Luminous

By: Silvia Park

Narrated by: Eric Yang

This sweeping debut novel set in a unified Korea tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood.

“I once had a family. At least, the earliest version of me had a family.”

In a reunified Korea of the near future, the sun beats down on a junkyard filled with abandoned robots, broken down for parts. Eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through the scraps, searching for a piece that might support her failing body. There among the piles of trash, something catches her eye: a robot boy—so lifelike and strange, unlike anything she’s ever seen before.

Siblings Jun and Morgan haven’t spoken for years. When they were children, their brother Yoyo disappeared suddenly, leaving behind only distant memories of his laughter and near-human warmth. Yoyo—an early prototype of a humanoid robot designed by their father—was always bound for something darker and more complex. Now Morgan makes robots for a living and is on the verge of losing control of her most important creation. Jun is a detective with the Robot Crimes Unit whose investigation is digging up truths that want to stay buried. And whether they like it or not, Ruijie’s discovery will thrust their family back together in ways they could have never imagined.

At once a thrilling work of speculative fiction and a “bold exploration of what it means to have a mind, a body, a self, and even a soul” (Charles Yu, author of National Book Award winner Interior Chinatown), Luminous is a prescient yet timeless and unforgettably brilliant debut.

Critic reviews

"Eric Yang blends tension and restraint as he narrates this novel, set in a reunified Korea, where the line between human and robot is constantly blurred. Estranged siblings Jun and Morgan reunite to uncover the mystery behind their missing sibling, Yoyo. Yang brings a tough compassion to Jun, a detective in the Robot Crimes Unit, whose latest case involving a missing robot uncovers clues, not only to Yoyo’s whereabouts, but also to long-buried family secrets. The drama and subtlety in Yang’s delivery bring out the characters’ duality and edgy interactions, as well as their humanity. Highlighting the paradoxes within this synthetic realm of bionic humans and empathetic robots, Yang’s performance is a thoughtful and chilling listening experience."

Compassionate robot

Even though most was in English, some was in Korean. Some of it didn’t translate but I liked it and finished it

Simply amazing!

No words. If you love layered, complex, compelling works, read it as soon as you can!

Brilliant writing, mesmerizing story!

Highly recommend this outstanding debut novel. Glorious, joyous, masterful writing, compelling plot, solid characters, representation, prose that's downright lovely. 5 stars. A Must Read! New favorite writer!

This books was intellectual

This book was good not great. It took a minute to understand what was going on and how the characters were connected. This was an interesting way of presenting a future with robots integrated into society. There was representation of the LGBTQ+ community with I appreciated.