Writer Spotlight: R.F. Kuang, Author of 'The Poppy War' Sequel
Rebecca F. Kuang, a PhD candidate in East Asian languages and literatures at Yale, has crafted a captivating tale with her latest book, Katabasis. Set for release in August by HarperCollins, this novel takes readers on a journey to the underworld, drawing inspiration from various mythologies, philosophical works, and her own experiences.
In Katabasis, we follow two students from Cambridge's Department of Analytical Magick as they descend into the underworld. The protagonists find that hell resembles Cambridge, with sins being published and defended instead of dissertations. This disconnect between clean, philosophical thoughts and their context is a theme that Kuang finds humorous and inspiring, drawing parallels with authors like Umberto Eco, Vladimir Nabokov, Jorge Luis Borges, and Susanna Clarke.
The catalyst for Katabasis is Professor Grimes's toxic arrogance, cruelty, and abuse of authority. This exploration of student-teacher relationships and the nature of that bond is a reflection of Kuang's own experiences, as well as her fascination with mortality and the afterlife.
Kuang's vision of the underworld and its eight courts of judgment was also influenced by Plato's The Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. The role of forgetting in maintaining a healthy psychology and the links between memory, death, and rebirth were influences in the creation of Alice's character.
Libraries have played a significant role in Kuang's life and work, providing her with a sense of happiness, intellectual inquiry, and a connection to tradition. In fact, many of the spells and crucial scenes in Katabasis were born from a paradox party with philosophers, where they presented and discussed paradoxes.
Kuang's writing routine involves running in the morning to meditate, followed by creative work. She finds it easier to focus in the hours between waking up and noon. Administrative tasks are left for the end of the day. This approach allows her to delve deeply into her creative work, resulting in the intricate and immersive world of Katabasis.
Kuang's new book follows her modern satire Yellowface, a critique of racism in modern publishing. Before that, her fourth book, Babel: An Arcane History, explored broad sociohistorical forces. With Katabasis, Kuang returns to fantasy and academia, allowing her to explore interpersonal relationships and personal psychology in a granular manner.
Kuang's love for underworld stories and her fascination with mortality and the afterlife have culminated in this compelling narrative. She cites T. S. Eliot's 1922 poem 'The Waste Land' and her experience as a Ph.D. student in East Asian languages and literatures at Yale as inspirations for her novel, which also draws on classical underworld stories like the myth of Orpheus, exploring themes of mortality and relationships tested by extreme circumstances.
Prepare for a gripping journey as you delve into the underworld with Rebecca F. Kuang's Katabasis, set for release in August.
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