What do you think?
Rate this book
Bald New World
Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Science Fiction Books of Summer 2014 and listed on Buzzfeed's 15 Highly Anticipated Books of 2014, Bald New World asks the question:
What if everyone in the world lost their hair?
Nick Guan and his friend Larry Chao are a pair of eccentric filmmakers who choose to explore the existential angst of their balding world through cinema. Larry is heir to one of the most lucrative wig companies in the world. Nick is a man who’s trying to make sense of the tatters of his American dream. Taking place throughout China and America, the pair set off on a series of misadventures involving North Korean spies, veterans of an African War, and digital cricket fighters. Their journey leads them to discover some of the darkest secrets behind wig-making and hair in a hairless world.
"After my heart gives out and I'm on the operating table for emergency surgery, I will have told my physicians and surgeons to replace my heart with Peter Tieryas Liu's Bald New World, or any of his books really, because that's what I think of when I think of Liu's writing--heart. Similar to the work of Philip K. Dick, this parodic dystopia is steeped in futuristic technology that further bridges the gap between man and machine. Still, whether watching the latest episode of the immensely popular reality show Jesus the General or sparring against an opponent in the blood-sport known as cricket fighting, the humanity of our narrator shines through. Although we humans are capable of doing and creating sad, funny, glorious, devious things, we also persevere and adapt, survive. I wonder what Huxley would think of this, but he's dead. You're not, so read this book, feel alive."
-Jason Jordan, author of Pestilence, editor of decomP
"The boldly imaginative Bald New World follows Nicholas Guan, a military type tasked to digitally touch up scenes of carnage, in his misadventures from Korea to a futuristic California and in his frenzied dash from Gamble Town to China . The novel tells of beautifully flawed characters, the blurring distinction between reality and virtual environments, the comical yet chilling wave of religious fanaticism, and a world battling a strange malady called the Great Baldification, an ingenious symbol of human vanity. Peter Tieryas Liu’s Bald New World is vivid, exhilarating, and wildly entertaining." –Kristine Ong Muslim, author of We Bury the Landscape and Grim Series
"Bald New World is a hypnotic, surreal, and insightful novel, blending Blade Runner and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to create a dark, funny, and captivating story. One of the best books I've read this year."—Richard Thomas, Staring Into the Abyss
What if everyone in the world lost their hair?
Nick Guan and his friend Larry Chao are a pair of eccentric filmmakers who choose to explore the existential angst of their balding world through cinema. Larry is heir to one of the most lucrative wig companies in the world. Nick is a man who’s trying to make sense of the tatters of his American dream. Taking place throughout China and America, the pair set off on a series of misadventures involving North Korean spies, veterans of an African War, and digital cricket fighters. Their journey leads them to discover some of the darkest secrets behind wig-making and hair in a hairless world.
"After my heart gives out and I'm on the operating table for emergency surgery, I will have told my physicians and surgeons to replace my heart with Peter Tieryas Liu's Bald New World, or any of his books really, because that's what I think of when I think of Liu's writing--heart. Similar to the work of Philip K. Dick, this parodic dystopia is steeped in futuristic technology that further bridges the gap between man and machine. Still, whether watching the latest episode of the immensely popular reality show Jesus the General or sparring against an opponent in the blood-sport known as cricket fighting, the humanity of our narrator shines through. Although we humans are capable of doing and creating sad, funny, glorious, devious things, we also persevere and adapt, survive. I wonder what Huxley would think of this, but he's dead. You're not, so read this book, feel alive."
-Jason Jordan, author of Pestilence, editor of decomP
"The boldly imaginative Bald New World follows Nicholas Guan, a military type tasked to digitally touch up scenes of carnage, in his misadventures from Korea to a futuristic California and in his frenzied dash from Gamble Town to China . The novel tells of beautifully flawed characters, the blurring distinction between reality and virtual environments, the comical yet chilling wave of religious fanaticism, and a world battling a strange malady called the Great Baldification, an ingenious symbol of human vanity. Peter Tieryas Liu’s Bald New World is vivid, exhilarating, and wildly entertaining." –Kristine Ong Muslim, author of We Bury the Landscape and Grim Series
"Bald New World is a hypnotic, surreal, and insightful novel, blending Blade Runner and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to create a dark, funny, and captivating story. One of the best books I've read this year."—Richard Thomas, Staring Into the Abyss
214 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2014
5 people are currently reading
2371 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
Read
February 18, 20152-17-15 One of my absolute favorite magazines, Rain Taxi, did this interview with me about Bald New World. I talk influences, science fiction, Bohemian Rhapsody, the life of Leucochloridium paradoxum, and whether I'd wear a wig or not if the Baldification actually happened. The winter issue is pretty fantastic and includes an interview with Neil Gaiman, which is awesome in itself, as well as some other great reviews.
http://www.raintaxi.com/bald-new-worl...
12-27-14 Almost the end of the year and Bald New World was nominated for the prestigious Folio Prize which celebrates the best books from the UK alongside some of my favorite authors like Jeff VanderMeer, Chang-rae Lee, Jonathan Lethem, Yiyun Li and so many more. The nominations were announced in the Sunday Times Culture and discussed on BBC4 radio. Nice to also see coverage on Yahoo!, Electric Literature, the Los Angeles Times, Guardian, and more. Thanks again to everyone who has supported the book, or even read and disliked it. I appreciate anyone who has given BNW a chance =)
http://news.yahoo.com/folio-prize-pub...
6-24-2014 The first printing of Bald New World has sold out and the incredible lit site, Electric Literature, did an amazing review of Bald New World with comparisons to Murakami, Neal Stephenson, and Iain M. Banks. Humbled and honored: "Bald New World is sort of like a Haruki Murakami novel set in a future reminiscent of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash… where everyone is bald. At the same time, it’s really nothing like that. The debut novel from Peter Tieryas Liu, this book is a complete original, and always fun to read. It’s a very strange book with a lot of heart, with a strong eye for both character and narrative, and overflowing with great ideas."
http://electricliterature.com/review-...
5-29-2014 Publishers Weekly picked Bald New World as one of the best new book releases for this week! It's official release is tomorrow! Can't wait!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
4-21-2014: Publishers Weekly has just selected Bald New World as one of Summer 2014's Best Science Fiction books while giving it one of its prestigious starred reviews. Still cannot believe it.
http://best-books.publishersweekly.co...
4-7-2014: Super excited to find out Yahoo Asia just did a profile of Bald New World and myself. Extremely honored at the news!
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/bald-world-...
"Already tipped for further success in 2014 as one of Buzzfeed's 15 Highly Anticipated Books From (Mostly) Small Presses, and highlighted by Kollaboration in March as one of three Asian American authors on the rise, Liu's debut novel "Bald New World" deals with a global epidemic of follicular proportions."
**
Just found out Bald New World was listed at Buzzfeed as one of the 15 Highly Anticipated Books from Small Presses! So so honored. Will write more on this soon.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/richardthomas...
"Oh Bald New World that has so many bald people in it..." =)
http://www.raintaxi.com/bald-new-worl...
12-27-14 Almost the end of the year and Bald New World was nominated for the prestigious Folio Prize which celebrates the best books from the UK alongside some of my favorite authors like Jeff VanderMeer, Chang-rae Lee, Jonathan Lethem, Yiyun Li and so many more. The nominations were announced in the Sunday Times Culture and discussed on BBC4 radio. Nice to also see coverage on Yahoo!, Electric Literature, the Los Angeles Times, Guardian, and more. Thanks again to everyone who has supported the book, or even read and disliked it. I appreciate anyone who has given BNW a chance =)
http://news.yahoo.com/folio-prize-pub...
6-24-2014 The first printing of Bald New World has sold out and the incredible lit site, Electric Literature, did an amazing review of Bald New World with comparisons to Murakami, Neal Stephenson, and Iain M. Banks. Humbled and honored: "Bald New World is sort of like a Haruki Murakami novel set in a future reminiscent of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash… where everyone is bald. At the same time, it’s really nothing like that. The debut novel from Peter Tieryas Liu, this book is a complete original, and always fun to read. It’s a very strange book with a lot of heart, with a strong eye for both character and narrative, and overflowing with great ideas."
http://electricliterature.com/review-...
5-29-2014 Publishers Weekly picked Bald New World as one of the best new book releases for this week! It's official release is tomorrow! Can't wait!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
4-21-2014: Publishers Weekly has just selected Bald New World as one of Summer 2014's Best Science Fiction books while giving it one of its prestigious starred reviews. Still cannot believe it.
http://best-books.publishersweekly.co...
4-7-2014: Super excited to find out Yahoo Asia just did a profile of Bald New World and myself. Extremely honored at the news!
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/bald-world-...
"Already tipped for further success in 2014 as one of Buzzfeed's 15 Highly Anticipated Books From (Mostly) Small Presses, and highlighted by Kollaboration in March as one of three Asian American authors on the rise, Liu's debut novel "Bald New World" deals with a global epidemic of follicular proportions."
**
Just found out Bald New World was listed at Buzzfeed as one of the 15 Highly Anticipated Books from Small Presses! So so honored. Will write more on this soon.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/richardthomas...
"Oh Bald New World that has so many bald people in it..." =)
July 20, 2016
This is how I read Bald New World. Jack Black and Elija Wood navigate time in a paper boat filled with wigs and adventures written by Stanley Kubrick. The futuristic setting is reminiscent of a favorite movie of mine, A.I. Damp and muted, with flashes of brilliant light. Larry Chao (Jack Black) is capricious and Nicholas Guan (Elija Wood) is cautious. Among many other things, Nicholas makes movies for Larry. One of which is "Rodenticide". This movie is a REAL WORLD thing, and it MUST be watched! It's hilarious, and telling of the type of story you will find in Bald New World.
Peter Tieryas' Bald New World is an excellent example of Aristotle's Appeals. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos run through this story like a stream to an unknown haven. Tieryas gives a new meaning to the concept of baldness. Being stripped of vanity, baring your self, yet still believing in your ability to give and receive love. Bald New World is cool and funny and sad and transformative. It is tentative and sharp. The story blossoms into something more than just a hairless world.
As humble as Tieryas is, he is a super talented writer, film maker, and artist. If his world is hair-bare, it is heart-rich. He wears it well.
You MUST see more of Peter's brilliant and creative work here: http://tieryas.wordpress.com/
Peter Tieryas' Bald New World is an excellent example of Aristotle's Appeals. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos run through this story like a stream to an unknown haven. Tieryas gives a new meaning to the concept of baldness. Being stripped of vanity, baring your self, yet still believing in your ability to give and receive love. Bald New World is cool and funny and sad and transformative. It is tentative and sharp. The story blossoms into something more than just a hairless world.
As humble as Tieryas is, he is a super talented writer, film maker, and artist. If his world is hair-bare, it is heart-rich. He wears it well.
You MUST see more of Peter's brilliant and creative work here: http://tieryas.wordpress.com/
February 25, 2014
MY BUZZFEED REVIEW: "If you took the world building of Philip K. Dick, and added in the gritty reality and humor of Haruki Murakami, with a touch of Aldous Huxley (of course), you would get Bald New World. An emerging voice, Tieryas has created a fascinating setting where everyone has lost their hair and wigs become the new currency. North Korean spies, digital cricket fighting, and eccentric filmmakers help to blur the lines between reality and fantasy, leading to a devastating conclusion."—BuzzFeed, 15 Highly Anticipated (Mostly) Small Press Books
MY BLURB: "Bald New World is a hypnotic, surreal, and insightful novel, blending Blade Runner and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to create a dark, funny, and captivating story. One of the best books I've read this year."
—Richard Thomas, Staring Into the Abyss
MY BLURB: "Bald New World is a hypnotic, surreal, and insightful novel, blending Blade Runner and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to create a dark, funny, and captivating story. One of the best books I've read this year."
—Richard Thomas, Staring Into the Abyss
March 11, 2014
Tieryas's Bald New World begins with a strange phenomenon where the entire population wakes up one day to find all their hair has fallen out. From that moment on you're thrown into a world of espionage, wig-wars, faith-blind zealots that make Marathon Man seem like child's play, telekinetic cricket fighting, and a friendship that stretches beyond life and into death. The world which Tieryas creates is rich in detail, from the grand architecture of the future to the smaller statements on the influence of mass advertising on modern society (I particular liked how a taxi cab fare could be subsidised if you are willing to watch adverts for the entire journey, and the coat that diminishes with the seasons). But like Watering Heaven, Tieryas's brilliant short story collection, the real strength of this book lies is the intertwining themes of acceptance, love and an enduring quest for fulfilment. They say every author writes themselves into the characters of their books. Nick is a character who feels detached emotionally due to his past, and yet through his in laws he truly understands the meaning of family. I mention this because it adds a layer of emotion that fleshes out the character. Nick is not contrived in design, therefore you believe him in, and through all the pain he endures, you want him to survive. This is the test of a great writer, to give a little bit of themselves to the world, even if it's uncomfortable. For this and many other reasons, Tieryas is a great writer.
I don't want to dilute this book by comparing it to another. It stands alone and will measured that way for years to come. The storytelling and amazing detail added from Tieryas's furtive imagination lend themselves perfectly to the silver screen. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this in the cinema in the next 5 years. A fantastic read for anyone whose frustration in modern literature as reached the point where they're pulling out their hair. There is a new world of great storytelling with us, and that world is bald.
I don't want to dilute this book by comparing it to another. It stands alone and will measured that way for years to come. The storytelling and amazing detail added from Tieryas's furtive imagination lend themselves perfectly to the silver screen. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this in the cinema in the next 5 years. A fantastic read for anyone whose frustration in modern literature as reached the point where they're pulling out their hair. There is a new world of great storytelling with us, and that world is bald.
May 19, 2014
Spectacularly Imaginative!
Emotionally Engaging!
Incredible!!!!
Thought-provoking -***ORIGINAL*** - heartfelt!
Marvelous Science Fiction reading ---(even for 'anyone' who rarely reads this genre). Its fantasy at its BEST. The characters and society feel believable.
The story is very touching, blending morality and psychology.
After 'The Great Baldification' (don't you just love this word?), it was the beginning of social change in the 'WORLD'! More marriages ended in divorce. More crime. People were often seen wearing gas masks hooked into their noses. The economy went from bad to worse. Unemployment rates were above 50 percent. Countries went into war. Fashion changes, etc.
Nick and Larry are two 'very' different type of men. They explore the 'Balding World' together. Film making buddies. Larry the leader. Nick the camera man.
Larry is confident with his manhood. He is wealthy and owns one of the most lucrative wig companies in the world which he inherited.
Larry is also always 'open' -'hoping' - and 'looking' to get laid. He is basically a healthy-Sex-thinking-guy! lol And....wants to make the best film. Win an award with Global Entertainment (GEA awards)
Nick grew up learning family was a terrible thing. He never wanted to go home. He wanted to disappear so he could have his freedom. He endured poverty --and a very stricken childhood. He had been kicked out of schools, sent away to a boarding school. A bullied kid.
As an adult --Nick grew up feeling undeserving and unworthy.
He did marry for a short time. He married a woman named Linda. Yet--Nick had a hard time feeling worthy of Linda's love.
Nick was my favorite character ---(charming, real, sad, bright, a man with integrity and courage). He radiated 'love'. (even when he was in pain).
A 'few' times Nick would allow himself to remember the GOOD times. Nick remembered being most happy when he was married to Linda. The only person he loved.
Nick says: (after a hard day), "I could go home and lie in bed with Linda and she'd scratch my back to put me back to sleep and I'd pat her on her shoulders until she got droopy."
Memories of Nick's childhood flooded Nick's adults life. (often of his mother/father/and sister). And, he was everything Larry wasn't. NOT secure with women. He didn't want to 'jump-into-bed' with anyone. He only missed Linda.
However--Nick loved Larry 'like family. Would have done anything for Larry. They had some 'fun' exploring the world together --(and doing film work) . They also experienced the 'culinary heavens' eating Crab in spicy sauce, gumbo soups, Cajun food, Korean BBQ, etc.
I've left out a big part of the main plot (ON PURPOSE) -- You wouldn't want me to give all the excitement -mystery- and action away --would you? ---- but this book is GREAT!!!!! I recommend it to ALL my friends. (male and female).
Two more favorite lines by NICK:
1) "Why was I always working so hard to make people look more beautiful than they really were?"
2) "I pretended like I didn't care about anyone or anything, hiding behind the camera, recording all the things I'd never been able to enjoy. It was my only comfort."
So....if you want to figure out what happens in the world after everyone goes BALD ---you're in for a fun read!!!! Its FRESH & EXCITING!
Emotionally Engaging!
Incredible!!!!
Thought-provoking -***ORIGINAL*** - heartfelt!
Marvelous Science Fiction reading ---(even for 'anyone' who rarely reads this genre). Its fantasy at its BEST. The characters and society feel believable.
The story is very touching, blending morality and psychology.
After 'The Great Baldification' (don't you just love this word?), it was the beginning of social change in the 'WORLD'! More marriages ended in divorce. More crime. People were often seen wearing gas masks hooked into their noses. The economy went from bad to worse. Unemployment rates were above 50 percent. Countries went into war. Fashion changes, etc.
Nick and Larry are two 'very' different type of men. They explore the 'Balding World' together. Film making buddies. Larry the leader. Nick the camera man.
Larry is confident with his manhood. He is wealthy and owns one of the most lucrative wig companies in the world which he inherited.
Larry is also always 'open' -'hoping' - and 'looking' to get laid. He is basically a healthy-Sex-thinking-guy! lol And....wants to make the best film. Win an award with Global Entertainment (GEA awards)
Nick grew up learning family was a terrible thing. He never wanted to go home. He wanted to disappear so he could have his freedom. He endured poverty --and a very stricken childhood. He had been kicked out of schools, sent away to a boarding school. A bullied kid.
As an adult --Nick grew up feeling undeserving and unworthy.
He did marry for a short time. He married a woman named Linda. Yet--Nick had a hard time feeling worthy of Linda's love.
Nick was my favorite character ---(charming, real, sad, bright, a man with integrity and courage). He radiated 'love'. (even when he was in pain).
A 'few' times Nick would allow himself to remember the GOOD times. Nick remembered being most happy when he was married to Linda. The only person he loved.
Nick says: (after a hard day), "I could go home and lie in bed with Linda and she'd scratch my back to put me back to sleep and I'd pat her on her shoulders until she got droopy."
Memories of Nick's childhood flooded Nick's adults life. (often of his mother/father/and sister). And, he was everything Larry wasn't. NOT secure with women. He didn't want to 'jump-into-bed' with anyone. He only missed Linda.
However--Nick loved Larry 'like family. Would have done anything for Larry. They had some 'fun' exploring the world together --(and doing film work) . They also experienced the 'culinary heavens' eating Crab in spicy sauce, gumbo soups, Cajun food, Korean BBQ, etc.
I've left out a big part of the main plot (ON PURPOSE) -- You wouldn't want me to give all the excitement -mystery- and action away --would you? ---- but this book is GREAT!!!!! I recommend it to ALL my friends. (male and female).
Two more favorite lines by NICK:
1) "Why was I always working so hard to make people look more beautiful than they really were?"
2) "I pretended like I didn't care about anyone or anything, hiding behind the camera, recording all the things I'd never been able to enjoy. It was my only comfort."
So....if you want to figure out what happens in the world after everyone goes BALD ---you're in for a fun read!!!! Its FRESH & EXCITING!
July 12, 2014
I'm not sure how I feel about the book at this time. I can recognize the satire in the text and the parallel to Brave New World in the consumerism present from the very start of the story, but I am disappointed in the objectifying of women throughout the novel. Do they all "simper"? Or should I ask, "do we"? However, since good satire does seek societal change, maybe Tieryas wants women to question their behaviors as well in this novel? I know that in the original Brave New World, the female characters were relatively cardboard/static, so perhaps this choice is to create a pointed similarity.
Classifying this book required a bit of thinking about on my morning run today. I finally decided that the comparison to Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash in one review is somewhat inaccurate. While the play on technology and what it might achieve is still speculative science fiction, the despair that exists in the characters about the state of their society doesn’t give me hope that things will improve for us/them. I would like an element of hope. Stephenson’s books have an element of hope in them. Why else read them? The book itself doesn’t seem to fit a dystopian struggle because there has not been an attempt to create a utopia prior to a fall, thus I would classify it as post-apocalyptic in the tradition of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. People are simply trying to survive in a future they had no power to stop. Granted, the apocalypse is hair loss, which should be funny but isn’t in the vain and consumer driven society that Tieryas created—there is your juvenalian satire. And I have to mention that there is a great deal of infinite sadness on the part of the main character, Nick, in Bald New World, who himself feels powerless to help anyone much less himself and feels caught up by circumstance, much like John the Savage in Brave New World. I have a great deal of respect for Huxley and his classic tale. I see elements of its influence in much science fiction, although the story left me profoundly disturbed. I love sci fi and I read a lot of it. Some of it leaves incredible impressions on me: A Canticle for Leibowitz, The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake, both by Margaret Atwood, and Stephenson’s Snow Crash and The Diamond Age, most recently Hugh Howey’s Silo series and Dust. The question remains: will Bald New World join them or will I work hard to forget it? I am not sure yet. Needless to say, there should be something more than faint praise for the novel, and I have to applaud the ending. It was perfect.
Classifying this book required a bit of thinking about on my morning run today. I finally decided that the comparison to Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash in one review is somewhat inaccurate. While the play on technology and what it might achieve is still speculative science fiction, the despair that exists in the characters about the state of their society doesn’t give me hope that things will improve for us/them. I would like an element of hope. Stephenson’s books have an element of hope in them. Why else read them? The book itself doesn’t seem to fit a dystopian struggle because there has not been an attempt to create a utopia prior to a fall, thus I would classify it as post-apocalyptic in the tradition of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. People are simply trying to survive in a future they had no power to stop. Granted, the apocalypse is hair loss, which should be funny but isn’t in the vain and consumer driven society that Tieryas created—there is your juvenalian satire. And I have to mention that there is a great deal of infinite sadness on the part of the main character, Nick, in Bald New World, who himself feels powerless to help anyone much less himself and feels caught up by circumstance, much like John the Savage in Brave New World. I have a great deal of respect for Huxley and his classic tale. I see elements of its influence in much science fiction, although the story left me profoundly disturbed. I love sci fi and I read a lot of it. Some of it leaves incredible impressions on me: A Canticle for Leibowitz, The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake, both by Margaret Atwood, and Stephenson’s Snow Crash and The Diamond Age, most recently Hugh Howey’s Silo series and Dust. The question remains: will Bald New World join them or will I work hard to forget it? I am not sure yet. Needless to say, there should be something more than faint praise for the novel, and I have to applaud the ending. It was perfect.
February 8, 2014
Having been thrilled by the imagination in "Watering Heaven," I was excited to see Peter Tieryas Liu was taking on a larger work. The play in the title on the canonical dystopian work by Huxley further stimulated my appetite. How would it be handled? Would it be playful? Would it be strange? Would it be dystopian? Yes, yes to all those things (other than the one that isn't a yes/no question). The world in this book is gripping and frightening, wonderfully speculative and at the same time just familiar enough that we could see how our world might get there. Dystopia has been done a lot, but no one has done it quite like Peter Tieryas Liu.
July 12, 2014
I'm impressed - what a believable and awful world this author has created, yet his protagonist, Nick Guan, remains oddly human and resiliant no matter what brutalities are thrust upon him. Really, if the future is going to be that bad (and I'm not talking about the bald thing) I 'm happy I won't be around for it. Unless, of course, reincarnation turns out to be true and then I'll probably be one of those office drones in the tiny stand-up cubicles getting docked for bathroom breaks that the author so blithely describes...
March 13, 2014
Thrilling, crazy, absurd, but in the end, surprisingly thoughtful and sad - I loved this book. I'm just floored right now.
June 20, 2014
So. This book. I loved it. I knew what it was about before I read it, but seriously, I did not know what to expect when I opened it. At the beginning, I was not convinced, but as the story went on, I came to be obsessed with the story and finding out what happens. I love the writing, that can be funny and terribly gut-wrenching at times. I'm definitely happy I came by this book.
This book was a wonderful experience. It makes you think, it takes you places, and that's what I love about all of it. So I would recommend it to anyone who likes scifi in general.
This book was a wonderful experience. It makes you think, it takes you places, and that's what I love about all of it. So I would recommend it to anyone who likes scifi in general.
June 3, 2014
In "Bald New World," author Peter Tieryas imagines a world where one day everyone wakes up and loses their hair. I've been looking forward to reading this book after I read Liu's "Watering Heaven," which I really loved. This book is a full length novel rather than short stories as "Watering Heaven" was but all of the elements that I loved about "Watering Heaven" are present and accounted for. I love a good sci fi tale and this definitely fit the bill. Liu is definitely one to watch when it comes to sci fi and dystopian tales.
World building is always really important to me when it comes to sci fi and this book has it in spades. I really appreciated the way that Liu was able to "normalize" some of the strange things in this book. First off, the book opens with our main character, Nick, waking up and discovering that he has lost all of his hair and he realizes very quickly that he's not the only one. Super weird, right? But Liu is able to do some fancy writing footwork to make this feel completely understandable. There is a lot of good detail that made it very easy to picture what was happening in the book. It reminded me again of Murakami's writing, one of my favorite masters of the extraordinary, high praise to be sure!
There is a lot to like about this book! This book also gives you a good chance for some armchair traveling. A lot of the book takes place in Korea, which I loved reading about. I loved all of the little details that brought the futuristic setting to life. It was subtle but really vivid at the same time. I also liked the writing style as I did with "Watering Heaven." This book is not just about the strange new world that Nick finds himself living in. There is also a great storyline about what Nick, himself, is going through in his personal life so this book has something more than just the sci fi/ dystopian angle! Overall, this is a great book if you're looking for sci fi with great detail!
World building is always really important to me when it comes to sci fi and this book has it in spades. I really appreciated the way that Liu was able to "normalize" some of the strange things in this book. First off, the book opens with our main character, Nick, waking up and discovering that he has lost all of his hair and he realizes very quickly that he's not the only one. Super weird, right? But Liu is able to do some fancy writing footwork to make this feel completely understandable. There is a lot of good detail that made it very easy to picture what was happening in the book. It reminded me again of Murakami's writing, one of my favorite masters of the extraordinary, high praise to be sure!
There is a lot to like about this book! This book also gives you a good chance for some armchair traveling. A lot of the book takes place in Korea, which I loved reading about. I loved all of the little details that brought the futuristic setting to life. It was subtle but really vivid at the same time. I also liked the writing style as I did with "Watering Heaven." This book is not just about the strange new world that Nick finds himself living in. There is also a great storyline about what Nick, himself, is going through in his personal life so this book has something more than just the sci fi/ dystopian angle! Overall, this is a great book if you're looking for sci fi with great detail!
March 4, 2014
Bald New World is a perfect blend of
boundless sci-fi, humor, and pathos. After everyone in the world loses their hair (reason never fully disclosed, but theories abound), society changes, humanity undergoes shifts in character, stability and economics.
Suddenly, wig manufacturing is the world's greatest commodity.
Peter Tieryas Xiu's novel is told in first person, following along with an eccentric filmmaker, ex-soldier, and "cricket fighter" who is on a journey to solve not only the mysteries of the radically changed world around him, but his own life.
What we get is a blend of Bladerunner perhaps as retold by Joel and Ethan Coen. The inventive writing is well done, and will satisfy lit. fiction kids of all shapes and sizes, as well as sci-fi fans who may or may not have seen it all. There's depth to the characters and a true hero's journey to the story arc that is satisfying in ways that many books strive for but fall short.
Bald New World is a refreshing book, with sci-fi elements that are gleefully exciting, especially when juxtaposed with the endless pursuit of love in a deeply dystopian society, which is something seldom seen. There's enough heart in this book for ten others.
It goes like this: the world is polluted beyond reason, gas masks absolutely required if one goes outside, bulletproof vests and armor necessary to go outside ... But still, our narrator is searching for love wherever he can find it, even playing 'the dating scene' you could call it, with North Korean spies, wig manufacturing secretaries, nurses, the list goes on and on.
In truth, I read this book on an airplane from Seattle to New York City and as a result had one of the nicest flights I can recall.
boundless sci-fi, humor, and pathos. After everyone in the world loses their hair (reason never fully disclosed, but theories abound), society changes, humanity undergoes shifts in character, stability and economics.
Suddenly, wig manufacturing is the world's greatest commodity.
Peter Tieryas Xiu's novel is told in first person, following along with an eccentric filmmaker, ex-soldier, and "cricket fighter" who is on a journey to solve not only the mysteries of the radically changed world around him, but his own life.
What we get is a blend of Bladerunner perhaps as retold by Joel and Ethan Coen. The inventive writing is well done, and will satisfy lit. fiction kids of all shapes and sizes, as well as sci-fi fans who may or may not have seen it all. There's depth to the characters and a true hero's journey to the story arc that is satisfying in ways that many books strive for but fall short.
Bald New World is a refreshing book, with sci-fi elements that are gleefully exciting, especially when juxtaposed with the endless pursuit of love in a deeply dystopian society, which is something seldom seen. There's enough heart in this book for ten others.
It goes like this: the world is polluted beyond reason, gas masks absolutely required if one goes outside, bulletproof vests and armor necessary to go outside ... But still, our narrator is searching for love wherever he can find it, even playing 'the dating scene' you could call it, with North Korean spies, wig manufacturing secretaries, nurses, the list goes on and on.
In truth, I read this book on an airplane from Seattle to New York City and as a result had one of the nicest flights I can recall.
May 12, 2014
Peter Tieryas Liu's brilliant new book BALD NEW WORLD is a phantasmagorical, futuristic fun~ride ~ and not just for the follically challenged !!! So chock full of involving characters in warp speed twists, turns, gripping circumstances, intriguing settings and plaintive planes of existence, I dare you to put it down ! Crisp dialogue. Metaphors as sharp as Voodoo pins. Thoroughly absorbing. The author is so clever, I was hooked two pages into the Prologue !!!! If you're looking for a GREAT SUMMER READ, this is it (but once you open it, you won't make it halfway to Memorial Day !!).
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION !!!!! 5 STARS *****
P.S. IF YOU DON'T BUY THIS BOOK...THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU !
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION !!!!! 5 STARS *****
P.S. IF YOU DON'T BUY THIS BOOK...THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU !
June 5, 2014
I have not added this book to any shelves because I have no categories for it! It's entirely its own thing, imagining a world where everyone has lost their hair due to an inexplicable event known as Great Baldification. But that's only the start of the weirdness here--everything's just a little bit off, a satire that hits on everything, the humor deadpan and covered by layers of grief and disaffection. My favorite scenes involved cricket fighting, where humans dive into cricket psyches to operate their bodies, resulting in a blurring of human-cricket boundaries--with a gambling subculture emerging around it. Then there's hair farming, spies, and wig moguls--terrorism at the wig factory--weird, wild, fun struck through with social commentary.
February 26, 2015
Wow! Enjoyed every word of "Bald New World". It's well written, suspenseful, funny, unique, layered, and entertaining. It's a future that could easily be envisioned from having to endure 3D pop up ads in a waiting room unless you are willing to pay for an ad-free wait, to the United States turning into a lawless dystopia.
The story doesn't really need to be broken down by me, just read the book, you'll be glad you picked it up.
I received an autographed copy from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, and I'm glad I did.
The story doesn't really need to be broken down by me, just read the book, you'll be glad you picked it up.
I received an autographed copy from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, and I'm glad I did.
February 6, 2014
so good it made my hair fall out.
February 6, 2014
Such a brilliant book. Lots of fun, inventive, and deeply felt. Definitely one of the best things I'll read in 2014.
Full review coming soon at Electric literature.
Full review coming soon at Electric literature.
April 3, 2016
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/0...
Premise:
In the prologue of this book we are introduced to our main character at the age of 11, when the phenomenon dubbed the Great Baldification occurred.
In present day, our 36 year old Nick has a love of cameras, and makes is living trying to beautify baldness. He makes movies alongside his friend Larry, a filthy rich guy who seems to have no limit when looking for thrills, if they involve pretty girls.
So as we follow Nick and Larry around, through China and America, we are taken on an adventure which will take some quite grisly contours. What caused the Great Baldification? How exactly did it affect world culture? How did it change vanity, for instance?
The book poses these questions and many more.
Synopsis:
It is way too long. It didn't need all those testimonies; it was sufficient to mention the prizes it won/was nominated for. The description of the book itself is well achieved; it doesn't say too much, but still serves to pique the reader's interest. That and the cover is what caught my attention, not the wall of a couple of people's opinions, no matter how 'important' they are.
Writing:
The writing is generally very good. There were a few words I did not know, which served to increase my vocabulary (yay for Kindle dictionary!), but even without looking them up I could mostly tell their meaning by the context. So it was clear, engaging writing.
I must admit I found the opening line quite powerful, as well as the events which followed. I did think that the prologue should have stopped at that time, instead of jumping forward 25 years.
I also think the chapters should have been shorter; even though they were subdivided, it would have been better for easier navigational purposes around the e-book.
World Development:
This is the real strength of the book.
While I could have used some more background info on how the world got the way it was when Nick was 11, the world development after that was very, very good. When I got through the first couple of chapters I was completely baffled by what I was reading but could totally see it happening in the future, and more interesting titbits are revealed throughout the book.
I am not going to tell you much because I don't like writing spoilers, but what I will tell you is that this dystopia takes place in a world unlike any other I have read in a long, long time, if ever. The world has not regressed to its more natural state; nope, there's plenty of technology and pollution and the way we are taken on this trip is completely believable.
Characters
Overall the characters were pretty well developed, but mostly the main ones. We got to know why they were the way they were, and the information was fed quite well. There was some repetitiveness, particularly about Linda, but it was not too overwhelming.
After chapter 5 or so I started to experience some bumps on the road, particularly with Nick. But soon enough the book had grasped me again.
Plot:
This is what ended up lowering my rating. While I was completely enthralled by the writing and world creation, some things did feel off character and rushed, especially the last chapter. It was sort of like watching a blockbuster movie - the glitzy effects distract you from plot. There is a lot I would have like seen explained and to which I did not get enough closure.
Also, when I am reading a book, for it to completely grip me I have to feel what the character is feeling, that his or her actions make complete sense and I would make the same decisions. I did not feel that here one too many times. The plot would deviate to a direction I did not feel made much sense, especially because there were better alternatives.
Final thoughts:
I think I have been unknowingly avoiding literature with eastern influences for fear of not getting it, that it would be too out there for me. Peter Tieryas Liu turned out to be the perfect author for me, because he meshes eastern and western influences so brilliantly, and I will definitely want to dig my nails into the rest of his work.
While I initially thought I would be giving this book 5 stars but ended up having to lower it because I did finish it feeling a tad disappointed, the fact is this author's imagination completely blew me away. I have no idea how he thought of some of the things in this book, but I can totally see them happening, the way the world is headed.
And the cricket fights... Boy, the cricket fights!! Who am I kidding, that is probably mostly why I decided to round the rating up instead of down, since GR does not do half stars.
That and because I was so impressed by the writing, the setting and the fact that this book is just so thought provoking. Despite the disappointing parts, it was still a rollercoaster of emotions, so I recommend that you read it.
For more specifics on what I felt disappointed about please read the spoilers in Book Lair's buddy read of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....
I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Premise:
In the prologue of this book we are introduced to our main character at the age of 11, when the phenomenon dubbed the Great Baldification occurred.
In present day, our 36 year old Nick has a love of cameras, and makes is living trying to beautify baldness. He makes movies alongside his friend Larry, a filthy rich guy who seems to have no limit when looking for thrills, if they involve pretty girls.
So as we follow Nick and Larry around, through China and America, we are taken on an adventure which will take some quite grisly contours. What caused the Great Baldification? How exactly did it affect world culture? How did it change vanity, for instance?
The book poses these questions and many more.
Synopsis:
It is way too long. It didn't need all those testimonies; it was sufficient to mention the prizes it won/was nominated for. The description of the book itself is well achieved; it doesn't say too much, but still serves to pique the reader's interest. That and the cover is what caught my attention, not the wall of a couple of people's opinions, no matter how 'important' they are.
Writing:
The writing is generally very good. There were a few words I did not know, which served to increase my vocabulary (yay for Kindle dictionary!), but even without looking them up I could mostly tell their meaning by the context. So it was clear, engaging writing.
I must admit I found the opening line quite powerful, as well as the events which followed. I did think that the prologue should have stopped at that time, instead of jumping forward 25 years.
I also think the chapters should have been shorter; even though they were subdivided, it would have been better for easier navigational purposes around the e-book.
World Development:
This is the real strength of the book.
While I could have used some more background info on how the world got the way it was when Nick was 11, the world development after that was very, very good. When I got through the first couple of chapters I was completely baffled by what I was reading but could totally see it happening in the future, and more interesting titbits are revealed throughout the book.
I am not going to tell you much because I don't like writing spoilers, but what I will tell you is that this dystopia takes place in a world unlike any other I have read in a long, long time, if ever. The world has not regressed to its more natural state; nope, there's plenty of technology and pollution and the way we are taken on this trip is completely believable.
Characters
Overall the characters were pretty well developed, but mostly the main ones. We got to know why they were the way they were, and the information was fed quite well. There was some repetitiveness, particularly about Linda, but it was not too overwhelming.
After chapter 5 or so I started to experience some bumps on the road, particularly with Nick. But soon enough the book had grasped me again.
Plot:
This is what ended up lowering my rating. While I was completely enthralled by the writing and world creation, some things did feel off character and rushed, especially the last chapter. It was sort of like watching a blockbuster movie - the glitzy effects distract you from plot. There is a lot I would have like seen explained and to which I did not get enough closure.
Also, when I am reading a book, for it to completely grip me I have to feel what the character is feeling, that his or her actions make complete sense and I would make the same decisions. I did not feel that here one too many times. The plot would deviate to a direction I did not feel made much sense, especially because there were better alternatives.
Final thoughts:
I think I have been unknowingly avoiding literature with eastern influences for fear of not getting it, that it would be too out there for me. Peter Tieryas Liu turned out to be the perfect author for me, because he meshes eastern and western influences so brilliantly, and I will definitely want to dig my nails into the rest of his work.
While I initially thought I would be giving this book 5 stars but ended up having to lower it because I did finish it feeling a tad disappointed, the fact is this author's imagination completely blew me away. I have no idea how he thought of some of the things in this book, but I can totally see them happening, the way the world is headed.
And the cricket fights... Boy, the cricket fights!! Who am I kidding, that is probably mostly why I decided to round the rating up instead of down, since GR does not do half stars.
That and because I was so impressed by the writing, the setting and the fact that this book is just so thought provoking. Despite the disappointing parts, it was still a rollercoaster of emotions, so I recommend that you read it.
For more specifics on what I felt disappointed about please read the spoilers in Book Lair's buddy read of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....
I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 1, 2015
First thing I'd like to do after reading this book is thanking the author for writing a book taking place in China, but not about China. I have read very little of those, and it's the first one I am reading were the author is clearly comfortable with both Western and Eastern world. I am thanking him because, as a mixed-blood person, it is the first time I recognize my environment in a story, and I loved it. When I say that I recognize my environment, it's not the exact detail of streets or details such as this, but the feeling that I got out of it. This book felt like eating a kaoya followed by a burger, or going from Christmas to Chinese New Year, which is my everyday life, and I am glad of finally seeing someone using it as his playground.
But despite this familiarity, Peter Tieryas Liu still manages to create a fantastic - at time even phantasmagorical - world. It's at the same time totally burlesque and yet totally believable. I could totally see our world go this way, even without the Baldification. Ads directly streaming into your eyes, that you can't opt out unless you want to pay extra cab fares (I'm still shuddering at this thought and I am so glad that I can turn off the ads in taxis here - yes, you have video ads in taxis in Shanghai)? Plastic surgery being cheaper than orange juice? Jesus, super-hero of an action serial, fighting for rating with a porn star? Those are all genius and terrible omens.
Other details are great fun. Each time I read the name of Larry's company, Chao Toufa, which literally means Chao's Hair, I was reading chou toufu, which means stinky toufu. I wonder if this was intentional or not, and I think it might actually have been an adequate name for the company. I loved the cricket fights and it looks like I am not the only one. The world created by Peter Tieryas Liu abounds with such great finds.
But despite the light tone and fun of the story, we can also read this book as a caution for the excesses of our world and the ravages of vanity.
The story is also quite nice, even though I didn't find it as complex and neat as the worldbuilding. It was still fun to follow the adventures of Nick and Larry, that appears at first like such loafers, but are actually more capable than what they look like. And they will need all their resources to navigate the perils set in front of them.
The characters are all very humans, with their highlights and defaults, and it is fairly easy to identify with them.
The style is fluid, making this book an easy and enthralling read. It was hard to put it down after I started it.
All in all, this book was a really nice surprise, and I can only warmly recommend it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.
But despite this familiarity, Peter Tieryas Liu still manages to create a fantastic - at time even phantasmagorical - world. It's at the same time totally burlesque and yet totally believable. I could totally see our world go this way, even without the Baldification. Ads directly streaming into your eyes, that you can't opt out unless you want to pay extra cab fares (I'm still shuddering at this thought and I am so glad that I can turn off the ads in taxis here - yes, you have video ads in taxis in Shanghai)? Plastic surgery being cheaper than orange juice? Jesus, super-hero of an action serial, fighting for rating with a porn star? Those are all genius and terrible omens.
Other details are great fun. Each time I read the name of Larry's company, Chao Toufa, which literally means Chao's Hair, I was reading chou toufu, which means stinky toufu. I wonder if this was intentional or not, and I think it might actually have been an adequate name for the company. I loved the cricket fights and it looks like I am not the only one. The world created by Peter Tieryas Liu abounds with such great finds.
But despite the light tone and fun of the story, we can also read this book as a caution for the excesses of our world and the ravages of vanity.
The story is also quite nice, even though I didn't find it as complex and neat as the worldbuilding. It was still fun to follow the adventures of Nick and Larry, that appears at first like such loafers, but are actually more capable than what they look like. And they will need all their resources to navigate the perils set in front of them.
The characters are all very humans, with their highlights and defaults, and it is fairly easy to identify with them.
The style is fluid, making this book an easy and enthralling read. It was hard to put it down after I started it.
All in all, this book was a really nice surprise, and I can only warmly recommend it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.
March 15, 2014
I was so lucky to get an advance copy of this novel. I will say honestly that I don't typically read this genre, but I absolutely loved this. Peter Tieryas is at his world-building, character developing, creative best here with this weird, disturbing, original and imaginative work. All the skill that was evidenced in his short story collection, Watering Heaven, is at work here, only with more space Tieryas gives his imagination free rein. Others have done a great job of summarizing the story, so I won't do that here.
In the first line of the prologue we are given the set-up: "I was eleven when everyone in the world lost their hair." The story unfolds from there, structured in titled chapters and sections within chapters. The writing itself is crisp, vivid and fast paced, with the same strong characters and sharp dialogue from the stories in Watering Heaven.
The world Tieryas creates here is so fully imagined and wrought that the reader is there, from page one, completely immersed in this strange (and bald) new world. This is a tremendous accomplishment in a relatively slim novel. This is a world of "Image Facilitation" and cricket fighting, where "man boobs" is a new sad reality show, and cryogenic healing.
But for me, dystopian tales only truly work when they have two things going for them: heart and a sense of humor. Both are here in full measure. Looking back through the book there are so many lines and paragraphs that I highlighted. Here are just a few:
"What if the earth collapses tomorrow? What if a thousand year winter arrives? What if some plague wipes out half of humanity? We're living dinosaurs, man. We'll be dead anyways. Enjoy what you got."
"Climatologists speculated the capricious weather swings in L.A. were just part of the mood swings the earth underwent after both poles melted...New York was a sea city with underwater tours of the old ruins. Greenland was now a tropical resort."
This is a fast and entertaining read. HIghly recommended.
In the first line of the prologue we are given the set-up: "I was eleven when everyone in the world lost their hair." The story unfolds from there, structured in titled chapters and sections within chapters. The writing itself is crisp, vivid and fast paced, with the same strong characters and sharp dialogue from the stories in Watering Heaven.
The world Tieryas creates here is so fully imagined and wrought that the reader is there, from page one, completely immersed in this strange (and bald) new world. This is a tremendous accomplishment in a relatively slim novel. This is a world of "Image Facilitation" and cricket fighting, where "man boobs" is a new sad reality show, and cryogenic healing.
But for me, dystopian tales only truly work when they have two things going for them: heart and a sense of humor. Both are here in full measure. Looking back through the book there are so many lines and paragraphs that I highlighted. Here are just a few:
"What if the earth collapses tomorrow? What if a thousand year winter arrives? What if some plague wipes out half of humanity? We're living dinosaurs, man. We'll be dead anyways. Enjoy what you got."
"Climatologists speculated the capricious weather swings in L.A. were just part of the mood swings the earth underwent after both poles melted...New York was a sea city with underwater tours of the old ruins. Greenland was now a tropical resort."
This is a fast and entertaining read. HIghly recommended.
December 14, 2014
It’s hard to imagine something as deceptively simple as globally affected hair loss as being as galvanizing as it’s shown here, but with some thought, I’d believe it. Hair is something we take for granted. It keeps our heads nice and warm, but in this day and age functions more like a social accessory. Hair, or lack of, is integral to one’s image and, to a larger extent, identity. Surely people riot for less.
To coif or not to coif; the people in Bald New World had no choice. Nick Guan, a cinematographer, is given a rather carefree life by virtue of his close association with a wig mogul turned amateur director. When things take a turn for the worse, he is put thorough pressures that sends seeping from deep inside the tune “Paranoia, paranoia, paranoia…”
Based on the acknowledgements page, I can’t help but wonder whether this is one of those books where the author identifies with the main character, going as far as to graft his psyche into the narrative as a means of emotional immolation or a soul-cleansing immersion of imagined tribulations. Nick Guan is Peter Tieryas Liu and Peter Tieryas Liu is Nick Guan. The themes that scintillate from that simple, endearing acknowledgment flickers throughout the book to culminate in an overriding conceit filled with shame and self-loathing.
This book shines when Liu shows off his writing chops when he departs from Guan’s continual personal melodramatics to describe the dystopian landscape, from the neon drowned Korean Noir imagery to decadent interior designs. You might want to be grateful Bald New World is a fiction because I don’t think our image obsessed culture would survive a global liquidation of follicles. On the other hand… maybe it’s just what we need.
To coif or not to coif; the people in Bald New World had no choice. Nick Guan, a cinematographer, is given a rather carefree life by virtue of his close association with a wig mogul turned amateur director. When things take a turn for the worse, he is put thorough pressures that sends seeping from deep inside the tune “Paranoia, paranoia, paranoia…”
Based on the acknowledgements page, I can’t help but wonder whether this is one of those books where the author identifies with the main character, going as far as to graft his psyche into the narrative as a means of emotional immolation or a soul-cleansing immersion of imagined tribulations. Nick Guan is Peter Tieryas Liu and Peter Tieryas Liu is Nick Guan. The themes that scintillate from that simple, endearing acknowledgment flickers throughout the book to culminate in an overriding conceit filled with shame and self-loathing.
This book shines when Liu shows off his writing chops when he departs from Guan’s continual personal melodramatics to describe the dystopian landscape, from the neon drowned Korean Noir imagery to decadent interior designs. You might want to be grateful Bald New World is a fiction because I don’t think our image obsessed culture would survive a global liquidation of follicles. On the other hand… maybe it’s just what we need.
February 8, 2014
It has everything I've loved about the author. Its funny, sad, dark, twisted, happy, and full of bald people wearing wigs. I felt so sad for what Nick suffers. The book had me thinking about whats important in life and what people would be like without hair. Hopefully, nicer to each other.
May 5, 2014
i received this book for free through Goodreads first reads.
Brilliant, funny, intriguing. I don't have any more words to describe this marvelous piece of art. Yes art, cause to make somebody laugh and feel good it's an art and this book did this and more.
Brilliant, funny, intriguing. I don't have any more words to describe this marvelous piece of art. Yes art, cause to make somebody laugh and feel good it's an art and this book did this and more.
June 13, 2014
techno-Orientalist/ cyberpunk Asia and riffing off of Aldous Huxley = gold
January 24, 2014
I was lucky enough to get an advance reading of Bald New World and it's amazing! After experiencing Watering Heaven, and it's diverse flavors, I wasn't sure what to expect from Peter's debut novel. I was completely taken by surprise - it's got all the humor, complexity and strangeness that marks his short stories, but here you're taken to new places, new adventures in what is an exciting whirlwind tour of mystery and intrigue. And did I mention how funny it is?? the character's are fantastic and it's an amazing joyride. It's his best work yet! congratulations Peter. I'm dying to get my hands on the final copy!
May 1, 2014
When our socially-constructed identities wilt away, leaving us blind and bald, what are we left with to help define the person, the people, we've become?
Read
February 1, 2021Sometimes, we have to build our own family, searching for the right friends and partners, building something real, and healthy, and making what we need from the world.
February 7, 2015
This book is the reason I keep poking at new literature, both from a cultural standpoint and a health standpoint.
Regarding Korea/China/&c, that is the culture highway.
Regarding seizures and mental collapse, that is the health highway.
These are exactly the things I have had to deal with, all four. My sister went to Korea for five weeks, I went to China for five weeks, I've been living in the realm of international relations, and "read 'til you drop" is a possible cause of the initial seizure, and anyway I always find something too exciting to keep me from resting.
The allusion to Brave New World the title makes is warranted in my opinion, for I really do think this novel has a similar quality. Maybe quantity, too, I don't remember exactly.
I was expecting this novel to focus on the practical issues with having no hair, such as warmth, as, after all North Korea is not as warm as China, as far as I can tell.
Oh no, my current mental state makes this review especially hard to explain! As, um, I just had a seizure last month, so the whizzing confusions all around still bewilder me.
But I really want to let you know, the hype about this book is valid, if it exists. Paging through the advance praise, it seems to!
The problem is that this is an adult book, so it's not exactly appropriate for everyone: particularly dealing with varied women characters such as Rebecca and the nurse who seem to be there just to be the sexual fantasy, and how insensitively it details disgusting things people exude such as vomit, which is the lesser I'll mention.
However, if you want to see what I've been reading the past couple of days almost exclusively, then read this novel!
My favourite part is the TV show that the nurses like called Jesus the General. It describes the religious fervour either so accurately or so hilariously that it cracks up even the most religious people I have told.
What I didn't like is how uncomfortable I felt when Tieryas Liu described so close to what going through a seizure feels like. It made me cry, but again, I am exactly not at maximum mental health right now.
Regarding Korea/China/&c, that is the culture highway.
Regarding seizures and mental collapse, that is the health highway.
These are exactly the things I have had to deal with, all four. My sister went to Korea for five weeks, I went to China for five weeks, I've been living in the realm of international relations, and "read 'til you drop" is a possible cause of the initial seizure, and anyway I always find something too exciting to keep me from resting.
The allusion to Brave New World the title makes is warranted in my opinion, for I really do think this novel has a similar quality. Maybe quantity, too, I don't remember exactly.
I was expecting this novel to focus on the practical issues with having no hair, such as warmth, as, after all North Korea is not as warm as China, as far as I can tell.
Oh no, my current mental state makes this review especially hard to explain! As, um, I just had a seizure last month, so the whizzing confusions all around still bewilder me.
But I really want to let you know, the hype about this book is valid, if it exists. Paging through the advance praise, it seems to!
The problem is that this is an adult book, so it's not exactly appropriate for everyone: particularly dealing with varied women characters such as Rebecca and the nurse who seem to be there just to be the sexual fantasy, and how insensitively it details disgusting things people exude such as vomit, which is the lesser I'll mention.
However, if you want to see what I've been reading the past couple of days almost exclusively, then read this novel!
My favourite part is the TV show that the nurses like called Jesus the General. It describes the religious fervour either so accurately or so hilariously that it cracks up even the most religious people I have told.
What I didn't like is how uncomfortable I felt when Tieryas Liu described so close to what going through a seizure feels like. It made me cry, but again, I am exactly not at maximum mental health right now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2014
Disclaimer: I was provided with an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
“I was eleven when everyone in the world lost their hair”
I love books with a strong beginning, and Bald New World is definitely one among its kind. It is also proof that, when a writer know their trade, they can extract a fantastic journey from seemingly inane premises: what if, from one minute to the next, everyone became bald? On paper, it may sound boring, or (even worse!) elicit nothing more than vague indifference. But, as I soon found out, when this premise is being presented by Mr Liu, it becomes so much more. It becomes a story about family, and damaged people , and a damning society. A story about treason, pride, and unexpected horrors. A story with a world so well crafted it’s insanely addictive to learn more about it, and it’s delightful and strange quirks such as cricket fighting, sex holograms, armored wigs and Jesus the General. And, in the end, it becomes a story about freedom.
One of the best reads I’ve had this year, and one I would heartily recommend to anyone looking for a pleasant surprise.
“I was eleven when everyone in the world lost their hair”
I love books with a strong beginning, and Bald New World is definitely one among its kind. It is also proof that, when a writer know their trade, they can extract a fantastic journey from seemingly inane premises: what if, from one minute to the next, everyone became bald? On paper, it may sound boring, or (even worse!) elicit nothing more than vague indifference. But, as I soon found out, when this premise is being presented by Mr Liu, it becomes so much more. It becomes a story about family, and damaged people , and a damning society. A story about treason, pride, and unexpected horrors. A story with a world so well crafted it’s insanely addictive to learn more about it, and it’s delightful and strange quirks such as cricket fighting, sex holograms, armored wigs and Jesus the General. And, in the end, it becomes a story about freedom.
One of the best reads I’ve had this year, and one I would heartily recommend to anyone looking for a pleasant surprise.
April 14, 2015
Insightful, scathing satire on celebrity, vanity and religious fanaticism that is filled with hilariously black humor, set in a future where an unknown catastrophe has caused everyone's hair to fall out.
Tieryas' beautifully evocative writing brings to vibrant life a future that is as bizarre as it is recognizable. His protagonist is well-drawn and his humanity shines through the dizzying array of madcap adventures he experiences.
Boldly imaginative and desperately anarchistic, Bald New World is an impressive accomplishment for author Teiryas and a brilliantly-realized example of edgy science-fiction.
Ranks among my favorite books I've discovered on Goodreads.
I'm looking forward to more for this author.
Tieryas' beautifully evocative writing brings to vibrant life a future that is as bizarre as it is recognizable. His protagonist is well-drawn and his humanity shines through the dizzying array of madcap adventures he experiences.
Boldly imaginative and desperately anarchistic, Bald New World is an impressive accomplishment for author Teiryas and a brilliantly-realized example of edgy science-fiction.
Ranks among my favorite books I've discovered on Goodreads.
I'm looking forward to more for this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews