Charles Yu Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Anthologies

Charles Yu

Charles Yu is an American science fiction author best known for his How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe novel. Time Magazine listed this book as one of the best books of the year. The book also earned him an award and two nominations. Yu is a reputable scriptwriter who has worked with HBO, FX, and AMC. The author lives in California with his wife and two children.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe tells the story of a son who goes searching for his father through space. Charles Yu is a time travel technician who doubles up as a gadget repairman. Charles is also a part counselor, but perhaps his most significant role is in saving people from themselves. When he is not doing his part to save humanity, Charles goes to search for a father he misses. Even though the two had a strained relationship, Charles realizes how close he was to his father when he disappears.

In Minor Universe 31, time travel is big business. Here failed protagonists are seduced by lonely sexbots. Many people looking to use time machines come here in search of change. Unfortunately, the time machine users are mostly trying to do something they shouldn’t, change the past. Charles steps in to help save such people from themselves.

When he is not taking calls or consoling his boss, Charles goes to visit his mother, who is stuck in a one-hour cycle as he searches for his father. Charles’s father invented the time travel machine. Unfortunately, he vanished after this leaving behind a wife stuck to dinner making cycle and a son in need of a father. Now his son is out there trying to search for him in the space-time wilds where he possibly disappeared to on purpose.
Tammy accompanies Charles as her search for his father. Ed, an anthologically valid dog, also tags along. Charles goes back and beyond, hoping to one day meet with his father in memory. After some research, Charles leans that a book named How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe could have the answers he seeks. The funny thing is that this is a book he wrote in his future.

This story is set in motion when Charles meets his future self. In a moment of panic, Charles shoots himself setting himself in a time loop. Now all he does is wonder whether he will be able to get out of this time machine knowing well that this move will cost him his life. Charles also wonders whether the shooting can be averted even though it has already happened.

Underneath the time travel theme is a story laden with meaningful insights where humann interactions are concerned. The story also covers the quest for happiness. Most of us are stuck in time, mostly worrying about things that have passed and can’t be changed. This is an intriguing story. The author uses a contemporary style to tell the story. In an achingly sad mood and using a nostalgic tone, the author discusses the haunting tale of a man caught up by his past. This book is sure to capture your attention from the beginning and keep you glued until the end.

Interior Chinatown
Interior Chinatown features Willis Wu, a man who doesn’t think he is the hero of his life. Willis views himself as an average Asian man who has to wake up every day and leave his tiny room to go to the Golden Palace restaurant. Here, a black and white cop show is produced continuously. Willis works as a bit player, but he dreams of rising to a better role, such as the Ethnic Recurring or the Kung Fu Guy. All the parts he is playing now pretty much feel like his life. There is also nothing glamorous about his living situation, and playing as a dead Asian guy is nothing to write home about either.
As fate will have it, Willis will stumble into the spotlight and into a world wider than anything he has ever known. At first, William grows to get the Very Special Guest role, and he is determined to work until he gets the highest role for an Asian male. As he rises, Willis makes numerous discoveries about his family and Chinatown. Growing up in Chinatown, there are many issues that Willis accepted as the norm without really questioning how they all fit in his life. Fortunately, he had a mother who always believed in him. Even though Willis’s parents are divorced, his mother does a great job of giving the support that any aspiring actor would ask for.

Willis will, at some point, discover that the roles assigned to him are not aligned to the person he wants to grow to. The question remains whether Willis will be in a position to overcome all the forces working against him to break out of the norm and curve his path. Will this ambitious man become the protagonist he always wanted? This story is beautifully written, and the flow is flawless. The author draws from his experience as an Asian Man, working in American society. From his writing, it is clear that the author has intimate knowledge of the subject matter. He writes about serious issues and uses humor to highlight them respectfully.

Interior Chinatown is the story of Willis and his Chinese and American families. It highlights identity, race, pop culture, and roles that society pushes down our throats thanks to our backgrounds. The story is both sarcastic and disturbing as the author draws your attention to the assumptions we make about other people while making little effort to know them. The author uses playful jabs to highlight Hollywood stereotypes applied to Asians. This book reads like a TV show script, and it comes complete with Courier font. It is a perfect read for anyone looking for a funny yet thought-provoking book. At slightly less than 300 pages, the book is relatively short and can be enjoyed in one sitting.