Katabasis is a 2025 novel by American fantasy writer R. F. Kuang. It is due for release on August 26, 2025.
Background.
Kuang's fifth novel, "Katabasis" was announced to the public during her promotional cycle for "Yellowface" in 2023. Kuang wrote it while enrolled as a PhD student in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale University and while planning her wedding. She stated that the idea for the book came out of a "cute, silly" idea about how "academia is hell" before seriously realizing, "Oh, no, academia is hell."
Synopsis.
The novel follows two doctoral candidates who must venture into Hell in order to save their thesis advisor in order to get letters of recommendation.
Critical reception.
In a starred review, "Kirkus Reviews" stated "this is a tightly constructed novel that aims a clear lens on academia, with both its faults and its virtues" and called it "A learned, literary manifesto on academia—and its darkness."
Also in a starred review, "Library Journal" called the book "A must-read for fans of Naomi Novik, Olivie Blake, and Lev Grossman’s scholastic fantasies, with explorations of purpose, grief, and relationships that open the novel to a more universal audience."