The Booksmith is thrilled to be welcoming Khan Wong to The Booksmith for the Down in the Sea of Angels on April 24th at 7pm. He'll be in-conversation with Julia Vee. Please join us! RSVP is not required, but appreciated. Seats are limited and can be guaranteed with the purchase of a book.

See you at the shop!

About the book

An intense and thoughtful time-travelling dystopian fantasy where three individuals, psychically linked through time, fight enslavement, exploitation, and environmental collapse. A great read for fans of Emily St. John Mandel.

In the year 2106, climate change has altered the world, transforming borders, cities, and socioeconomic structures. Additionally, a cosmic event known as the “Bloom” has awakened psionic abilities in a small percentage of the population.

One such individual is Maida Sun, who possesses the ability to know the history of objects she touches. In the course of her new job with a cultural recovery project in San Francisco, she comes across an object that plunges her into the lives of Li Nuan, a sex-trafficked girl in a Chinatown brothel in 1906 longing for freedom, and Nathan, a tech-designer and hedonist in 2006 seeking greater purpose.

When a chance encounter with a political leader’s watch reveals a plan to eliminate psions – people like her – Maida must find a way to stop his agenda before it gains traction.

Flashes of the past and glimpses of the future provide Maida, Li Nuan and Nathan clues to help their own situations as they, each in their own way, confront exploitation and fight for liberation while living under the specter of environmental collapse.

About the authors

Khan Wong has a past as a poet, cellist, arts funder and internationally known hula hooper. His debut novel, The Circus Infinite, was published by Angry Robot Books in 2022. It was longlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Best Novel category, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. His next novel, Down in the Sea of Angels, will be published by Angry Robot in April 2025.

Julia Vee was a trial lawyer in Silicon Valley for over two decades. She still makes stuff up for a living. She attended U.C Berkeley and majored in Asian Studies. A graduate of Viable Paradise, she often writes with co-author Ken Bebelle. They have penned over 10 novels together. Their novel Ebony Gate, an Asian-inspired contemporary fantasy, was published by TOR and named a 2023 Golden Poppy Finalist for the Octavia E. Butler award. The series conclusion, Pearl City, releases in July of 2025.

About the bookstore

The Booksmith is an independent bookstore located in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco since 1976.