RIP - Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
Sublimation
Isabel J. Kim
Copyright 2026
368 Pages
Please ensure your smarty‑pants are not only on but securely fastened with a five‑point harness before cracking this one open. Isabel J Kim did not come to play—she came to twist my brain into a pretzel and then politely ask me to interpret the pretzel’s emotional arc. The first few chapters? Rough. I kept flipping back like a confused time traveler trying to figure out what timeline I’d fallen into.
So here’s the SparkNotes‑but‑make‑it‑existential: we start with one person (Soyoung). She leaves Korea, crosses the border, and—poof—she splits into two people. Korea‑Soyoung stays put, America‑Soyoung becomes Rose, and suddenly we’re juggling two versions of the same woman like a philosophical circus act. This delightful chaos is called Instancing. Are you still with me? Blink twice if your brain is overheating.
Then there’s “reintegrating,” which is basically merging your two selves back together so you become one super‑powered memory smoothie of both lives. And this book? It takes that concept, straps it to a rocket, and launches it straight into the stratosphere. Everyone is instancing, reintegrating, plotting to reintegrate, or emotionally spiraling about reintegrating. It’s like a family reunion where half the guests are clones and the other half are trying to decide which clone to absorb.
For me, this was… a journey. A scenic hike through “I’m not smart enough for this” valley. The science‑y bits had me working overtime, and I still missed major plot points like a student who definitely did not do the assigned reading. I love a book that makes me wonder, theorize, and question my own existence—but I do not love feeling like I need to schedule office hours with a TA to decode the narrative. And that’s exactly the vibe here. 2.5 stars.
That said: if you live for sci‑fi that flexes your brain like it’s leg day, this is absolutely your jam. It’s well written, imaginative, and full of fascinating characters. It was just a little too galaxy‑brained for me personally.
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