All That We See or Seem

The first in a new series of near-future techno-thrillers, All that We See or Seem is scheduled to be published in the US by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on October 14, 2025, and in the UK by Head of Zeus, a part of Bloomsbury, on October 9, 2025. You can pre-order the books by clicking on the publisher linked provided on this page.

Publisher’s description:

Award­-winning author Ken Liu returns with his first scifi thriller in a brand-new series following former “orphan hacker” Julia Z as she is thrust into a high-stakes adventure where she must use her AI-whispering skills to unravel a virtual reality mystery, rescue a kidnapped dream artist, and confront the blurred lines between technology, selfhood, and the power of shared dreams.

Julia Z, a young woman who gained notoriety at fourteen as the “orphan hacker,” is trying to live a life of digital obscurity in a quiet Boston suburb.

But when a lawyer named Piers—whose famous artist wife, Elli, has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals—barges into her life, Julia decides to put the solitary life she has painstakingly created at risk as she can’t walk away from helping Piers and Elli, nor step away from the challenge of this digital puzzle. Elli is an oneirofex, a dream artist, who can weave the dreams of an audience together through a shared virtual landscape, live, in a concert-like experience by tapping into each attendee’s memories and providing an emotionally resonant narrative experience. While these collective dreams are anonymous, Julia discovers that Elli was also dreaming one-on-one with the head of an international criminal enterprise, and he’s demanding the return of his dreams in exchange for Elli.

Unraveling the real and unreal leads Julia on an adventure that takes her across the country and deep into the shadows of her psyche.

Resourceful, relentless, contemptuous of authority, trying to do her best to move on from a troubled past, never giving up hope even when all around her is darkness—Julia Z is my favorite literary creation since the Dandelion Dynasty.

Also, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the future of art in a world of AI. How will AI challenge us to be more human? What can artists do with AI that they couldn’t? Many of my thoughts have been put into this book, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Praise for All That We See or Seem

This dazzling near-future mystery from Hugo winner Liu sparkles with suspense, intensity, and effortless worldbuilding… The trail of clues is long, dangerous, and littered with red herrings…. This is another marvel from a perennially innovative author.

★ Publishers Weekly

Liu begins a series reminiscent of Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield books, with superb characterizations and intense pacing. Readers will root for Julia as she is drawn into a dangerous game in this gripping sf thriller.

★ Booklist

Liu has created an amazing and immersive near-future world, which makes AI feel so commonplace and real that it brings to mind what William Gibson’s Neuromancer did to make the internet seem possible.

VERDICT Liu’s vivid science-fiction novel brilliantly imagines a thrilling AI-powered world; it will appeal to fans looking for a Black Mirror–style take on the future.

Library Journal

All That We See or Seem is a heart-pounding sci-fi thriller that questions the nature of both science and artistry. And again Ken Liu has me wanting to delete my social media and quit the internet forever, which just goes to show how effectively he highlights the dangers of a possible AI-driven future.

Reactor

[T]his is one of the best science-fiction books of the year.

The Guardian