R.F. Kuang says there’s 'quite a lot' of herself in 'Katabasis' protagonist Alice
R.F. Kuang’s fantasy novel Katabasis, first published in 2025, is out in paperback. The book is about two rival doctoral students studying magic at Cambridge University. Together, they travel to hell to rescue their recently deceased thesis advisor. Last year, Kuang joined NPR’s Emiko Tamagawa for a conversation about the novel at a live event in Boston. They spoke about Kuang’s rigorous approach to the study of magic, how the author sees herself (and her husband) in Katabasis’ protagonists, and the myth of the male genius in academia.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedaySee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Podzilla Summary coming soon
Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Listen to This Episode
More from NPR's Book of the Day
Theo Baker delves into power and corruption at Stanford in 'How to Rule the World'
Ann Patchett’s 'Whistler' and 'Tom Lake' are novels written with love in mind
'A Pair of Aces' is about two women who face down the mob in 1930s New York
In 'Keeper of My Kin,' Ada Ferrer struggles with being her mother's "chosen one"
Get summaries like this every morning.
Free AI-powered recaps of NPR's Book of the Day and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.