Loosely inspired by the movie Ex Machina and the character Kyoko (an Asian sex robot whose creator removes her language capabilities in order to protect his company's trade secrets). It's a take on language, race, and gender; about survival under capitalism; about power and intimacy, especially with others whose bodies make them strange. Though the book isn't just about robots (or just about that movie), Kyoko is "one of the godmothers of the book," and haunts it throughout. About the author in Choi's words: "Franny Choi is a queer, Korean American pottymouth. . .about a 5.5 on the Mulan butch-femme scale." Choi is super enthusiastic, energetic, and ready to tour. She has already dreamed up a book launch in Detroit, MI, and also plans to tour the northeast.
Industry Reviews
"Franny Choi's Soft Science offers an exceptional exploration both of all that comprises the intimate and of all that consumes the communal in our lives. Whether tracking the adventures of the 'cyborg' or eavesdropping on conversations between sisters, it's all the same world. These striking poems ring through with a singular voice, creating a society that helps us understand our own. When you open a book of poems, 'isn't that what you came to see?' Choi builds a world not only of striking beauty and lucid politics, but also, most importantly, with love." -A. Van Jordan
