Second Nature
United States

Second Nature

by Ling Ling Huang

Freedom & Resistance Literary Fiction 2027

Summary

In the isolated community of the Veil, Bodie grows up surrounded by his many mothers and devoted to a female God. His world seems peaceful, governed by ancient traditions and strict expectations. But as Bodie develops romantic feelings for his closest friend, Aster, he begins to question the rules that shape their lives. When he approaches a mysterious ritual marking the transition to adulthood, unsettling truths emerge about the society he has always trusted. To protect himself and the people he loves, Bodie must confront the one thing his community forbids: escape. Haunting and thought-provoking, this speculative novel explores faith, desire, survival, and the dangers of unquestioned traditions.

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Country
United States
North America
About the author
Ling Ling Huang
Ling Ling Huang

Ling Ling Huang is a Taiwanese-born American writer and violinist whose fiction explores the intersections of identity, beauty, technology, and human relationships. Alongside her literary career, she has performed with several orchestras, including the Oregon Symphony and the Experiential Orchestra, which won a Grammy Award in 2021. Her debut novel, Natural Beauty (2023), is a speculative literary thriller examining beauty standards, consumerism, race, and the commodification of the human body through the story of a young musician drawn into the world of a luxury beauty company. Her second novel, Immaculate Conception (2025), explores artistic ambition, jealousy, and obsessive friendship in a near-future world where technology can allow people to access one another’s minds. Huang’s work blends speculative fiction with incisive social commentary, questioning how technology and cultural expectations shape identity, creativity, and intimacy.

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Details
Published
2027
Author
Ling Ling Huang