Archive · 6 Dec 2025
RF Kuang's Katabasis Blends Myth, Romance, and Academic Satire
RF Kuang, known for her book Yellowface, has written a new novel called Katabasis: To Hell With Love.
It's a story about Alice Law, a student who goes to Hell to save her professor.
Along the way, she teams up with a rival, Peter Murdoch, and they fall in love.
The book mixes different myths about Hell and makes fun of the problems in universities, like sexism and harassment.
It's a mix of adventure, love, and smart jokes about school and life after death.
RF Kuang's new novel Katabasis: To Hell With Love blends myth, romance, and academic satire.
The story follows Alice Law, who descends into Hell to save her professor, Professor Jacob Grimes.
Alice teams up with her rival and peer, Peter Murdoch, leading to a romantic arc.
The novel critiques modern academia, highlighting issues like sexism, harassment, and power dynamics.
The book is inspired by various myths and philosophies, including Greek, Chinese, and Christian traditions.
- Who
- RF Kuang, Alice Law, Peter Murdoch, Professor Jacob Grimes
- What
- Release of the novel Katabasis: To Hell With Love
- When
- Not specified
- Where
- Contemporary setting, Hell
- Why
- To blend myth, romance, and academic satire, critiquing academia
- Author
- RF Kuang
- Title
- Katabasis: To Hell With Love
- Genre
- Myth, Romance, Academic Satire
- Setting
- Contemporary, Hell
- Main Characters
- Alice Law, Peter Murdoch, Professor Jacob Grimes
- Academic Focus
- East Asian Languages and Literatures
- Inspirations
- Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Greek, Chinese mythology
- Key Themes
- Academic satire, love, power dynamics, afterlife