John Chu

About The Subtle Art of Folding Space

The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Ellie’s universe—and this one—is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it’s supposed to.

Daniel, Ellie’s cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks—one that keeps Ellie’s comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It’s not a good day.

If she can confront her mother’s legacy and overcome her family’s generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister…but digging into her family’s past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space

This book was a weird one! I had some trouble at first figuring out what was happening, then I just let myself get swept up in the weirdness. This was a wonderful decision, and as long as I didn’t focus too hard on the mechanics of what was happening, the story was a fun and emotional ride.

The book follows Ellie as she tries to keep our universe from falling apart. Meanwhile, her mother is dying and her controlling sister who has everyone else fooled, is “testing” her again. These tests are never ones that Ellie will pass in the eyes of her sister.

The characters are unique and easy to relate to. This made the weirdness of the story easy to bare.

I think Chu will get nominated (at the very least) for a Hugo award for this novel. If he wins it can go with his other Hugo award, and Nebula award and Locus award. The man is talented.