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Tinhau Sequence #2
Diary of One Who Disappeared
The year is 2040 and an envoy of the North American Union finds himself a fugitive in the Southeast Asian island-nation of Tinhau.
Lucas Lehrer is tasked with extending the offer of political partnership to Tinhau's Ministry of Stability. When negotiations break down, he decides to request asylum, and soon encounters an odd series of coincidences in which his deep-seated desires start coming true. Among the backdrop of societal instability and growing nativism, he befriends a young woman who is not what she seems, and who may not be from our universe at all.
Lucas Lehrer is tasked with extending the offer of political partnership to Tinhau's Ministry of Stability. When negotiations break down, he decides to request asylum, and soon encounters an odd series of coincidences in which his deep-seated desires start coming true. Among the backdrop of societal instability and growing nativism, he befriends a young woman who is not what she seems, and who may not be from our universe at all.
- GenresScience Fiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 2019
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Jason Erik Lundberg
68 books164 followersJason Erik Lundberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has lived in Singapore since 2007. His latest publications are the novel A Fickle and Restless Weapon (2020), the related novella Diary of One Who Disappeared (2019, recipient of a Creation Grant from the National Arts Council of Singapore), and the "greatest hits" short fiction collection Most Excellent and Lamentable: Selected Stories (2019).
He is also the author of many other books for adults—including Red Dot Irreal (2011), The Alchemy of Happiness (2012), Strange Mammals (2013), and Embracing the Strange (2013); books for children—the bestselling six-book Bo Bo and Cha Cha picture book series (2012–2015) and Carol the Coral (2016); and more than a hundred short stories, articles, and book reviews. His writing has been translated into half a dozen languages, and seen publication in venues such as Mānoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, the Raleigh News & Observer, Farrago’s Wainscot, Hot Metal Bridge, Strange Horizons, Subterranean Magazine, The Third Alternative, Electric Velocipede, and many other places. His work has won the POPULAR Readers’ Choice Award, has been shortlisted for the SLF Fountain Award, Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction and SCBWI Crystal Kite Member Choice Award, and was honourably mentioned twice in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror.
For nearly twelve years, Lundberg was the fiction editor at Epigram Books, where he jump-started the Singaporean publisher's fiction line; many of the over 90 titles he edited there won multiple national awards, and made various year’s best lists. His authors include Boey Kim Cheng, Meihan Boey, Balli Kaur Jaswal, Amanda Lee Koe, Ng Yi-Sheng, Nuraliah Norasid, O Thiam Chin, Jeremy Tiang, Cyril Wong and Daryl Qilin Yam.
In addition, he is the founding editor of LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction (2012–2018), series editor for the award-winning biennial Best New Singaporean Short Stories anthology series (est. 2013), editor of Fish Eats Lion Redux (2022) and Fish Eats Lion (2012), and co-editor of A Field Guide to Surreal Botany (2008) and Scattered, Covered, Smothered (2004). From 2005–2008, he facilitated an occasional podcast called Lies and Little Deaths: A Virtual Anthology.
An active member in PEN America and a 2002 graduate of the prestigious Clarion Writers Workshop, Lundberg holds a Master's degree in creative writing from North Carolina State University. Furthermore, he was a 2025 Visiting Writer at the Asia Creative Writing Programme, and a 2023 International Writer-in-Residence at the Toji Cultural Foundation Residency Program in South Korea. He has served as a prose mentor with the Creative Arts Programme and Ceriph Mentorship Programme, and he currently lectures on contemporary publishing, editorial theory & practice, and creative writing at Nanyang Technological University.
He is also the author of many other books for adults—including Red Dot Irreal (2011), The Alchemy of Happiness (2012), Strange Mammals (2013), and Embracing the Strange (2013); books for children—the bestselling six-book Bo Bo and Cha Cha picture book series (2012–2015) and Carol the Coral (2016); and more than a hundred short stories, articles, and book reviews. His writing has been translated into half a dozen languages, and seen publication in venues such as Mānoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, the Raleigh News & Observer, Farrago’s Wainscot, Hot Metal Bridge, Strange Horizons, Subterranean Magazine, The Third Alternative, Electric Velocipede, and many other places. His work has won the POPULAR Readers’ Choice Award, has been shortlisted for the SLF Fountain Award, Brenda L. Smart Award for Short Fiction and SCBWI Crystal Kite Member Choice Award, and was honourably mentioned twice in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror.
For nearly twelve years, Lundberg was the fiction editor at Epigram Books, where he jump-started the Singaporean publisher's fiction line; many of the over 90 titles he edited there won multiple national awards, and made various year’s best lists. His authors include Boey Kim Cheng, Meihan Boey, Balli Kaur Jaswal, Amanda Lee Koe, Ng Yi-Sheng, Nuraliah Norasid, O Thiam Chin, Jeremy Tiang, Cyril Wong and Daryl Qilin Yam.
In addition, he is the founding editor of LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction (2012–2018), series editor for the award-winning biennial Best New Singaporean Short Stories anthology series (est. 2013), editor of Fish Eats Lion Redux (2022) and Fish Eats Lion (2012), and co-editor of A Field Guide to Surreal Botany (2008) and Scattered, Covered, Smothered (2004). From 2005–2008, he facilitated an occasional podcast called Lies and Little Deaths: A Virtual Anthology.
An active member in PEN America and a 2002 graduate of the prestigious Clarion Writers Workshop, Lundberg holds a Master's degree in creative writing from North Carolina State University. Furthermore, he was a 2025 Visiting Writer at the Asia Creative Writing Programme, and a 2023 International Writer-in-Residence at the Toji Cultural Foundation Residency Program in South Korea. He has served as a prose mentor with the Creative Arts Programme and Ceriph Mentorship Programme, and he currently lectures on contemporary publishing, editorial theory & practice, and creative writing at Nanyang Technological University.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 20, 2019
“Lundberg has the enviable talent of achieving emotionally resonant effects within just a few pages.” –The Guardian
“Lundberg explores the randomness of magical occurrences and how a life without magic can be just as deadening as it is safe.” –The Green Man Review
“A richly-detailed and satisfying story of dissolution and discovery, set in a near-future reality where the question of what makes us human is paramount. Against larger political concerns, a smaller and more searing narrative unfolds, about a man who is lost and found in places that are found and lost. Within the pages of this book are insights on the human heart, serene and devastating in its truth-telling.” –Dean Francis Alfar, Palanca Grand Prize-winning author of Salamanca and The Field Guide to the Roads of Manila
“A fascinating journey of adventure and ideas, capturing many of the political and geopolitical issues of today. Evocative and effective.” –Jeffrey Ford, World Fantasy Award-wining author of Ahab's Return
“A story of interpersonal and international politics, a haunting exploration of how one defines and redefines oneself, a thriller and a human tale of personal growth. If you are looking for intelligent, thought-provoking speculative fiction, board the airship from the repressive North American Union to cosmopolitan Tinhau. Readers of thoughtful, humane fiction are in for a treat.” –John Kessel, Nebula Award-winning author of The Moon and the Other
“A fantastic tale of the possibility of revolution—both personal and political—inherent in every moment.” –Ken Liu, Hugo Award-winning author of The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
“A riveting, poignant account of a man's world falling apart and the new one he creates for himself. As much a dark reflection of our own world today, it's also a cautionary tale of the possible futures we can yet avoid. Surprising and thought-provoking, Lundberg's striking milieu and engaging characters will linger with readers long after they turn the last page.” –E.C. Myers, Andre Norton Award-winning author of Fair Coin, Quantum Coin and The Silence of Six
“A striking new way of seeing Singapore, the USA and the emigrant experience in an age of renewed bigotry and environmental disaster.” –Ng Yi-Sheng, Singapore Literature Prize-winning author of Lion City
“A wildly inventive epistolary narrative that’s equal parts 1984, The Twilight Zone, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, and Claremont-era X-Men. Lose yourself in a world where digital technology collides with airships, phlogiston cannon, pirates and tesseracts; and where love or loss may be…just an alternate universe away.” –Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, Romeo Forbes Award-winning author of The Infinite Library and Other Stories
“Set in a not-so-distant future, this book offers a reflection of our global politics today and provokes questions of what it means to be human. Through diary entries and letters, we witness hope, grief and disappointment amid the persistence and failure of imperialism. We are reminded of the political potentials of speculative fiction, but most of all, Diary of One Who Disappeared is about a journey. It is a story of travel and transformation, a contemplation of encounters and the roads not taken.” –Intan Paramaditha, PEN Translates Award-winning author of Apple and Knife
“Through communiqués, missives and the common email, relationships unfold and splinter within a futuristic world ruled by religiosity and prejudice, mirroring our present-day political climate in terrifying but revelatory ways. Diary of One Who Disappeared also convincingly offers a morality tale about how the ramifications of our actions and thoughts, even our unconscious desires, extend beyond the realm of our known universe.” –Cyril Wong, Singapore Literature Prize-winning author of Ten Things My Father Never Taught Me
“Lundberg’s world-building is constructed from the inside out, ideas wrapped around an underlying architecture of emotion. A smart, engaging voice.” –Charles Yu, celebrated author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
“Lundberg explores the randomness of magical occurrences and how a life without magic can be just as deadening as it is safe.” –The Green Man Review
“A richly-detailed and satisfying story of dissolution and discovery, set in a near-future reality where the question of what makes us human is paramount. Against larger political concerns, a smaller and more searing narrative unfolds, about a man who is lost and found in places that are found and lost. Within the pages of this book are insights on the human heart, serene and devastating in its truth-telling.” –Dean Francis Alfar, Palanca Grand Prize-winning author of Salamanca and The Field Guide to the Roads of Manila
“A fascinating journey of adventure and ideas, capturing many of the political and geopolitical issues of today. Evocative and effective.” –Jeffrey Ford, World Fantasy Award-wining author of Ahab's Return
“A story of interpersonal and international politics, a haunting exploration of how one defines and redefines oneself, a thriller and a human tale of personal growth. If you are looking for intelligent, thought-provoking speculative fiction, board the airship from the repressive North American Union to cosmopolitan Tinhau. Readers of thoughtful, humane fiction are in for a treat.” –John Kessel, Nebula Award-winning author of The Moon and the Other
“A fantastic tale of the possibility of revolution—both personal and political—inherent in every moment.” –Ken Liu, Hugo Award-winning author of The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
“A riveting, poignant account of a man's world falling apart and the new one he creates for himself. As much a dark reflection of our own world today, it's also a cautionary tale of the possible futures we can yet avoid. Surprising and thought-provoking, Lundberg's striking milieu and engaging characters will linger with readers long after they turn the last page.” –E.C. Myers, Andre Norton Award-winning author of Fair Coin, Quantum Coin and The Silence of Six
“A striking new way of seeing Singapore, the USA and the emigrant experience in an age of renewed bigotry and environmental disaster.” –Ng Yi-Sheng, Singapore Literature Prize-winning author of Lion City
“A wildly inventive epistolary narrative that’s equal parts 1984, The Twilight Zone, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, and Claremont-era X-Men. Lose yourself in a world where digital technology collides with airships, phlogiston cannon, pirates and tesseracts; and where love or loss may be…just an alternate universe away.” –Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, Romeo Forbes Award-winning author of The Infinite Library and Other Stories
“Set in a not-so-distant future, this book offers a reflection of our global politics today and provokes questions of what it means to be human. Through diary entries and letters, we witness hope, grief and disappointment amid the persistence and failure of imperialism. We are reminded of the political potentials of speculative fiction, but most of all, Diary of One Who Disappeared is about a journey. It is a story of travel and transformation, a contemplation of encounters and the roads not taken.” –Intan Paramaditha, PEN Translates Award-winning author of Apple and Knife
“Through communiqués, missives and the common email, relationships unfold and splinter within a futuristic world ruled by religiosity and prejudice, mirroring our present-day political climate in terrifying but revelatory ways. Diary of One Who Disappeared also convincingly offers a morality tale about how the ramifications of our actions and thoughts, even our unconscious desires, extend beyond the realm of our known universe.” –Cyril Wong, Singapore Literature Prize-winning author of Ten Things My Father Never Taught Me
“Lundberg’s world-building is constructed from the inside out, ideas wrapped around an underlying architecture of emotion. A smart, engaging voice.” –Charles Yu, celebrated author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
May 5, 2019
The modern day politics being the sh*tshow that they are, sometimes science fiction is the best way to hold up a mirror to it all. This is that kind of book. Told epistolary style through emails, texts and diary entries, this is a story of a possible world where NAU (Northern American Union) has become a strictly conservative bastion of traditional values and Asia prospers, especially the tiny nation of Tinhau (known to us as Singapore). There are also superpowered people around now and each government is treating them according to their respective values, which is to say they are given equal rights in Tinhau and put in concentration camps in NAU. So it is in this political climate that a man named Lucas Lehrer sets off to negotiate a treaty between the two nations. The deal fails, he stays behind, only to find that his new country is also on a brink of a major upheaval and, more importantly, fall for a woman whose revelations about the very nature of reality around him will change the world as he knows it. So you got mutants (used here very much like in X Men, which is to say as a homosexual metaphor, but then again can be treated as immigrants, possibly), multiverses, international intrigue and suspense…that’s a lot for such a slim volume. Pretty exciting. The execution wasn’t as great as the concept deserved, good, not great, the narrative was somewhat dispassionate for such passionate subjects and the main character was kind of milquetoasty and very weepy. But it was fun overall, a fun adventure and a fun read. The original ideas and concepts heavy outweighed the delivery (which was slightly flat and even occasionally bland at times), but since this appears to be book one in a series, there’s always time to improve upon things. So mostly good things here, which is lovely since I’m the first person (not counting the author) to review this book with actual words. It actually gathered plenty of praise from other well known writers, which was one of main attractors for me. So yeah. This was pretty good, science fiction fans should enjoy this one. Thanks Netgalley.
January 20, 2020
It's a roller coaster book and not exactly in a good way.
The story is mostly on journal from the main character's point of view , with some texts, conversations, and emails here and there.
People with special abilities (think X-Men) , journey to faraway island, not much of technology advancement although the story is set in 2040, and ironically time travel and multiverse. The storyline almost makes you wonder if the author draws inspiration from Marvel's Endgame towards the end with the time traveling and abrupt ending afterwards.
One of the good points though, the story is set in Tinhau which from its descriptions reminds me of Singapore. At first the idea that Tinhau is the exact copy of the country is almost laughable, but it serves purpose towards the end of story.
The story is mostly on journal from the main character's point of view , with some texts, conversations, and emails here and there.
People with special abilities (think X-Men) , journey to faraway island, not much of technology advancement although the story is set in 2040, and ironically time travel and multiverse. The storyline almost makes you wonder if the author draws inspiration from Marvel's Endgame towards the end with the time traveling and abrupt ending afterwards.
One of the good points though, the story is set in Tinhau which from its descriptions reminds me of Singapore. At first the idea that Tinhau is the exact copy of the country is almost laughable, but it serves purpose towards the end of story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
Strictly speaking a 3.5
Impressive feat to have constructed a science-fiction multiverse with superhero genre elements, while incorporating still-relevant themes of racial discrimination and political espionage for readers.
However I guess it was the lack of character development for the protagonists in the story that comprised the author's intentions and made it a less engaging read than it could have been. Still, considering that this looks to be merely a novella in a potential series, there's opportunities galore to work on recurring themes, plotpoints and characters, good effort!
Impressive feat to have constructed a science-fiction multiverse with superhero genre elements, while incorporating still-relevant themes of racial discrimination and political espionage for readers.
However I guess it was the lack of character development for the protagonists in the story that comprised the author's intentions and made it a less engaging read than it could have been. Still, considering that this looks to be merely a novella in a potential series, there's opportunities galore to work on recurring themes, plotpoints and characters, good effort!
May 7, 2024
first 3/4 reads like a pretty uninteresting memoir of an american expat in sg, except things r mildly sci-fied up n have their names changed.
the last 1/4 suddenly plot twists, dumps Potentially Interesting Sci-Fi Concept on you, ratchets up the action... n then ends. i wish that the ideas had been better built up to, n then developed further. as it is it just reads as rly abrupt and not v satisfying.
this made me want to rewatch spider-man: across the spider-verse. and eat duck rice
the last 1/4 suddenly plot twists, dumps Potentially Interesting Sci-Fi Concept on you, ratchets up the action... n then ends. i wish that the ideas had been better built up to, n then developed further. as it is it just reads as rly abrupt and not v satisfying.
this made me want to rewatch spider-man: across the spider-verse. and eat duck rice
August 19, 2019
This story was not my cup of tea. A dystopian novel set in 2040 a government worker decides too escape his life. This is a short read and listed as a novella. Book 1 in a new series, Tinhau. This story seems to be well received and high reviews for Science Fiction readers. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 9, 2019
Dystopia with a twist. Seen through the eyes of a basic functionary bureaucrat who's life gets changed in unexpected ways. Recommend!
October 9, 2019
Clever and enjoyable read. The world building is pretty complete, quite a feat considering it's not a long book!
November 18, 2019
this is a piece of speculative fiction that does not sit well with me at all.
November 26, 2020
Uhm, nope, sorry, not my thing. I love dystopian novels, I just had to put this one away after only 50 pages. It's not grabbing any of my attention
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews