Jinwoo Chong's first novel, Flux, is a fusion of mystery, flare and sci-fi genre accents. Three narrators lead readers on a tangled path through the persistence of grief, the pervasion of pop culture and the complexities of the Asian American experience.
Brandon, a half white, half Asian bisexual man in his 20s, is blindsided when, just days before Christmas, his boss and lover tells him that he's lost his magazine job in a hostile takeover. Brandon falls down an elevator shaft later the same day and sustains a head injury. Things seem to look up when stranger Lev offers him a job at Flux, a startup that is soon to be the manufacturer of a new battery that could solve the energy crisis. The job pays well, though it comes with the caveat that Brandon will allow Flux to scan his brain on occasion, making him wonder, "What were Lev's expectations here? Brain-powered cars? Dildos?" He soon finds himself struggling to remember events in order. Strange recurring clues lead him to suspect his new employers may have discovered something far bigger than an eco-friendly battery. Brandon also follows news about an actor who starred in his favorite show, '80s detective drama Raider, but whose star has fallen under accusations of decades of abuse. As his life and mind continue to fracture, Brandon meditates on the impact the show had on his life with its simultaneous upending and support of Asian American stereotypes.
Brandon's narration is intercut with the stories of two other protagonists, eight-year-old Bo and a man named Blue. Bo's mother has died in a tragedy that devastates his family and causes him to begin drifting from his father and brother. Blue, a former Flux employee, hasn't spoken in years following a workplace catastrophe but receives a cybernetic implant that will allow him to lead a tour of the old Flux offices in a television exposé.
Bo, Brandon and Blue's stories intersect in surprising ways. Readers may sometimes feel in the dark as to where Chong is taking the narrative, but the journey is well worth the suspense. This witty, heartfelt look at celebrity scandals, the indelible imprints pop culture leaves on individuals, and the transformative power of grief packs plenty of thought-provoking twists into a sci-fi thriller with depth. Some elements feel ripped from the headlines, grounding speculative aspects in a familiar reality. This rich debut should attract sci-fi and literary fiction readers. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads
Shelf Talker: In this confident sci-fi thriller, a young man's reality becomes increasingly fractured after he joins a mysterious startup firm.