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Sex in Taipei City is not what one expects: it is repressed, traded for cash, vengeful, sometimes awkward and almost always secretive.
A young Taiwanese man goes on his first real date with a British man he meets online, a uniformed schoolgirl sells her body for cash in an odd form of revenge, a grandfather becomes obsessed with Japanese porn, and a pregnant mistress offers her lover's wife five million NT in exchange for her to divorce her husband.
"From the fascinating quirks of food obsessions to the odd-but-seemingly-ordinary erotic moments of Taiwanese citizens, Yu-Han Chao’s Sex and Taipei City’s stories unfold a world of both the exotic and the familiar, captured in squirmy, disarming details. Teen pregnancies and forced marriages are accepted almost as a matter of course, as is the groping of a food stand/sex-worker, but Chao evokes the dignity and power of quiet tragedies, the lingering stigma of shame and what happens once a desire is given into, how it creates a desire-shadow. Funny, bold, and in moments, heartbreaking, these nineteen stories make up a stunning debut." —William J. Cobb, author of The Bird Saviors
"The effect of Yu-Han Chao’s prose is like that of a razor cut: straightforward, barely noticeable at first. Then the air hits, the sting begins, and then—oh, then!—comes the blood. She knows exactly when to begin and end a story, leaving the reader to absorb the impact of what has happened long after the final sentence. Her characters often leave others scarred by their actions, sometimes out of cruelty, but more often out of the casual egotism that comes with the city’s territory. These are stories that will stay with you for a long, long time." —Charlotte Holmes, author of The Grass Labyrinth
"Yu-Han's fiction amazes me: brave, witty, and provocative. She transports her readers not only to the mysteries of Taipei but also into her surrealist universe, constantly surprising and thrilling. One of the most intelligent and exciting writers at work today." —Josip Novakovich, author of The Heritage of Smoke
"Contemporary Taiwan's contradictions come to life in Yu-Han Chao's wonderful and gossipy collection Sex and Taipei City. The urban denizens that populate Chao's words are modern only in appearance and they helplessly careen toward their strange destinies, conveyed by age-old superstition and the failures of intimacy. These are the stories shared between rounds of karaoke that are so juicy and awful, you don't realize it when your song comes on." —Ed Lin, author of Ghost Month
"...in Sex & Taipei City—a captivating, panoramic portrait of intimacy and isolation—the most perverse and secretive place is the human heart." —Joseph Holt, Salamander Magazine
"One book I just read that is perfect for summer is Sex & Taipei City by Yu-Han Chao. It’s a collection of very short stories, mostly centered on the lives of Taiwanese women. The stories are fun and slightly scandalous, featuring daring school girls, betel-nut beauties, and husbands for sale. But there are surprisingly poignant moments, too—small tragedies and a touch of dark humor that balance out the saucier, gossipy bits. I’ve been to Taipei City, and this book felt like an interesting way to revisit—especially with the descriptions of all that delicious food!" —Sharon Gill, Senior Graphic Designer at The Humanist