R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis is headed to the small screen, Variety reports.
Kuang’s novel, scheduled for publication next Tuesday by Harper Voyager, follows Alice Law, a student of magic at the University of Cambridge, who travels to hell to find her late professor, Jacob Grimes. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the book “a learned, literary manifesto on academia—and its darkness.” It is Kuang’s second dark-academia novel, following Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution.
In an interview with Kirkus, Kuang reflected on academic life, saying, “Academia is founded on delusions. There are so many things about the system that are broken. I’m fascinated by how many people still go through these programs and cling to this vanishing, irrational belief that this is still the best possible way that they could be spending their lives.”
The adaptation of Katabasis is being developed by Amazon MGM Studios. Angela Kang, known for her work on The Walking Dead, will serve as writer and showrunner. Kang and Kuang are among the series’ executive producers.
Kuang’s novel Yellowface is being developed as a television series with Karyn Kusama on board to direct, and Babel has been optioned for an adaptation as well.
Showrunner Kang shared news of the adaptation on Instagram, writing, “@kuangrf’s new novel is incredible and it’s so much fun delving into this world. If you love magic, myths about the underworld, romance, smart themes and witty prose, this is a story for you.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
