R.F. Kuang's works of historical fantasy, including The Poppy War series, have been racking up awards since she began publishing in 2018. Her novel Babel won the prestigious Nebula Award for science fiction and fantasy writers this week.The same day, her latest book Yellowface debuted.

It is Kuang's fifth novel, and a shift from fantasy to literary fiction. The satirical thriller takes on the commercial publishing world, and through it, "questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation." Not to mention, "the terrifying alienation of social media."

This hour, R.F. Kuang joins us. Minor spoilers lie ahead...

GUESTS:

• R.F. Kuang: Author, Yellowface; Babel; The Poppy War Trilogy

Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired May 18, 2023.

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