movie franchise I’d somehow never heard about! This extensive background is not just limited to the movie monster, but seen in basically every character you meet along this journey – all of them are fleshed out incredibly well, even the more minor characters. There are a lot of moving parts in the story but none of it feels out of place or unnecessary to moving the story forward. It weaves all of the details, even seemingly minor or unimportant ones, into a web of interconnected and immersive storylines. I’m not one to read a 600 page book often, but if you read one… make it this one! Make it real!
My favorite read of the month, and definitely high up there in my yearly favs! This is now a Jane Schoenbrun fan account and I will be begging for them to put out more movies and books and literally anything they want, because their mind… 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼

Thank you to NetGalley, Hogarth, and the author for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 10.27.2026

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proper review to come shortly but what the fuck 4.5/5

The best experience I can compare to reading this book was the time I watched my mother watch Videodrome from the kitchen table, where I couldn't see the movie but I could hear them screaming about flesh and see my mother's face as she contemplated strangling the friend who lent her this movie for the 90 minutes of her life she wasn't getting back. Alternatively, it was like watching the now-infamous(?) "Got a Light" episode of Twin Peaks with my parents but also my now-husband, who had no context whatsoever and halfway between the atomic bomb and the Nine Inch Nails music video looked at me and went "Babe I thought Twin Peaks was a small town detective show."
All this to say, the book is a disorienting yet compulsively readable techno fever dream that ranges between shocking and disgusting and horrifyingly relatable just between chapters. Having enjoyed the author's films, they have a very clear set of motifs that have wormed into their brain and come out in everything they create, and I for one cannot wait to see more of how that plays out, be it books, movies, or what have you: I'm along for this absolutely batshit ride

[Hayden Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching I Saw The TV Glow, I was not expecting a book from Jane Schoenbrun to be this FUN. Just sitting tight for the ride and trying to parse what Public Access Afterworld even IS is thrilling enough for me to strongly recommend it. I spent a lot of my read trying to work out what might resonate about a global conspiracy to send outcasts to a void where TV Shows come from, the act of literally turning yourself into content felt like a potent idea, but maybe not a fully realised one. I have a lot of love for this book and wish I was still reading it