My Favorite Half-Night Stand

Set in the 21st century, My Favorite Half-Night Stand reflects a social landscape where digital technology has fundamentally reshaped courtship rituals. According to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, three in ten US adults have used a dating site or app, making it a mainstream avenue for finding partners (Vogels, Emily A. and Colleen McClain. “Key findings about online dating in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, 2 Feb. 2023). The novel’s characters—academics at the University of California, Santa Barbara—turn to the fictional dating app “IRL” precisely because their demanding, insular careers have left them single and jokingly referring to themselves as a “weird celibacy cult” (20). Their professional lives as scientists and researchers lend an analytical and often socially awkward lens to their digital dating attempts, highlighting how a specific social subgroup navigates this modern phenomenon. 

The novel’s plot hinges on the creation of curated digital personas, a common aspect of online dating. After her initial profile fails, Millie Morris creates a second, pseudonymous one for “Catherine,” an idealized version of herself who is more emotionally open. When Millie’s alternate online persona matches with her good friend Reid, she engages in what she realizes later is “catfishing”—deceiving someone online with a fictional identity—driving the plot’s central conflict. Reid connects deeply with Catherine, telling his friends that with her, “it’s like…we just click” (263), creating a dramatic irony that forces Millie to reconcile her guarded real-world self with her vulnerable online persona. The novel thus uses the backdrop of online dating to explore complex themes of identity, authenticity, and the challenges of achieving genuine intimacy in an increasingly digital world.