My Dear You: Stories

by Rachel Khong

From the author of New York Times bestseller Real Americans , a brilliant short story collection about love, life, and the anguish of becoming oneself in a time when it’s so easy to be someone else

The characters in My Dear You find themselves facing extraordinary choices in scenarios that range from the everyday to the The U.S. government injects all citizens with a drug that makes them see everyone else as members of their own race and gender. God does away with humans in favor of something much better. A woman adopts a cat who conjures the ghosts of her ex-loves. A factory worker decides to liberate a sex doll she is tasked with selling.

These stories go deep beneath the surface, touching on the particular awkwardness of dating in your thirties and What does it mean to be an Asian woman in America? Or an American? Or a human? Along the way, the characters stop to consider interventions from the supernatural, the earthly, the robotic, and the immortal.

Playful, profane, and yet enveloped with profound compassion for life, however you define it, My Dear You takes on dating, marriage, and the pressures of having or not having children; intimacy, memory, race, and capitalism; living, dying, and being dead. At their very core, they are tales of love in its many being in love when you’re not supposed to be, or not being in love but wishing you were; failing at dating apps or finding yourself in weird but wonderful lifelong friendships; struggling in heaven to remember your loved ones.

Ranging from the sinister to the tender, these witty and expertly paced stories will have you laughing out loud one minute and reaching for your best friend the next.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

RACHEL KHONG is the author of the novels Real Americans, a New York Times bestseller, and Goodbye, Vitamin, winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction. From 2011 to 2016, she was an editor of Lucky Peach, a quarterly magazine of food and culture. In 2018, Rachel founded The Ruby, a work and event space for writers and artists in San Francisco’s Mission District. Her story collection, My Dear You, will be published by Knopf in April 2026. Since 2021, she has mentored emerging writers with the Periplus Mentorship Collective. With friends, she teaches as The Dream Side (www.thedreamside.com).

Reviews

[emma]

"a brilliant short story collection about love, life, and the anguish of becoming oneself in a time when it’s so easy to be someone else"

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one chokes me up every time. It makes a difference when the right people find each other. This is such a beautiful testament to that.

[Sophie Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was masterful from start to finish. Each short story tackled difficult themes in a playful surrealist way that I really enjoyed. I couldn't stop thinking about the last short story for days. Someone read this so I can talk about it!

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

There is always a remarkable economy of language in Rachel Khong's books. She doesn't waste any time—or any words—getting to the point, but she doesn't sacrifice artistry, either. Khong's generous affection for her characters and ability to capture mundane human moments and anxieties with uncommon grace and humor make her exactly the kind of writer whose novels have made me wonder what she'd do with short stories. I can't wait to find out. —Rebecca Joines Schinsky

[Marcus (Lit_Laugh_Luv)]

i'm a simple man... show me a forthcoming release with a pretty cover and it'll probably go on my TBR <3

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Rachel Khong, I was really excited to see this ARC offered. The stories were reminiscent of Ted Chiang’s sci-fi short stories but from a uniquely Asian female lens. Some of the stories I found so engaging I was disappointed when they ended. Overall, another great read from Rachel Khong. Thank you to the publisher for the ability to read this in advance!!

[Kiara Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Masterful short stories that highlight the challenging journey of finding yourself, in a time when it is very easy to not. It was playful and surrealist without skimping on depth. Highly recommend!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved. LOVED. Completely unexpected since I was expecting a novel but v pleasantly surprised.
The perfect combo of surreal/thought provoking. Excited for my friends to read it.

'"Samsara," Greg said. "Life as circular rather than linear."
I liked that: life as cyclical, not a straight line marked with stones. Or could there be more dimensions to it? In water, there wasn't only forward. There was down and up and through.'

[Bridget Sadenwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dear You is a captivating collection of short stories filled with fantastical, absurd, and even delightfully silly scenarios. Each story feels out of this world yet somehow deeply human. What I loved most was how every piece made me stop and reflect. I wondered what I would do in those situations. It’s the kind of book that stays with you and makes you want to journal your thoughts after each story. Thought-provoking and imaginative.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the arc.

[SH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Khong you are a visionary. This was weird and wonderful!!! Loved every second

[Stroop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten captivating short stories that explore identity, relationships, and ambition. Many of the stories are speculative (e.g., which animal will you choose if God decides there will be no more humans; how would you feel if you discovered you weren’t from Earth, etc.) and all of them are entertaining. I particularly enjoyed My Dear You, Slow and Steady, Serene, The Family O, Red Shoes, and D Day. Recommended to readers in the mood for a diverting, reflective, and thought-provoking read.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY DEAR YOU is a collection of odd, surreal and powerful short stories. Each one masterfully digs into what it means to be human, to love, and to change. I practically inhaled this, and will be thinking about these characters for a long time to come. Another incredible read from the one and only Rachel Khong.

Thank you to Knopf for the ARC!

[Annabella Sherman]

Mexico read! I like that these stories explore dating and meaning in your 30s. HELLO, it’s me!

Read on the beaches of Baja Mexico

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the ebook. This book of stories takes on serious ideas in many playful ways. It does it realistically, like when twenty Asian women band together to exact revenge on a white male who only dates Asian women on a dating app, to the more absurd, like when God gives humans a few months to pick another animal species, or when the government gives you a drug so that you see everyone as your own race and gender. It’s so much fun to see a novelist cut loose and have so much fun with short stories.

[Gabi Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liken short story collections to albums—and this one? No skips.

While a departure from her previous novel, every story in My Dear You is utterly fascinating, vibrating with an underlying hum of caution. Khong stitches together surreal, speculative tales that feel close enough to real life to make you squirm.

For fans of Black Mirror who can’t actually stomach Black Mirror, this is your sweet spot: eerie, emotional, and entirely human.

Thank you, Knopf, for an advanced copy!

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I requested to read this book I was unaware that it was a short story collection. I loved Rachel Khong's 2024 novel Real Americans and I thought this was her next novel. I was very inspired by and appreciated this story collection, which are united as they have different main characters but they are all asian women.

The stories range from the absurd, to the magical, to the beauty of every day. The first story is about a woman eaten by a crocodile on her honeymoon at age 30, and her life in heaven, only to fall for her husband of 1 day almost 50 years later. This story was very romantic. I also liked the story of a young woman who was the only friend of an AI sex doll, teaching her English and culture just by speaking to her. Then later feeling sad that she was going to be sold and have a new life in Cleveland. All of the stories were very emotional or raw. I love the internal dialogue and I found the characters to be quite lovable, while flawed. In one story the US government required everyone to take a vaccine that led everyone to see other people as their own race. What a fascinating concept!

If you rarely read short story collections, like me, I would encourage you to read My Dear You. What I really liked is that they didn't all have a defined "beginning - middle - end"- some were just an image, and I never knew when the story was going to end. Most of them I didn't want them to end, they left me wanting more, but in a good way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the ARC. Book to be published April 7, 2026.

[Beth Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️
Rachel Khong’s upcoming short story collection MY DEAR YOU has something for most readers: speculative fiction (particularly if you liked SHARK HEART!), stories about identity, and a few stories that are a bit spicy (revenge on a white man who fetishizes Asian women), and more! All of these stories have Asian female main characters.

My Dear You: 4⭐️Woman was eaten by a crocodile on her honeymoon and meets her husband again in heaven when he dies 50 years later

The Freshening: 4⭐️Enjoyed the concept of the government injecting you so that you see everyone as your race and gender, thought this would be better as long form

Slow and Steady: 5⭐️I loved this one and thought it was really interesting how these two people reconnected at age 35. (I think I like realistic fiction a bit more than speculative fiction.)

Tapetum Lucidum: 4⭐️A woman deals with infertility, adopts a cat, and sees other lives with the cat. (Back to speculative)

The Family O: 5⭐️Jess is on dating apps, and she gets involved with a new group of friends and realized they all dated a white guy who fetishized Asian women. They devise a revenge plan. (Realistic fiction is my jam.)

Serene: 4.5⭐️Ling works in a sex doll factory, and she finds a friend in the AI sex doll Serene.

Red Shoes: 3⭐️This is the only one that fell flat for me.

Good Spirits: 3.75⭐️Spirits are in the factory, explores friendship with Cecilia.

Colors from Elsewhere: 4⭐️When the main character experiences a miscarriage, she seeks out Eastern medicine and finds out something new about herself.

D Day: 5⭐️There’s an announcement that all humans will turn into the animal of their choice soon. A couple grapples what each will turn into - for fans of SHARK HEART.


Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes April 7, 2026.

[Jimmie Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a total whim - I hadn’t read anything by Rachel Khong before, and I don’t usually go for short stories. But something about this collection pulled me in… and I’m so glad it did.

These stories are so full of feeling - strange, beautiful, sometimes a little surreal - and they left me sitting with that quiet ache you get after finishing something that really hits you. I kept wanting each one to last longer, like I could’ve happily read a whole novel about every single story.

Some stories reminded me of Black Mirror (but softer, more tender). Others just kind of cracked something open in me.

Khong’s writing is gorgeous without trying too hard - it just lands. I immediately looked up her other work when I finished. I want more of her voice in my life.

One of the best things I’ve read this year. I’ll be thinking about these stories for a long time.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I am not a short story reader. There is just not enough heft for me to get invested. I really liked Rachel Khong's "Real Americans" and i thought there might be more here for me. And yes, I guess there was. I almost feel as if each of these stories was an exploratory exercise to see if there was enough there for a novel or novella. And there kind of isn't. These really are kind of bite-sited stories that stand-alone. There are some common themes that bind them -- the experience (and fetishing) of Asian American women, the longing for love (lost and maybe someday found), friendship, feelings of otherness, the meaning of life and the human experience, and the connection we may have to loved ones and others who have passed. I don't know that this is a must read, but it was a quick one and the stories were just quirky enough to keep me reading. This is a GENEROUS four-star review.

[Nuha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available April 2026

Fantastical, future-facing, and wholly original is how I would describe Rachel Khong's My Dear You. Although I've read her long-form work, this is the first time I'm encountering Khong's work in short story form. Each story centers around a female protagonist and explores our more unusual social mores and inclinations. A stand out for me was "Serene" about a worker in a doll store who falls in love with the doll she is training. Khong manages to find beauty and humor in the grotesque and lonely. Parts of this book may give you whiplash as Khong switches worlds in a matter of minutes.

[Dani Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from NetGalley & Knopf in exchange for my review.

I found this an overall enjoyable collection of short stories. The stories are connected by themes of speculative fiction and “what if” scenarios that stretch beyond reality. Some are better than others but I enjoyed them all. The perspective of the Chinese American experience is threaded into the majority of stories and provides a unique lens by layering it with the concepts of each story.

[Remi]

honestly, i just know that i'll have so much to reflect on after reading this

*thank you to Knopf for the ARC*

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun, interesting, and wildly unique set of short stories. the plotting is absolutely effective and, while at points some aspects don't land, in general it works. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

*well-written, easy to read
*multiple, fast-paced stories covering a multitude of scenarios
*kept my interest from cover to cover
*highly recommend

[Pete Hsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkably thoughtful and entertaining collection of mostly speculative short stories with lots of humor and good will despite delving into fraught subjects of race, misogyny, and objectification. Highly recommend for readers that love smart fiction but also want to have fun while reading it.

[xueyun · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved these stories. felt super seen as an asian woman. the first and last ones were my favorite. loved the writing throughout.

[victoria marie]

Not yet published • Expected 7 Apr 26

[Rachel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is the first book I'm finishing in 2026 but I'm gonna go ahead and state that this will probably be one of my top books of the year.

edit...like a week later with the rest of my review.

I originally finished this on January 2nd and I know that it was the first book I finished it 2026, but this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. A stunning short story collection that is something I can only describe as raw and haunting. The stories themselves are endearing, touching and human but the storytelling is fantastical, speculative, even silly; the contrast is done masterfully! In ways, I'd say it's similar to Black Mirror but generally less creepy and eerie.

Each story is one that begs to be reflected upon. There is so much substance; I could see myself reading this one again which I don't typically reread books.

[Cece · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most short story collections for me - some stories in here are hits and some were misses for me. It was enjoyable speculative fiction with a touch of whimsy and a dash of melancholic nihilism. The themes are important, almost at times to a silly degree of obviousness - but that made it all the more enjoyable from a lighthearted perspective. It was a fun time. It was tender, humorous, witty and absurd.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for my arc!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

the friends who, in the last minutes of their human lives, decided to do youtube karaoke together🥹