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The Subtle Art of Folding Space parent’s guide: what’s inside
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
This is a sophisticated science fiction debut dealing with family trauma, a mother in a coma, and high-stakes conflict over reality-altering technology. While not graphically violent, it contains assassination attempts and existential stakes that require emotional maturity to process. The book explores themes of generational trauma, familial obligation, and difficult moral choices—appropriate for older teens who appreciate complex, character-driven science fiction.
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From the publisher
The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn't your usual jaunt through quantum physics. Most Ancipated Books of 2026—Esquire Best New S... The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn't your usual jaunt through quantum physics. Most Ancipated Books of 2026—Esquire Best New Science Fiction of 2026— New Scientist Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Look Forward To In 2026—Literary Hub Most Anticipated Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of 2026—Book Riot Ellie’s universe—and this one—is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it’s supposed to. Daniel, Ellie's cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks—one that keeps Ellie's comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It's not a good day. If she can confront her mother’s legacy and overcome her family’s generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister...but digging into her family’s past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Shelved under
- Fiction
- Science Fiction
- Fantasy
- Death of parent
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ISBN 9781250382085 · Tor Books