Intersecting Narratives

Fan Culture and the Sally Rooney Metaverse

Abstract

In an era of participatory media consumption, fan culture plays a crucial role in shaping the reception and trajectory of artistic works. Intersecting Narratives: Fan Culture and the Sally Rooney Metaverse examines this phenomenon through the lens of Irish author Sally Rooney’s novels and their screen adaptations. The cultural impact of Normal People and Conversations with Friends has generated a complex narrative metaverse, where fiction, celebrity, and fan discourse intertwine. This essay explores how Rooney’s themes of intimacy, autonomy, and emotional precarity extend beyond the page, shaped by media representations and the real-world personas of the actors portraying her characters.

Through fan reception, celebrity interactions, and the commodification of cultural narratives, this essay interrogates how authorship becomes entangled with audience-driven interpretation. The internet-fueled fascination with Paul Mescal’s portrayal of Connell Waldron has transformed him into an extension of Rooney’s fictional universe, influencing public perceptions of masculinity and vulnerability. The paper also examines Rooney’s 2024 novel Intermezzo, which, by resisting adaptation, signals an authorial response to the cultural aftershocks of her previous works. By analyzing the intersections between literature, adaptation, and fan engagement—including the entanglement of personal and fictional narratives in the public relationships of figures like Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers—this study situates the Rooney-verse within a broader discourse on contemporary storytelling. Ultimately, it argues that Rooney’s works and their media ecosystems exemplify a paradigm shift in literary culture—where fiction not only reflects reality but actively shapes it.