Yu has a knack for subverting expectations, crafting twists that are as surprising as they are inevitable . . . His worlds and characters—whether human or otherwise—are vast yet intimate, alien yet achingly familiar. This is a collection that doesn't just tell stories; it ensnares, unsettles, and ultimately, astonishes.

An intergalactic professional fighter, a spider hunter, sentient flora, a shrinking woman, a reimagined superhero . . . these are some of the characters in Kenneth Yu’s new collection, each one navigating loss, in various worlds and circumstances that test their might and mettle. With indelible wit, imagination, and heart, each story is a study on survival—what it truly means to live on a broken planet.