Sharp literary fiction laced with tension, the story maintains an atmospherically suspenseful tone.
Noel Walker is a walking contradiction. Socially attuned yet reliant upon personal space, he lives in one of America’s most crowded metropolitan areas. His opinions on artificial intelligence run hot and strong, but his family includes an AI-operated robocat. And he craves intimacy, but his fear and anxiety don’t allow him to enjoy physical expressions. Haphephobia keeps Noel wrapped in a self-imposed protective bubble that includes little more than his pets, his plants, and his online followers. While most of these online interactions are positive, one follower leaves Noel unsettled with a provocative, “Hey Daddy.” And the intrusive messages don’t stop there. The cyberstalker known as Faded knows a lot about Noel and isn’t shy with praise, flirtation, and unsolicited advice. Giving off a vibe somewhere between seductive and creepy, Faded feels to Noel as confusing as everything else in his life. Having given up his steady job to pursue writing full-time, Noel is torn between eager optimism, guilty dread, and a new obsession. He wants his novels to do well, but at what cost? As Noel gains recognition for his work and faces the consequences of his choices, Faded proves to be more than a friend when Noel needs one most. Noel is falling in a way he never has before, but can this relationship work in the real world?
An excellent zeitgeist for our time, With His Words I’m Not Alone is a contemporary LGBTQ+ romance novel set in New York City. Sharp literary fiction laced with tension, the story maintains an atmospherically suspenseful tone as Noel engages with a puzzling online persona who feels edgy and dangerous. The mystery is multifaceted, unraveling the tragic roots of Noel’s limiting condition, the familiar yet elusive identity of Faded, the realities of the digital publishing world, and the maddening art of staying in favor with fickle online friends. Noel is a privately tormented self-antagonist whose greatest obstacles are rooted in everyday issues like anxiety, insecurity, and genuine connection. Though he faces a unique combination of challenges, his war within feels painfully familiar. The struggling writer trope is reimagined for the digital era, where success hinges on marketing savvy and constant online engagement, though deep dives into follower metrics and sales strategies may be too niche to captivate general audiences. Alongside themes of enduring friendship, realistic psychological struggles, and the complexities of queer identity, this novel offers an honest look at the way digital tools continually shape our connections with others. Noel’s sadness may permeate, but that just makes the hopeful moments even sweeter in Lucas Ryker’s poignant, compassionate novel, With His Words I’m Not Alone.
