Fan Culture and Parasocial Relationships: Background information when reading Snowglobe

For those living in the dystopian world of Soyoung Park's Snowglobe, the main source of entertainment is reality television shot within a climate-controlled dome. The lives of the actors on these shows are on 24-hour display to be consumed obsessively by the fans in the icy world beyond the dome's barrier. Every detail of the stars' lives is known to their fans; every major and minor moment displayed on screen, with limited or no privacy available to them. Such is the price of their comfort. Part of the reason Chobahm can even step into the life of her favorite star Goh Haeri is because she knows Haeri's life intimately – the entire thing has been broadcast, and rewatched over and over again by many. The relationships that viewers have with their favorite reality stars in the shows depicted in the book might seem extreme, but what Park has set up in this dystopian YA thriller is built on the realities of contemporary celebrity and fan culture – and the parasocial ...