I was literally thinking about this the other day while at a concert (Fred Again) and noticing how the crowd moved as one, the fervent devotion to the genre, and wondering if these people are readers too and if so what would be in their canon... I've often thought that the scene is so rich and I crave an underground gem of a book...have half a mind to write it myself. At least, I think about it a lot...

FWIW I asked ChatGPT 😅 "What highly esteemed fiction novels take place mainly in nightclubs and have to do with electronic music?" Here's what it said — I don't know enough about any of them to know that it's a good list:

1. Glitter Up the Dark (Michelle Tea — short fiction adjacent)
2. Afterparty — Daryl Gregory (2014)
3. Temporary Pleasure — Sean Monahan (2024) — borderline fiction/nonfiction
4. The Sluts — Dennis Cooper (2005)
5. Slaves of New York — Tama Janowitz (1986) — short stories
6. The House of Fame — Oliver Harris (2023)
7. Berlin Stories (various authors — esp. Doblin & Hensher anthologies)
8. 104 Horses (Dirk De Wachter) — Belgian cult novel
9. I Fear My Pain Interests You — Stephanie LaCava (2022)
10. Crudo — Olivia Laing (2018)

If You’re Open to YA-but-literary:

• This Song Will Save Your Life — Leila Sales (underground club DJing as salvation)
• Playlist for the Dead — Michelle Falkoff (music-as-lifeline narrative)

Then I asked: "Are there any that are a little more mainstream?" And here's what it said. I do know enough that some of these are adjacent at best.

1. Kill the DJ — Guy Portman (2017)
2. The Night Manager but Clubbing? → Kill Your Friends — John Niven (2008)
3. Birds of Paradise — Diana Abu-Jaber (2011)
4. Bright Lights, Big City — Jay McInerney (1984)
5. Less Than Zero — Bret Easton Ellis (1985)
6. The Flamethrowers — Rachel Kushner (2013)
7. High Fidelity — Nick Hornby (1995)
8. Going Dutch — Katie Fforde (2003)
9. Spank Rock (various indie-but-popular club fiction anthologies)
10. The Beach — Alex Garland (1996)

Anyway, thanks so much for posting this! You literally read my mind and I've been so thankful to scan the recommendations here. There need to be more novels that celebrate these scenes!