Sublimation

by Isabel J. Kim · 2026

Sublimation is a mind‑bending thriller that follows Rose, a Korean‑American who returns to Seoul for her grandfather’s funeral, only to confront her other self, Soyoung, a doppelgänger left behind in Korea. The novel explores the literal split of a person across borders, weaving corporate intrigue, heartbreak, and betrayal into a speculative narrative about immigration, identity, and the alienation of diaspora. Through a futuristic premise where instances of a person can communicate and attempt to reintegrate, Kim examines the costs of choice, the longing for a different life, and the haunting pull of homeland nostalgia.