The lonely worlds of three very unusual siblings collide in this breathtaking tale of what it means to be human
Three siblings. Two human, one robot. The spectacular new debut about what it means to be alive.
In a recently reunified Korea, robots have integrated seamlessly into society. They are our teachers, our bus drivers and policemen. They are our lovers. They are even our children.
Eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scrap metal in a Seoul junkyard, searching for anything that might repair her failing body. There amongst the piles of junk she happens across a robot boy: lifelike, strange and unlike anything she's seen before.
Across the city, estranged siblings Jun and Morgan Cho haven't spoken since the abrupt disappearance of their robot brother Yoyo, which shattered their childhoods and left a gaping hole in their lives. But Ruijie's discovery is about to bring the lives of brother and sister hurtling back together, forcing them to confront the reality of Yoyo's true nature, and the dark purpose their father never revealed.
At once a dazzling work of speculative fiction and a poignant family drama, Luminous is a timely, unforgettable story about what it really means to be human.
Luminous is an original and imaginative debut novel that is set in a scarily realistic future where robots live among us. To say it is thought-provoking is an understatement as I can't stop thinking or talking about since I finished reading it.
There are two strands to the story and both are linked by Yoyo, a robot who was once the sibling of Morgan and Jun but is found in a junkyard by Ruijie. Ruijie's story really got to me as despite all the robotic enhancements to her body, her time on this earth is limited. At least getting to know Yoyo enhances her life as her previous solitary existence is turned into an adventure.
Morgan and Jun have very different memories of Yoyo and memory is a very thought-provoking theme in the book. I couldn't help but wonder whether what makes us unique is perhaps our own individual memories but if you could transfer these memories to another being when you die, do they effectively become you? This is just one of the thoughts that this inventive book has planted in my brain but there are many more to provoke and challenge every reader.
I don't read a lot of speculative fiction so I did get a bit lost in the narrative sometimes, however, I couldn't put the book down as I was completely immersed in the fascinating world created by Silvia Park. It's a world that is very easy to imagine as its reality is perhaps closer than I might think.
Evocative, thought-provoking and alluring, Luminous is a wonderful debut novel that has stayed with me long after turning the final page. It's well worth a read if you're looking for something different and a must-read if you're already a fan of speculative fiction.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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About the author:
SILVIA PARK grew up in Seoul and has spent most of their life in Korea. They received their BA from Columbia and their MFA from NYU, in addition to completing the Clarion Workshop in 2018 on the George R.R. Martin “Sense of Wonder” Fellowship. Their short fiction has been published in Black Warrior Review, Joyland and Tor.com, nominated for a Pushcart and reprinted in the 2019 Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. They teach fiction at the University of Kansas and split their time between Lawrence and Seoul. LUMINOUS is their first novel and a TV series is under development with Media Res Studio.
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