Person
Every book Rebecca F. Kuang recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Rebecca F. Kuang has recommended or discussed 8 books on podcasts, as of January 24, 2024.
- Rebecca F. Kuang has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of January 24, 2024.
- Those books came up in 1 episode, as of January 24, 2024.
- The 3 books Rebecca F. Kuang has mentioned in the most episodes, as of January 24, 2024: Piranesi, A Floating Chinaman and Deep Work.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Rebecca F. Kuang aired on January 24, 2024.
Updated
Rebecca F. Kuang’s most recommended books
- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- A Floating Chinaman by Hua Hsu
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
- Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
- The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
- The world republic of letters by Pascale Casanova
- Watchmen by Alan Moore
During an appearance on Conversations with Tyler, Rebecca F. Kuang discussed a variety of books and literary influences. She expressed great admiration for Susanna Clarke's novel Piranesi, stating that she hoped it would become an immortal work of fiction. Kuang also discussed Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy in connection with Arthur C. Clarke's influence, and she shared her love for Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire, noting a special edition she received with cantos printed on index cards. While discussing potential inspirations for her academic dissertation and theories of literary economy, she mentioned reading Hua Hsu's A Floating Chinaman and citing Pascale Casanova's The World Republic of Letters. Furthermore, Kuang explained that she read Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism and Deep Work to help manage her time, workload, and social media fatigue. Finally, she mentioned reading Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's comic book Watchmen while exploring her fascination with the Cold War psyche.
Books recommended by Rebecca F. Kuang
-
Piranesi
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is a critically acclaimed fantasy novel that follows an isolated protagonist navigating a surreal, statue-filled labyrinth known as the House.
Recommended“I really hope that Susanna Clarke lasts. I'm a big fan of her work. I hope Piranesi becomes one of those immortal works of fiction.”
Where to get it
-
A Floating Chinaman
Discussed“I did just finish Hua Hsu's A Floating Life, which is a text that thinks very much about the trans-Pacific imagination, who has the authority to talk about China...”
Where to get it
-
Deep Work
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a productivity and self-help guide that argues for the immense value of cultivating distraction-free concentration in a hyper-connected world, asserting that focused effort is the key to achieving extraordinary professional outcomes and personal fulfillment.
Discussed“And then I read Deep Work, too. And I know lots of people have strong feelings, good or bad, about all those books.”
Where to get it
-
Digital Minimalism
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport is a thoughtful manifesto that advocates for a targeted, intentional approach to personal technology use, encouraging individuals to reclaim their time and attention from constant digital stimulation.
Discussed“I recently read Digital Minimalism because I was fed up with social media. I found it very compelling. And then I read Deep Work, too.”
Where to get it
-
Pale Fire
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov is a complex postmodern novel structured as a long narrative poem with an extensive, eccentric commentary and index written by a deranged scholar.
Discussed“How about Pale Fire? I love Pale Fire. For my birthday this year, one of your friends, Rodrigo, got me this special edition that has the cantos printed on index cards...”
Where to get it
-
The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is a sweeping science fiction novel exploring humanity's first contact with an alien civilization against the backdrop of China's cultural revolution.
Discussed“My fiance is reading 2001: A Space Odyssey right now and its sequels, and he was a big fan of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy, and he's telling me he can see where the Clarke influence comes from.”
Where to get it
-
The world republic of letters
Discussed“So, the kind of theories of literary economy and world literature I'm thinking of really start with Pascale Casanova's The World Republic of Letters and she makes some good points about the Latin American authors here...”
Where to get it
-
Watchmen
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is a landmark graphic novel set in an alternate history that deconstructs the superhero genre against the backdrop of Cold War tensions.
Discussed“And this might be because we're reading Watchmen right now, which is a comic book that I'd slept on for many years, and I hadn't realized what a Cold War work of fiction it was...”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca F. Kuang on National Literatures, Book Publishing, and History in Fiction | Conversations with Tyler | 2024-01-24 | 8 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“My fiance is reading 2001: A Space Odyssey right now and its sequels, and he was a big fan of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy, and he's telling me he can see where the Clarke influence comes from.”
“When I wrote Yellowface, this was during mid-2021, so we were all at home and largely existing on the internet, which was the worst place to be.”