In 2010, Gary Shteyngart published "Super Sad True Love Story," a prescient novel about a society obsessed with social credit scores, declining literacy, and nationalistic populism. Fourteen years later, many of its predictions have come to life. I spoke with Shteyngart about how the world has caught up to his fiction and how we can still find joy amid the chaos.
Shteyngart notes that the novel's satire has become reality, with smartphones acting as "data-generating appendages" and institutions crumbling. Yet he remains cautiously optimistic. He suggests disconnecting from digital noise and embracing real-world connections as acts of resistance. "Pleasure is found in the small, analog moments," he says. "A good meal, a walk without a phone, a conversation that isn't measured in likes."
The author also reflects on how his characters' struggles mirror today's anxieties about privacy and identity. Ultimately, he urges people to "be kind, read books, and vote" as the simplest ways to push back against dystopian trends.