A Bestselling Author Put an Israeli Character Into Her New Novel. Then the Internet Lost Its Mind.
R.F. Kuang's upcoming novel, Taipei Story, has sparked controversy due to the inclusion of an unnamed Israeli character. Critics have accused her of normalizing a genocidal state, leading to calls for boycotts of her work. Supporters argue that the backlash is unwarranted and that the character's role is minimal and non-interactive.
- ▪R.F. Kuang is known for her bestselling fantasy novels that critique colonialism.
- ▪The character in question appears on only two pages and has no dialogue or interaction with the protagonist.
- ▪Critics have labeled Kuang's inclusion of the character as a form of propaganda, while defenders argue that not all Israelis support the war in Gaza.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Books The Award-Winning Novelist Who’s Under Fire for Simply Depicting an Israeli After reading R.F. Kuang’s Taipei Story, I can now confirm that this controversy is even dumber than I suspected. By Laura Miller Follow Laura Miller Signed Up For Email Alerts Error Signing Up For Email Alerts Close Enter your email to receive alerts for this author. Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. You're already subscribed to the aa_Laura_Miller newsletter. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again, or manage all your newsletter subscriptions here . <div class="slate-notification--error"> Please enable javascript to sign up for newsletters.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Slate Magazine.
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