“Logan Macnair’s Troll showcases a bravura writing performance.” ~ Vancouver Sun

When aspiring actor Peter Riley is given the assignment in his drama class to perform in a YouTube-style video, he creates the character of ‘Petrol Riley,’ a satire of a politically extreme right-wing conspiracy theorist. Peter is soon surprised to learn that the video he has uploaded has gone unexpectedly viral, with thousands of viewers misinterpreting his satirical performance as genuine. Seeing this as his path toward fame, Peter commits to portraying the hatemongering character of Petrol full-time, building a devout and rabid fanbase of online supporters that only grow more loyal and extreme the more hateful Petrol’s rhetoric becomes. As his reach grows, Peter must reconcile with his notoriety and decide whether this newfound fame is worth the influence he is having on his legions of impressionable online admirers. Striking and timely, Troll offers a meditation and authentic critique on the unique conditions and occasional ugliness of modern online communication.

Logan Macnair is a writer, doctoral student, and pub trivia frequenter. He spends his days researching and writing about the online activity of terrorist and extremist organizations and his nights watching hockey and arguing with strangers on the Internet. Born and raised in Williams Lake, he now resides in Vancouver. Panegyric is his first novel.

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“Troll showcases a bravura writing performance. As satire the novel beckons toward kindness, tolerance and civility. But as realism, too, it’s not holding its breath.” ~ Vancouver Sun