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Every book Rebecca F. Kuang recommended on podcasts
Rebecca F. Kuang appears on the Conversations with Tyler podcast to discuss national literatures, the mechanics of book publishing, history in fiction, and her own reading habits. Kuang expresses deep admiration for Susanna Clarke's novel Piranesi, stating her hope that it will become an immortal work of fiction. When discussing literary influences, she mentions Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem trilogy, noting how her fiancé observed connections between Liu's work and Arthur C. Clarke. Kuang shares her love for Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire, describing a special edition she received for her birthday with cantos printed on index cards. To explore theories of literary economy and world literature, she cites Pascale Casanova's The World Republic of Letters. Additionally, Kuang reflects on her approach to focus and productivity, mentioning that she read Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism and Deep Work after becoming frustrated with social media and managing her workload. Finally, she discusses reading Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's comic book Watchmen, acknowledging that she slept on the work for many years before realizing its powerful Cold War themes. Through these discussions, Kuang reveals an expansive intellectual curiosity spanning fantasy, literary fiction, sociology, and comics.
Books recommended by Rebecca F. Kuang
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Piranesi
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is a fantasy novel about a man living in a boundless, statue-filled house with an ocean inside, chronicling his solitary explorations and the mysterious second person who visits him.
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
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Deep Work
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a productivity guide that explores the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks, arguing that this skill is increasingly rare and valuable in a modern economy.
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
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Digital Minimalism
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport is a self-help guide that advocates for a focused, intentional approach to technology use in order to reclaim personal time and mental well-being.
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
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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
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The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is an acclaimed Chinese science fiction novel that explores humanity's first contact with an alien civilization facing imminent destruction from a triple-star system.
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
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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
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Watchmen
Watchmen is a seminal graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons that deconstructs the superhero genre against the backdrop of an alternate Cold War history.
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 | 7 |
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.”