R. F. Kuang’s Making Space is part of The Time Traveller’s
Passport. It is a collection of stories about memory, identity, and the choices
we make in life. New York Times bestselling author John Joseph Adams edited the
book. It is a little surprising that Amazon would snare an author of Kuang’s
stature. The book is currently only available on Amazon, and a printed version
has not been released yet. Review copies appear to be sanctioned by Amazon
through NetGalley.[2]
Although the short book genre is new to Kuang, she handles
it superbly, serving as a testament to her intellect and experience. The dark
and not-unsurprising ending is typical of Kuang. Her main narrative is
beautifully crafted, delving into the complexities of human relationships and
social responsibilities. However, it is a little disturbing that Kuang makes
far too many concessions to the right-wing #MeToo campaign.
I am not saying that Kuang is an ardent supporter of the #MeToo
movement. However, her work on Making Space makes it difficult to turn such
narrow, selfish concerns of Jess into great, compelling drama.
As the great G. V.
Plekhanov wrote, “I know that an artist cannot be held responsible for the
statements of their heroes. But very often he, in one way or another, indicates
his own attitude to these statements, and we are thus able to judge what his
own views are.”
And writing an observation that would not look out of place
in today's world, He writes in the same essay, “in present-day social
conditions, the fruits of art for art’s sake are far from delectable. The
extreme individualism of the era of bourgeois decay cuts artists off from all
sources of genuine inspiration. It renders them completely blind to what is
happening in social life, condemning them to sterile preoccupation with
personal emotional experiences that are entirely without significance and
marked by the fantasies of a morbid imagination. The end product of their
preoccupation is something that not only has no relation to beauty of any kind,
but which moreover represents an obvious absurdity that can only be defended
with the help of a sophistically distorted idealist theory of knowledge.”[3]
While there is nothing wrong with using the internet to
publish books or short stories, it does contain certain dangers. Kuang has been
accused of using AI to write her books on TikTok. But as one reader succinctly
puts it, “Sadly, AI is so common now that talent is suspicious! Would you
accuse Sanderson or Stephen King of AI? Or is 'too articulate' a critique only
reserved for female authors?”.
In defence of Kuang Varika Rastogi writes, “Kuang—in no
small part because of the role TikTok has played in her rise to success—is also
deeply aware of the Internet being the 'realm that the social economy of
publishing exists on, and she deploys this (Yellowface) novel as a means to
assess how it can both heal and harm projects. A significant portion of
Yellowface is represented through Twitter discourse and Goodreads reviews. By
placing us in the shoes of the targets of its vitriol and negativity, the
author attempts to make us privy both to the mental impact such harassment can
have on a person, as well as to the fact that "allegations get flung left
and right, everyone's reputations are torn down, and when the dust clears,
everything remains exactly as it was." However, if nothing changes, it is
also because someone is making a profit”[4]
Making Space is still a superbly written book. Kuang is to
be commended for her recent efforts in the field of battle against the
racialisation of literature, and her defence of the fundamental right of an
author to write about whatever they want without fear of their books being
burned or pulped. However, Making Spaces is a dangerous concession to the #MeToo
movement. Her new book, Katabasis, which is already a best seller, will be
reviewed at a later date.
