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Sublimation

By Isabel J. Kim
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Brief Description
What would you sacrifice for a different life? When you emigrate, you leave a version of yourself behind. Literally. One instance crosses the border; the other instance stays trapped behind it. Some instances keep in touch, call each other daily, synchronize their lives and minds in... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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From a stunning new voice in speculative fiction, Sublimation is a dazzlingly original debut from Isabel J. Kim.

From a stunning new voice in speculative fiction, Sublimation is the debut novel by Nebula Award winner Isabel J. Kim.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

What would you sacrifice for a different life?

When you emigrate, you leave a version of yourself behind. Literally. One instance crosses the border; the other instance stays trapped behind it.

Some instances keep in touch, call each other daily, synchronize their lives and minds in the hopes of reintegrating and resuming a life as one person. Other instances, like Soyoung Rose Kang, leave home at age ten and never speak to their other selves again.

With a life of her own in New York, Rose never imagined she'd return to Korea. Then her grandfather dies and Soyoung, her Korean instance, summons her home for the funeral. But Soyoung's motives aren't as innocent as Rose imagined, and the consequences of Rose's return to Seoul will change her forever.

Sublimation is a story of doppelgängers and corporate intrigue, heartbreak and betrayal. Nebula Award-winning author Isabel J. Kim has written an immigrant tale like no other, capturing the longing for another life and twisting it into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.

One of the best debuts of the year. Sublimation speaks to our moment in ways we could not have expected - John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain

A dazzling parable of connection and isolation - Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781035065530

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 June 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Picador

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 368

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Isabel J. Kim New Release Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction

About the Author

Isabel J. Kim is a Korean-American speculative fiction writer based in New York City. She is a Shirley Jackson Award winner, a Hugo, Nebula, and Astounding Award finalist, and her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among other venues. Her work has been reprinted in the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023 and 2024 and translated into Chinese and Japanese. Sublimation is her debut novel.

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