Charles Yu Books in Order

Stories about an aspiring superhero, a couple trapped in commercial fantasies, and a writer depicting his mother explore everyday anxieties through invented worlds. Characters struggle against prescribed roles while confronting work, relationships, family, and the difficulty of expressing feelings.

Time-travel technician Charles Yu repairs the damage caused by people trying to alter their pasts in Minor Universe 31. Meanwhile, he searches for his missing inventor father, following clues in a strange book that may explain their fractured family and protect his future.

A lonely shop employee encounters a zombie, virtual warriors question their heroism, and a company sells relief from grief. These speculative stories use unusual worlds to explore isolation, relationships, and the emotional pressures of contemporary life.

Willis Wu dreams of escaping the minor Asian roles assigned to him in a television crime-show world. His pursuit of the coveted Kung Fu Guy part draws him into his family’s history and exposes the limits imposed by racial stereotypes and assimilation.

Jane runs Earth’s last gift shop before leaving for college on Jupiter. When tourists crash-land and seek help, she discovers that abandoned attractions on the devastated planet may still be active in unsettling and unexpected ways.