The Handmaid’s Tale of a new generation. This is a stark and fantastic view of an almost inevitable future.” — Peter Clines, author of Paradox Bound and The Fold
“King writes distinctive and sympathetic characters, and her vision of a not-so-far future is unnerving and thought-provoking.” — The Washington Post (a “Must read science fiction and fantasy” September 2017 pick)
“Disturbing, funny, suspenseful and keenly observed, “An Excess Male” demonstrates the toll exerted on individuals when the government takes too deep an interest in love and marriage. Although frequently chilling in its depiction of an authoritarian state, the novel celebrates the resilience of hope and the strength of family ties.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“King’s novel takes its cues from classic sci-fi dystopias, from The Handmaid’s Tale to Ender’s Game, to demonstrate the repressive control mechanisms already at work in everyday life. An intelligent, incisive commentary on how love survives—or doesn’t—under the heel of the State.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“An extraordinary first novel—an incisive, dryly funny examination of masculinity in a near-future China, where a gender imbalance in the population has resulted in some startling social changes. An Excess Male is a nuanced, meticulously structured character study that builds to a thrilling conclusion.” — Dexter Palmer, author of Version Control
“In King’s thoughtful, heartbreaking debut...[she] expertly explores the myriad routes to family, hope, and love in a repressive country.” — Publishers Weekly
“King imagines a frightening reality, in which forced cultural norms run counter to basic human rights, leaving readers exceedingly uncomfortable with its feasibility.” — Booklist
“Maggie Shen King has a great gift not only for creating a complicated, futuristic world but also for creating characters who win our hearts and minds. An Excess Male is a wonderfully inventive and wonderfully funny novel.” — Margot Livesey, author of Mercury and The Flight of Gemma Hardy
“[A] masterful, disturbing novel...The worldbuilding in this novel is brilliant...[King] offers a plausible look at a world where political manipulation reaches into our most intimate lives.” — Ars Technica
“Boldly envisioned and executed, An Excess Male is thrilling, provocative and genuinely frightening in its implications.” — Shelf Awareness
“I found An Excess Male eerie and riveting. This brilliantly crafted dystopia brings to mind Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, but with its dire situation more probable and imminent. An Excess Male is a wonderful read, horrifying and humorous and bringing with it a warning.” — Heather Stallings, author of Click City, a novel serialized by the San Francisco Chronicle
“In a remarkable debut, Maggie Shen King has brought to life an indelible dystopia that prefigures a looming future. Evocative and compelling, An Excess Male stands as a prescient, searing tale of the family in an imperative battle for sovereignty against totalitarian rule.” — Lane von Herzen, author of Copper Crown
