Catching Up: R.F. Kuang, Oscars, Other Books
- 10 hours ago
- 5 min read
Decluttering my mind with a brief glance up from the page
Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang
My mind’s been a bit messier than normal lately (perhaps something to do with my amnesia last week?) so today I wanted to go through a few topics which don’t yet need their own full articles, but which I want to mention!
R.F. Kuang’s newest novel, Taipei Story, was recently confirmed for release this September. The author’s doctoral candidacy only seems to have sped up her writing, having published Katabasis last year and already discussed a forthcoming art-focused book she began writing after Taipei Story.
I've written about R.F. Kuang and Katabasis in depth before, in addition to touching on Babel in my piece on Revolutions. Despite my tepid reaction to Katabasis and that this one seems unlikely to contain speculative elements, I remain excited to see what she explores in this new story. Yellowface also had no magic to speak of, after all, unless you count some absolutely devastating dark humour about cultural appropriation.
While I'm not generally one to read synopses before starting books, the intervening six months will probably mean I forget any details by the time I actually get my hands and eyes on it. Taipei Story's description immediately reminds me of Black Water Sister (2021) by Zen Cho, which also happens to feature a queer protagonist (where Kuang probably won't). Consider giving that book a look if you're looking for something to tide you over – and as always, let me know if you'd like me to write more about it!
Pretenders to the Throne of God and Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky
I've said it before, but Adrian Tchaikovsky's work continues to take up more and more space in my mind with his nonstop production of incredible novels. In early 2026, he's putting out the fourth books in both his Fantasy The Tyrant Philosophers and Science Fiction Children of Time series, in addition to a collection of his short stories I hadn't even heard about until now. A standalone novel Green City Wars will join this roster before the year is even half done.
Obsessed with The Tyrant Philosophers as I am, I've already finished Pretenders to the Throne of God and am feeling extremely bittersweet about learning that the series will conclude with a fifth and final entry, The Grave of Perfection. But all good things must come to an end, and I appreciate that Tchaikovsky is more interested in telling a complete, morally important tale rather than perpetually spinning his wheels in this fascinating world – much as I'd love to see it.
[Spoilers for Pretenders for this paragraph only:] I absolutely love what Adrian managed in this book, in transforming the plot from just another colonial struggle into watching Pallesand tear itself apart thanks to all the disparate imperfections it has had to incorporate in order to get so far. Yasnic's story likewise feels a little pointless in the context of everything that's going on, right up until Caeleen completes her Revolution in Hell and flips the entire world on its head. The series started with a prominent worker's struggle, and it's so incredibly cool to see this novel extend that theme to no-longer-enslaved demons. As Caeleen makes her motto upon arriving in the world above: Wickedness and Misery. No kings, no masters.
Children of Strife is yet to be released, but I'm certain it'll be excellent just as the rest of the series has been. I discussed the first book over two years ago now, mostly in the context of a single transhuman character, but the books deserve a lot more attention than that. After all, these are ultimately books about profoundly different sentient beings figuring out how to get along. Surely if they can, we as mere humans can too? (Though that theme isn't even limited to the Children series: Shroud and Alien Clay are doing the same thing, and are both also excellent.)
Films of 2025 (Oscars)
As you may have read in that piece on R.F. Kuang, I'm not one to care about celebrity culture – let alone these ceremonies where a bunch of rich people pat themselves on the back, a rare few bravely nodding to the world burning just outside. But hey, engagement.
Something I was thinking about the other day is how some of 2025's best films (including the completely snubbed No Other Choice) capture the deeply strange feeling of being human these days. One Battle After Another and Bugonia both feature 'protagonists' who genuinely recognize the injustices of the world and want to take action – but who are also deeply flawed and find themselves in very different lives to the ones they imagined. Arguably the same is even true of Frankenstein, though you might have to stretch definitions a bit.
This is definitely a topic for another article (or series), but living truly ethically in today's world – let alone also committing oneself to as many causes as possible – is unimaginable. We're so bogged down by guilt and shame that it becomes difficult to act at all, and true heroism is out the window entirely. So it makes sense that the 'heroes' we see are kinky anarchists and castrated conspiracy theorists, who free themselves from the burden of guilt only to be further entrapped by their 'heroic' actions.
Then Sinners (which I previously wrote about for my series on vampires) is such a powerful contemplation of human art and community; increasingly so as people leave the internet to connect with and create alongside their fellows. It's a striking look at how important it is to find a sense of belonging, of family. As a person who's embraced in-person queer community over the past year, it speaks to me deeply.
Falling Back in Love with Being Human by Kai Cheng Thom
I read this short book of letters back in November for one book club, and last night covered the first half again for another. Kai Cheng Thom is a hell of a writer who cuts to the core of the human condition, perhaps especially for her fellow trans women.
This experience was a good reminder of just how much meaning time and life can strip from my memories of something. At some point after exiting that first book club back in November, my perception of this text dulled, lost its color and complexity. But it's truly great, and I can't recommend it highly enough – find it at your local library!
Two of the letters especially spoke to me on both readings: to the deathwalkers, which recognizes the harrowing reality of living in the shadow of suicidal ideation; and to the church of social justice, which speaks to the unquestioning, brutal zealotry so often found in progressive spaces. I've written before about how we need empathy and community if we're going to get anywhere, and seeing Kai Cheng Thom lay it out so profoundly helps me feel a lot less alone in that sentiment.
That's it, really. Would be interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading and until next time <3
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