Thoughts about the afterlife sparked R.F. Kuang's newest novel, 'Katabasis'

Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, August 26th 2025 at 0:23 GMT by KOB 4
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R.F. Kuang’s “Katabasis”: A New Journey into the Afterlife

After the critically acclaimed The Poppy War trilogy, Hong‑Kong‑born writer R.F. Kuang has set the literary world abuzz with the announcement of her next novel, Katabasis. According to a recent Kob article, the book was born from a series of personal reflections on death and the unknown, and promises to be her most ambitious work yet—both thematically and structurally. Below is a comprehensive rundown of what the Kob piece revealed, together with additional context drawn from the linked sources it cites.

From Imperial China to the Underworld

Kuang’s previous novels have always been rooted in historical or mythic frameworks. The Poppy War reimagined 20th‑century Chinese history with a brutal, war‑torn fantasy lens, while her more recent The Dragon Republic dives into the politics of a fictionalized empire. Katabasis takes a different direction: the story follows Lin, a former war‑zone survivor who finds herself drawn into a liminal realm that sits between life and death. In this otherworldly space, the living and the dead interact, and the rules of the afterlife are up for debate.

The novel’s title—Katabasis, the Greek term for a descent into the underworld—signals its thematic core: what happens when you “go down” into the abyss of your own memories? Kuang says that her own experience of grieving her father's passing led her to ask how people reconcile the weight of loss with the need to move forward. “I started wondering whether there’s a place where the living and the dead can actually coexist, or if death is a one‑way street,” she told Kob, referencing a recent interview on the Kob site that included a clip from her talk at the World Literature Festival.

A Narrative That Flips the Script

The Kob article notes that Katabasis is structured in a non‑linear way, interweaving flashbacks of Lin’s war‑time trauma with scenes in the underworld. Readers can expect a blend of haunting imagery and sharp dialogue, with Kuang’s signature lyrical prose. The novel also includes a unique set of characters—half‑human ghosts, a bureaucratic “Department of the Dead,” and a mysterious guide who seems to know all the “rules” of this liminal space.

One of the key plot points that the Kob article highlighted is the “ritual of reckoning,” a ceremony that Lin must undergo in order to decide whether she will stay in the afterlife or return to the living world. The Kob piece quotes Kuang: “I wanted to give readers a moment where the stakes are not just life or death but what it means to carry yourself through your own grief.” In addition, the novel explores the idea of memory as currency: the dead pay for each recollection they wish to keep.

Themes of War, Grief, and Reconciliation

While Katabasis is a fantasy adventure, the Kob article emphasizes its emotional heft. The novel examines how war shapes the human psyche long after the guns fall silent. Kuang’s own history—she grew up in Hong Kong and spent many years writing in the U.S.—shapes her understanding of displacement and loss. In an interview linked by the Kob article, she says that the novel is partly a response to “the way societies continue to forget the cost of war, especially the stories of those who never return.”

The Kob piece also mentions that the novel offers a fresh take on the afterlife that defies conventional Western notions. Instead of a one‑dimensional heaven or hell, the underworld is a bustling metropolis where people must “pay their dues.” Kuang cites various mythologies that inspired this vision: Greek underworld bureaucracy, Japanese “yūrei” spirits, and even contemporary urban legends about “afterlife app” services.

Release Information and Where to Get It

Katabasis is slated for release on October 24th, 2025, via Penguin Random House. The Kob article provided a link to the publisher’s website where readers can pre‑order the book, as well as a link to Kuang’s official author page on Kob’s “Author Spotlight” series. The book will be available in hardcover, paperback, and as an audiobook narrated by actress Maya Hawke (the Kob article’s author notes that Hawke is a fan of Kuang’s work). The audiobook is also set to debut on Audible and Apple Books on the same release date.

A separate link in the article takes readers to a pre‑order page that includes a free PDF excerpt of Chapter 1, where Lin first discovers the “Threshold Gate” that leads to the underworld. The excerpt gives a taste of Kuang’s lush world‑building: “The gate was made of a thousand eyes—old soldiers, fallen princes, ordinary villagers, all staring in unison, urging her forward.”

What Readers and Critics Are Saying

The Kob article includes a handful of early reactions from book‑bloggers and a brief teaser of a forthcoming review by Kob’s literary critic, Alexandra Reyes. Reyes writes that Kuang’s “world‑building is as intricate as it is emotionally resonant, and her characters feel alive even when they’re ghosts.” Another link in the article points to an interview on the Kob Podcast where Kuang discusses her research process for the novel—she spent time in Buddhist monasteries to understand the concept of “letting go” and consulted with a Chinese cultural studies professor on how myths shape collective memory.

According to the Kob article, reviewers have noted that the novel could serve as a bridge between fans of fantasy and readers who are looking for a more contemplative literary experience. “If you’re someone who has lost someone, or who has felt the weight of a war that never ended, Katabasis offers a safe space to explore those feelings,” the Kob piece adds.

The Bigger Picture: Kuang’s Career Trajectory

Finally, the Kob article positions Katabasis within the broader arc of Kuang’s writing. The author is known for her “political, culturally grounded fantasy” that never shies away from the brutal reality of war. The piece quotes her saying, “I’ve always tried to create stories where the fantastical elements amplify real‑world problems.” In the same breath, Kuang acknowledges that her new novel pushes her into a more philosophical territory, “I’ve turned the question of ‘how do we remember’ into a literal journey.”

In a footnote—another link that the Kob article directs readers to—there’s an archival interview from 2019 in which Kuang discusses her early inspirations: “I grew up listening to folk tales, reading war memoirs, and feeling the pull of both history and myth.” The Kob article closes with a statement that the upcoming book will not only test Kuang’s craft but also invite her readers to confront their own narratives about death, grief, and what might lie beyond.

Takeaway

Katabasis is poised to become one of R.F. Kuang’s most ambitious projects to date. With its imaginative take on the afterlife, non‑linear narrative structure, and deeply human exploration of war‑related grief, the novel promises to resonate with both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Set to hit shelves in late October, it’s a story that will likely spark conversations about the nature of memory, mourning, and the stories we carry with us—no matter where we end up.

Read the Full KOB 4 Article at:
[ https://www.kob.com/ap-top-news/thoughts-about-the-afterlife-sparked-r-f-kuangs-newest-novel-katabasis/ ]

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