Publishers Weekly
12/09/2024
This spirited debut report from journalist Grayson traces the history of livestreaming platform Twitch alongside profiles of its content creators. He recounts how enterprising recent college graduate Justin Kan founded the company that would become Twitch in 2007 as a website to livestream his life, and how Amazon’s 2014 acquisition of the company pressured employees to prioritize profit over creators’ needs. The creator profiles attest to the platform’s best and worst qualities. For instance, Grayson illustrates the site’s potential for creating online communities by describing how Tanya DePass’s calls for more diverse representation in video games brought together inclusivity-minded gamers on her channel. On the other hand, Grayson notes that incentives to boost engagement with incendiary content led political commentator Clara Sorrenti to start esoteric disputes with increasingly obscure fellow streamers. Grayson captures the multitudes contained within Twitch while offering a captivating window into content creators’ lives, including the dispiriting frequency of “swatting” (making false police reports so that a SWAT team will raid a target’s home during a livestream) and the fleeting nature of success (Kaitlyn Siragusa uses the millions she makes from her risqué antics to invest in traditional businesses, anticipating that her following could evaporate at any moment). Readers will want to tune in to this. Agent: William LoTurco, LoTurco Literary. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Less a chronicle of Twitch’s ascent than a cautionary tale about the hopefuls caught up in its wake. [Grayson] has a talent for transforming incisive interviews into captivating prose. His subjects come across as evocative characters.”—The Wall Street Journal
“A timely and insightful dive into the players and politics of one of the twenty-first century’s most influential modes of media.” —Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine and The One Device
“Nathan Grayson is an empathetic, inquisitive reporter with an eye for great stories and the rare ability to make every sentence interesting.” —Jason Schreier, nationally bestselling author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels
“This is not a tech book full of inaccessible billionaires or boring suits. Grayson has found the rich, fascinating characters at the heart of Twitch, with all its highs and very brutal lows. A necessary read for anyone who wants to understand the platform.” —Mark Bergen, author of Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube's Chaotic Rise to World Domination
“Grayson captures the multitudes contained within Twitch while offering a captivating window into content creators’ lives...Readers will want to tune in to this.” —Publishers Weekly
“This is not a tech book full of inaccessible billionaires or boring suits. Grayson has found the rich, fascinating characters at the heart of Twitch, with all its highs and very brutal lows. A necessary read for anyone who wants to understand the platform.” — Mark Bergen, author of Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube's Chaotic Rise To World Domination
“Nathan Grayson’s Stream Big is an authoritative and comprehensive exploration of the gaming world and a must read for anyone seeking to understand the streaming landscape today. Grayson's unique access to key figures in the industry, along with his years of experience as a journalist, allows readers an inside look at the forces shaping modern gaming and internet culture.” —Taylor Lorenz, host of Power User
“Finally, a book that understands streaming isn't just about watching others play—it's about the birth of an entirely new form of human interaction. Grayson masterfully chronicles how Twitch creators have pioneered new ways to foster belonging, create shared purpose, and generate collective joy at massive scale.” —Jane McGonigal, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
