The Man With the Compound Eyes

"The English-language debut of an exciting new award-winning voice from Taiwan--a stunning novel that is at once fantasy, reality, and dystopian environmental saga, in which the lives of two people from very different worlds intertwine under the shadow of a man-made catastrophe. On the mythical island of Wayo-Wayo, young Atile'i has just seen his 180th full moon and, following the tradition of his people, is sent out alone into the vast Pacific as a sacrifice to the Sea God. Just when it seems that all hope is lost, he happens upon a new home--a vast island made of trash. Meanwhile, in Taiwan, Alice, a professor of literature, is preparing to commit suicide following the disappearance of her husband and son. But her plans are put on hold when the trash island collides with the Taiwan coast where Alice lives. Her home is destroyed, but meeting Atile'i gives her life new meaning as they set out to solve the mystery of her lost family. Drawing in the narratives of others impacted by the disaster--Alice's friends and neighbors, environmentalists from abroad, the mysterious man with compound eyes--the novel tells an enthralling, surreal story of the known--and unknown--world around us"--

Wu Ming-Yi was born in 1971 in Taiwan, where he still lives. A writer, artist, professor, and environmental activist, he has been teaching literature and creative writing at National Dong Hwa University since 2000 and is now a professor in the Department of Chinese. Wu is the author of two books of nature writing, the second of which,The Way of Butterflies, was awarded the China Times Open Book Award in 2003. His debut novel,Routes in the Dream, was named one of the ten best Chinese-language novels of the year byAsian Weekly magazine. The Man with the Compound Eyes is his first book to be translated into English.