Trouble in Heaven (Journey to the West)

by Jeff Pepper

"Trouble In Heaven" is the second book in the "Journey to the West" series of stories by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. Other titles include "Rise of the Monkey King," "The Immortal Peaches" and "The Young Monk." Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, is one of most famous characters in Chinese literature and culture. His legendary bravery, his foolish mistakes, his sharp-tongued commentary and his yearning for immortality and spiritual knowledge have inspired hundreds of books, television shows, graphic novels, video games and films. In this book, the second story in the "Journey to the West" series, we cover the events of chapters 3 and 4 in the original epic. Things begin to unravel for Sun Wukong, as he starts to see the consequences of his outrageous actions. While trying to defend his troop of monkeys, he manages to offend the underwater Dragon King, the Dragon King's mother, all ten Kings of the Underworld, and the great Jade Emperor himself. Finally, goaded by a couple of troublemaking demons, he goes too far, calling himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and setting events in motion that will cause him some serious trouble. The story is written, as much as possible, using the 600 word vocabulary of HSK 3. It is presented in simplified Chinese characters and pinyin, and includes an English version and complete glossary. Additional study aids are on our website, www.imagin8press.com.

Genres: China

106 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1759

About the author

I'm a writer and publisher living in Verona Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. My company, Imagin8 Press, has published over 100 fiction and nonfiction books for people learning to read Chinese. Our best sellers are an innovative English translation of the Dao De Jing and a 31-volume retelling, in easy Chinese, of the classic novel Journey to the West.

I’m also a lifelong science fiction fan, and started writing sci-fi seriously in 2024. I am delighted that my short story, “Spaceship of Fools,” was accepted by Bewildering Stories. My first full-length sci-fi novel, “Ascent to the Sun,” was published in April 2025.

Before embarking on my current career, I was in the software business. I founded and led three successful companies: ServiceWare, which began in my basement and went public on the NASDAQ; Touchtown, which was acquire by Uniguest; and Tunescribers. I have a degree in computer science from Carnegie-Mellon University, where I taught an undergraduate course in computer programming.

When not sitting in front of a glowing screen, you can probably find me playing competitive pickleball.

Reviews

[Jaap Grolleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sun Wukong is a bit of a jerk, an idiot, and a power-drunk fool, but one who is easy to root for. It's amazing to read a story centuries old, as well as all in Chinese Hanzi characters. 哦耶！

[Viswanath Narayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

They're still good, but there are some cons

The pros:

Story's good. Beautiful illustrations. Easy to follow along, even if you don't know all the characters.

Cons:

I'd like longer stories. Also, I'd really love some more complex grammar. Even some 雖然 or 不管 action. It feels like the lack of complex grammar makes the emotion of the story a little one-note.

[Josh 谢翊杰 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Sun Wu Kong is very arrogant but has the power to back it up. He leaves everyone sweating and he get what he wants.

The Chinese is easy to follow with a lot of support for learners. Looking forward to the next volume!

[The Fool that doesn't belong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not expect it to be this funny LMAO! Like I burst out laughing so many times