An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a Remarkable Mediation on Internet Culture

Hank Green's newly release debut novel is simultaneously a unique sci-fi narrative with a clever first contact story and a complex analysis of the effects and consequences of fame.

After an overtime shift at her mentally draining job, April May stumbles across a mysterious sculpture-which she nicknames Carl. Her and her best friend Andy make a joking video interviewing Carl-who they believe is an art installation- only to acquire international celebrity status after dozens of other Carls are discovered simultaneously around the world. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing follows April’s obsession with her newfound social media fame, as well as her desire to discover exactly what the Carls really are.

As a novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a multifaceted view of what it means to go from an average person to a brand. From an individual to a symbol. April is an unlikable character, in that she's an uncomfortably honest portrayal of a young adult. She completely reinvents herself to create the perfect public persona- causing the loss her own self-worth. On the surface, April seems incredibly selfish and power-hungry, but in reality she dislikes herself so much that, in order to gain the validation she craves, she constantly returns to her audience as a fake ideal image of herself. This spiral for attention and adoration is the central conflict of the novel and it examines both the addictive and corrupting aspects of fame.

The novel draws heavily on Hank’s preexisting understanding of having both a platform and power in a digital era. This is by and large due to his own experience (not necessarily the same extent as April) as a well-established Youtube creator. Hank’s position and his awareness of the power dynamics online allow him to critic the ways that the internet and social media perpetuates the commodification of the individual without vilifying these platforms. In fact, Hank repeatedly emphasizes the inherent good that the internet can provide in an effort to convey cooperation and community as the ultimate goal of online platforms. In addition, the book is very much about the world we currently live in and the responsibilities we all have as parts of online communities (which is used to explicitly represent conflicts in our current society- from analyzing the polarization of political parties or to emphasizing the impact of online threats of violence).

But regardless of Hank’s fascinating dissection of internet culture, the novel is still a clever and accessible sci-fi story. While Hank includes many scientific rants in the book and includes a puzzle-like mystery, the novel's central focus is characterization. As a result, the sci-fi elements do not overwhelm the reader or the story- they act as icing on the cake. Clearly, Hank loves sci-fi- the care he takes with each reveal and each new mystery of the Carls showcases that. And, ultimately, his ability to balance clever storytelling and aliens within the narrative of what is essentially April’s memoir is masterfully achieved.

If you are looking for a unique and interesting alien story-look no further. If you are looking for honest discussion of social media on both the individual and society- look no further. And if you are looking for a well-written, character-driven novel about living in the age of the internet- look no further. All and all, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is just as the title suggests- remarkable.