Sublimation

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.

‘An unsettling and suspenseful narrative about the borders that cross us and the selves we subsequently leave behind’ – Anton Hur, author of Toward Eternity

‘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