Prophetic & desolate but in a good way! I love the world that is created and the decisions of the history, putting it underwater, climate disaster, etc. It’s equal parts all of its separate facets: queer, Taiwanese, speculative, science fiction-y in a way that’s so natural and ultra connected. I really liked the concepts & how they were laid out. 

Drapaudi is so right when she says that she really likes Momo— a character that is likable despite maybe more obvious reasons to. I also like the subversion of a lot of what you may think is going on but also into what may have also been suspected if not for the subversion. 

The translators afterward gives a rich contextual description of time of post martial law Taiwan, one that many of my loved ones don’t know very well. It presents Taiwan as a sponge and a fledgling (maybe not so dissimilar to Momo) entity ready to take on and discover its identity.  It also helps to preface the world that I didn’t know as a gen z of where Taiwanese/world fiction was at that time and how accurate and interesting some of the ideas that Chi brings up (with the tech, the “post apocalyptic” nature, the world as it is.). 

Beyond the fascinating world building, we also get interesting/forward thinking takes on gender, queerness, relationships, Taiwan, technology, etc. Chi’s also able to pull in world literature/media references that really enrich central themes or help provide context to the stories and worlds. 

My chief complaint is that I wish it was longer and more fleshed out & we had an inkling about what happens to Momo. It’s a bit of a shame to have this world where you want to know more about it, but you can’t!