The intriguing exploration of the afterlife drives R.F. Kuang’s latest novel, Katabasis, which hits shelves on August 1, 2023. Known for her previous six bestsellers, the 29-year-old Chinese American author reflects on her childhood fears surrounding eternity and its implications. Raised in a Christian environment, Kuang found the notion of an endless afterlife filled with leisure to be unsettling. “The monotony of that eternal existence was really frightening,” she shared, emphasizing how the lack of stakes in such a reality troubled her.
In Katabasis, Kuang returns to the fantasy genre after her successful satire of the publishing industry in Yellowface (2023). This new work offers a dark yet playful commentary on academia, a subject she knows intimately as a graduate student at Yale University. The novel has garnered significant attention, making its way onto BookTok and various anticipated book lists. Additionally, there are plans for an adaptation into an Amazon series, led by showrunner Angela Kang of The Walking Dead fame, with Kuang serving as a producer.
The protagonist of Katabasis is Alice, a doctoral student in analytic magick at Cambridge. Her quest for a coveted recommendation letter from her department chair takes a surreal turn when he unexpectedly passes away. Driven by determination, Alice uses a pentagram to navigate purgatory in search of him. Accompanied by her classmate and frenemy, Peter, she embarks on a perilous adventure that echoes the nine circles of hell depicted in Dante’s Inferno. Within this narrative, Kuang meticulously crafts the “Eight Courts of Hell,” detailing a landscape filled with vast dunes and skeletal creatures.
While writing the novel, Kuang balanced her academic pursuits with her creative work. Her research on various underworld beliefs contributed to the rich tapestry of Katabasis. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Kuang discussed the inspiration behind her imaginative representation of hell and addressed the current political climate affecting academia.
Reflecting on the design of each hell court, she expressed, “We had a lot of fun” conceptualizing the Pride Court, a library populated by condescending scholars. She noted that the process involved playful revenge against behaviors common in academia.
The choice to set the story in the 1980s stemmed from her fascination with that era, particularly the cultural dynamics during the Reagan and Thatcher administrations. Kuang remarked on the significant social shifts of the time, highlighting the rollback of many egalitarian movements from the previous decade. This historical context informs her characters’ struggles, illustrating a denial of structural oppression that shapes their experiences.
Kuang’s commentary on contemporary issues is evident in the text, as she touches on the implications of funding cuts to universities. She acknowledged that while her revisions were completed before recent political events unfolded, her observations resonate with the current challenges facing higher education.
Amidst her academic commitments and the pressures of a new release, Kuang remains focused on her work. “All I can do is just keep doing my work,” she stated, emphasizing the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Despite her success, Kuang stays grounded and avoids getting caught up in social media reactions. “The last time I was on TikTok was two years ago,” she explained, valuing the platform as a space for readers rather than a personal focus.
As Katabasis prepares to captivate readers, Kuang’s unique blend of humor, darkness, and critical commentary on academia promises to engage a wide audience. Her ability to intertwine personal fears with broader societal themes adds depth to her storytelling, making her latest novel a significant contribution to contemporary literature.
