Jeremy Gordon, "See Friendship: A Novel" (Harper Perennial, 2025)

Ahead of looming layoffs within the ongoing decimation of media, Jacob Goldberg, a culture writer in New York, knows what will save him: a podcast. Not just any podcast, but something that will demonstrate his singular thoughtfulness in an oversaturated, competitive market. When Jacob learns the true, tragic circumstances behind the mysterious death of Seth, one of his best friends from high school, his world is turned completely upside down. But when the dust settles, he realizes he has an idea worth digging into. Of course, it's not so simple. Learning the truth--or at least, the beginning of it--sends Jacob spiraling. His increasing obsession ultimately leads him back home to Chicago, where he tracks down Lee, a once up-and-coming musician who probably knew Seth best at the end of his life. As his investigation deepens, Jacob's drive to find out the truth--and whether there's a deeper story to be told about the fault lines of our memories, life and death on the internet, and the people we never forget--grows into a desperation to discover whether it even matters. If not, can he make it? A poignant and funny novel about grief, loneliness, memory, and the unique existential questions inherent to the digital age, See Friendship: A Novel (Harper Perennial, 2025) introduces a new voice in fiction--a writer known for his pitch-perfect cultural criticism, with a depth of literary talent.

Jeremy Gordon is journalist and senior editor, currently at the Atlantic covering music and culture.

Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network.

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