Tony Tulathimutte's Fiction Explores Digital Isolation and Rejection in Contemporary Life

Tony Tulathimutte's story collection, *Rejection*, maintains significant contemporary resonance in 2025, focusing with precision on the pervasive modern issues of acute loneliness and escalating internet addiction. The collection presents a tapestry of interconnected figures grappling with the sting of rejection in matters of affection and personal identity, circumstances frequently intensified by their immersion in a 'Very Online' existence. The narratives skillfully dissect the uncomfortable realities of a generation chronically tethered to the digital sphere, earning praise for their linguistic dexterity and sharp sociological observation.

Several narratives illuminate the pitfalls of inauthentic social engagement, such as one character who adopts feminist ideals purely for the purpose of securing romantic interest, a pursuit that ultimately descends into profound nihilism. This theme of performative support, where outward displays of ideology are used for self-promotion or social capital, is a recognized facet of contemporary digital culture, often critiqued as 'empty activism' that fails to challenge systemic structures. Another thread explores the destructive nature of fixating on an unattainable romantic partner, a preoccupation that systematically dismantles the individual's self-perception and severely compromises their capacity for real-world social engagement.

Furthermore, the collection confronts the darker avenues of digital escapism, exemplified by a character who, following a significant romantic dissolution, retreats into the compulsive consumption of pornography and video gaming. This digital withdrawal serves as a form of comfort, yet it mirrors a broader societal trend where excessive internet use strains personal relationships, leading to emotional estrangement and secrecy as individuals conceal the extent of their online immersion. The characters' isolation is frequently a direct consequence of their mediated lives, where unsettling narrative shifts often occur in the digital realm but carry earth-shattering real-world repercussions.

For instance, one character, Kant, a gay Thai American man, navigates online dating while wrestling with internalized shame regarding his sadism, eventually investing heavily in custom pornography. Another figure, Bee, engages in elaborate internet trolling, embodying the deep pit of the internet where lonely individuals convalesce after disconnecting from tangible reality. This pattern of seeking connection or validation online while experiencing real-world failure underscores a paradox: technology designed for connection often exacerbates feelings of isolation and inadequacy through curated highlight reels.

Tulathimutte's work, which features characters whose adulthood evolved alongside the internet, offers a pessimistic yet darkly humorous view of this 'gilded digital cage.' The collection, which includes the story *The Feminist* first published in the literary magazine *n+1* in 2019, captures the spirit of the 'doomscrolling age.' The overarching concept uniting these studies is rejection, moving from the expected scenarios to increasingly meta and unhinged explorations of foiled desire and the terror of vulnerability inherent in self-exposure through text.