Ken Liu’s All That We See or Seem is a mind-bending, high-tech thriller that blends cyber intrigue, speculative art, and a razor-sharp look at a not-so-distant future shaped by AI dominance.

Julia Z, once infamous as the “orphan hacker,” has spent years erasing her digital footprint and living a life of quiet anonymity. But when Piers, a desperate lawyer, shows up on her doorstep begging for help to rescue his kidnapped wife, Elli, Julia is pulled back into the dangerous online underworld she swore she’d left behind.

Elli is no ordinary victim. She’s an onierofex, a dream artist capable of weaving audiences into shared virtual landscapes that feel as real as waking life. When Julia discovers that Elli’s private commissions included one-on-one dreamscapes for a ruthless crime lord, the stakes skyrocket. His price for Elli’s freedom? The return of his personal dream experience.

Julia’s search takes her across the United States and deep into a reality where the lines between dreams, data, and desire blur. Liu uses the premise to explore questions about privacy in a hyper-surveilled society, the ethics of AI, and the value of human creativity in a world increasingly willing to replace it with machine-made substitutes.

It’s tense, urgent, and frighteningly plausible, a story that hooks with its fast-paced cyber mystery but lingers for its sharp social commentary.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Ken Liu’s All That We See or Seem has a killer premise and some genuinely smart takes on AI and the philosophy behind tech. Very relevant to today’s technology climate and the issues raised.

Julia Z, the “orphan hacker,” had promise, but most of the characters felt flat. I was hooked by the concept, but not by the execution.

I felt the book ended two thirds in and for that, this didn’t quite hit for me.

Still curious enough to see where the sequel goes.

This is my first Ken Liu book and I loved it. Lots of information and well rounded characters gave this book a feel of real depth.

I was surprised by some of the reviews for ATWSOS; but as I read further, it seems like those who’ve read Liu’s work before expect something different, and those who are reading his work for the first time enjoy it. This was the first book I’ve read by Liu and I found a believable setting, a main character who’s been affected by her past, and a subtle commentary about how “dream-like” our reliance on technology is becoming…

In this future, AI is involved in every aspect of our lives, to the point where it knows what you want to do with a data set before you’ve looked at it (just like how a dream moves around you). In this future, bots talk to bots online, whilst their users are still so isolated, they seek connection through the arts of a dreamweaver. As we’re already seeing, data has become highly valued and has become a global manipulator, and for all its gifts, the internet is a way of exploiting this.

Julia is undoubtedly the star of the book. She’s cautious about how she uses her skills, which is comparable to the artist whose life is completely online. Julia considers her past throughout and challenges herself over how she’s treated her friendships. Her arc is about opening up and seeing the value in those real-life relationships.

‘Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?’

ATWSOS does feel divided in two though. After Julia’s helped Piers, she begins looking into the criminal syndicate, which the artist attempted with their same means- data. Whilst this split may represent the dream within a dream, it does make it feel a little disjointed. But this is helped by the presence of the dreamweaver and her dreams that connect everyone together. For me, this is a story about human connection.

A husband searching for his missing wife enlists hacker Julia Z, who is trying to keep her head down after a criminal youth. The two follow a trail of clues and uncover a dark criminal enterprise at the heart of society.

This plays out as a character-focused techno-thriller that's heavy on tech to move the plot along. Julia has an AI in her phone and a shapeshifting drone, which between them are up to any hacking challenge. To Liu's credit, a lot of the speculation on the direction of the technology is well-informed. Often, the solution to a crisis is to find the pattern by gathering data and training a model to reveal the answer - frankly, much more realistic than magical omnipotent AIs. The danger here is that setting the book '10 minutes in the future', around a fast-moving technology, will mean it could date very quickly.

Julia is the only character with this tech, using it as a way to solve every plot crisis, with Liu mostly avoiding exploring the wider impact of such powerful tools on society. He is, however, compelling in his view of a decayed internet - bots talking to bots, parasocial relationships, mass surveillance, and post-truth. A frightening, but highly likely future.

Pacing was slow to begin with as we got a lot of character backstory, before the action steps up in the middle third, building to a surprising early climax that left me wondering what the last third of the book was going to do. It resolved well, even though I couldn't swallow the plot point of knowing pi to ten decimal places.

However, while the main characters were well-drawn, the villain of the piece seemed a clichéd cardboard baddy prone to mentally monologuing exposition. It was a surprisingly surface treatment given the depth of Liu's two female protagonists.

There were moments of startling prose: "As the host waded through the sun-dappled water of Heraclitus's river, the experience left an indelible series of cyanotypes in the neuromesh." Overall, an enjoyable, if forgettable, techno-thriller with solid characterisation.

Disclosure: ARC kindly provided by the publisher for review

Set in the near future, this book looks at the growing influence of AI and the monetisation of our personal data. Although things have progressed a little further in the world of the book, the issues are certainly nothing new to what we are dealing with in the real world.
In the first half of the novel, our heroine Julia is helping Piers find his missing wife, the dream artist Elli. The second half of the novel builds on this, but I did feel like this was two separate stories put together in one book.
There was plenty of adventure and intrigue in this novel. And I really liked the way Liu brought the technology to life. For example, there were lots of tech words he invented (or that I haven't heard of at least), and they fit seamlessly into the story. He really brought out some of the major ethical issues that we are currently facing in the growth of AI, too.
The biggest lack in the book for me, was the characters. I had no emotional connection at all with Piers and Elli. Julia felt like a typical empty action hero, although I did like the little bit of backstory that was revealed about her childhood. The main bad guys were just basic bad guys.
Overall, an enjoyable read - 3.5 stars rounded up. I will definitely be on the look out for the promised next book in the series!

Ken Liu’s The Dandelion Dynasty remains one of the most unique and breathtaking series I’ve ever read—an epic that fused science, philosophy, and politics into something truly visionary. So naturally, when I heard that Liu was returning with a brand-new science fiction thriller, All That We See or Seem, I was incredibly excited.

Let me start with what absolutely worked for me: this novel has some fascinating explorations of what society could look like in the near future, when AI has become deeply embedded in our identities and daily lives. Liu poses deeply thought-provoking questions about how technology reshapes not only our experiences, but also our sense of self, reality, and emotional connection. The concept of “onierofexes”—dream artists who can craft and share communal dreamscapes—feels dystopian and black mirror like. There are moments where the book offers sharp and timely warnings about the fine line between escapism and manipulation which I appreciated.

Unfortunately, the novel doesn’t quite hold up when compared to Liu’s previous work. The characters, especially protagonist Julia Z, never really came to life for me. For someone with such a rich backstory—“orphan hacker” turned reluctant hero—Julia felt emotionally distant and underdeveloped. Similarly, the plot, while initially intriguing, quickly lost momentum. It often felt like Liu had a handful of really fascinating ideas he wanted to explore and only afterward tried to fit a story around them. The result is a book that feels idea-driven rather than story-driven, with pacing that struggles to build tension or emotional stakes. It’s as if the narrative was in service to the themes, not the other way around.

In the end, All That We See or Seem is a novel with a brilliant premise but one that ultimately feels forgettable. I admire Ken Liu’s mind enormously and still believe he is one of the greatest speculative fiction writers working today. While this book didn’t land for me, I will absolutely be reading whatever he writes next.

2.5 / 5

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was an extremely compelling and sharp narrative, with some very interesting takes on AI. I wish the characters had been a bit more fleshed out, a little stronger; but overall I found this an enjoyable thrill ride.

Ken Liu is a well-known author for me. I’ve read some books of his epic fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty, his multiple award-winning short story The Paper Menagerie, and books he translated. So I was very excited when I heard he was going to release his first sci-fi thriller in a new series. I was kindly gifted this ARC by Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

All That We See Or Seem, releasing in October, begins as a straightforward mystery when the main character Julia Z is approached by Piers, a man desperate to find his missing wife Elli. She is a dream weaver, known for hosting collective dream gatherings. Julia and Piers partner up to find Elli and unravel the mystery.
Although this all seems very simple, there is so much more happening. This adventure is only a part of the overall book, which left me feeling misled by the blurb. Ken Liu tries to do a lot in this book, but prioritizes fast-paced prose and cliffhangers over deep character work and believable plot lines.

Julia’s backstory is well integrated into the narrative and this could make her a multidimensional and intriguing character. However, the author undermines this with convenient events that need to happen to keep the plot going. For example, Julia is often portrayed as socially awkward and lonely, yet every time she needs help, there is some old friend with a safe house or she meets a trustworthy stranger. Even Julia mentions it herself in the book, when thinking “this was an unexpected stroke of luck”.

The book focuses on Julia, but there are moments when Liu decides to switch POV’s to characters on the ‘other side’. This adds to the scope of the story, but makes one of my gripes with the book obvious. All the other characters feel secondary and flat. Even Piers, who gets much page time, is bland and unbelievable. He starts off as a nervous lawyer, but transforms into a criminal mastermind within two days, only to revert back to being a clueless guy just to serve a dramatic plot line.
The character work on the ‘bad guys’ is even worse. They are exactly that… bad. They have no other character traits whatsoever.

The prose flows across the pages and is easy to follow, but Ken Liu sometimes kept important information hidden, while Julia already knew it. I think that’s a lazy way to keep the mystery and suspense intact.

The book touches on themes like racism, conspiracies, belonging, AI, … to spark some introspection and lift this novel above a standard sci-fi thriller. It’s in these moments that I recognize Ken Liu’s voice the most. Beneath the rather superficial story lies a well thought out world, with interesting ideas about the use of technology. I definitely notice the potential within this story, but the execution falls short for me.

You will enjoy this if you are a fan of fast-paced sci-fi thrillers in the likes of Blake Crouch. However, I expected more from Ken Liu.

All That We See or Seem completely caught me off guard, in the best possible way. A treasure hunt disguised as a high octane thriller, this genre-defying novel blends advanced technology, AI, and alternate realities with sharp pacing and a layered mystery at its core.

Julia Z is a standout protagonist, jaded yet deeply human, shaped by a vulnerable childhood and her past as a hacker. When she’s drawn into a complex missing person case, her ability to outthink and outmanoeuvre those around her becomes her greatest weapon. The twists and turns are clever, the world-building richly imagined, and the storytelling both cerebral and emotionally engaging.

This is the kind of book that keeps you guessing, and thinking, long after the final page. Ken Liu has crafted a sharp, smart, and surprisingly moving story with a strong female lead I’m already eager to follow in the next instalment.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this one is an absolute must read for fans of speculative thrillers, tech driven mysteries, and fierce, intelligent heroines.

Basically a thriller set in the not so distant future that makes the reader think a lot about Artificial Intelligence and its developing influence in society. It reminded me of some James Bond films with its very powerful baddie controlling the world from afar and having secret underground lairs.
I liked Julia Z the infamous hacker who had retreated into obscurity until recruited by Piers to find his successful dream spinning wife Elli who has disappeared. She was also an interesting character who has been seduced by fame until she realises she is trapped in a life she no longer wants. Other characters are not so padded out and a bit cliched.
It works well as an easy to read fairly realistic thriller with a final twist that I think most readers will have guessed in advance.
Thanks to NetGalley and head of zeus for the ARC

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu is a sci-fi thriller set in the near future. It takes place in a society where people heavily rely on AI for nearly everything, and data is constantly being collected from everyone. I thought this world was fascinating, but also creepy, as I'm a bit worried that something similar might become reality.

As for the story itself… I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t feel invested in the characters, and although the mystery/thriller aspect started off strong, it lost momentum as the book went on. Around the 60-70% mark, it felt like the story was wrapping up, but then it just kept going, which felt weird. Up to that point, I would have rated the book 3 stars. Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy the last part. The plot started to feel more and more unrealistic, and I found myself dreading picking it up again.

Overall, the story didn’t feel well-constructed, which is a shame because the world itself was cool (and a bit unsettling).

*Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

ARC received from Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.
(Expected release: 9th Oct 25)

Ken Liu’s All That We See or Seem is an exceptional blend of science fiction and thriller, offering a provocative meditation on identity, consciousness, and the human condition. Set in a near future where AI and pervasive technology infiltrate every facet of life, the novel pushes readers to question what it means to be human when memory, autonomy, and even perception can be engineered.

Liu’s world-building is as intricate as it is unsettling, and his prose carries the precision and elegance fans have come to expect. However, the pacing is uneven—some sections unfold with deliberate slowness while others accelerate abruptly, creating occasional dissonance. Minor grammatical issues appeared, though this is unsurprising in an ARC and did not detract from the experience.

Great fun reading the new novel from Ken Liu. However, it seems like a step back compared to the philosophical and profound short stories and the complexity of the Dandelyon series. This near future seems extremely near, could be mostly even today, and the innovations depicted are not very surprising.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve loved Ken Liu’s work since first reading one of his collections of short stories several years ago. I devoured the next collection, really appreciated his work translating The Three Body Problem, then found out about his Dandelion Dynasty series and got into that as well. I was really excited when I heard about All That We See or Seem, and very grateful when provided an ARC through NetGalley.

I liked the character development in the story and it was a really plausible scenario of how we could see technology control even more of our lives in the near future. It wasn’t dystopian, but certainly something I could see developing. I consider myself a bit of a tech geek and I loved the descriptions of future gadgets and gizmos, and new systems, and how they formed a part of the story. It was a really cool book - and I’m so glad it’s intended to be the first in a series.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC.
I haven’t read the Dandelion dynasty saga so I had no expectations whatsoever - I was fascinated by the premise of the book and that’s why I requested it.
It wasn’t the book for me, I’m sad to say.
The characters of this story were kinda flat: that’s what happens, I believe, when you let them go through stuff without showing how they affected them intimately, how their actions have been shaped (or not) by their past and why: saying that they are the way they are because of their upbringing or trauma is not enough, as I prefer a deeper dive in their thoughts and feelings and not just being presented with the facts.
The book is filled with acronyms and functional descriptions of technology some may be familiar with, that ultimately make the book way too wordy, stalling many passages with technicalities. I lost focus on the importance of AI being used on a larger, coercive scale, threatening individuality and privacy, by having to read countless derivative paragraphs that felt like an instruction manual.
The thriller aspect was kind of weak: the whole ordeal was basic in plot and execution, with different povs that gave away too much, leaving the reader as a spectator of things they already know and taking away the fun of trying to decipher the mystery.
Overall not the book for me. I didn’t enjoy reading this but pushed through, hoping it could deliver something by the end, but unfortunately it wasn’t the case.

The new sci-fi thriller from Ken Liu, ‘All That We See or Seem’ follows orphan hacker Julia Z who is enlisted by a lawyer to find his kidnapped wife, a case in which he's the police’s prime suspect. Known for ‘The Paper Tiger Menagerie and Other Stories’ and ‘Dandelion Dynasty' this book may seem a little surprising to Ken Liu fans, however it's not dissimilar to his ‘Hidden Girl and Other Stories’ collection and the ‘Pantheon’ TV adaptation that stemmed from it. The world building in this novel was brilliant and vivid and the way in which Liu used the various technological devices were intelligent and exciting. Ironically much of the best character work in this book were the supporting cast rather than Julia herself, while Julia was still a strong character she felt a little too close to the orphan archetype at times, albeit in a different setting. Still I'm excited to see what happens with her character throughout the rest of the series, and the characters were overall a real strength of this book. While the plot was exciting and fast paced, making great use of the setting to elevate it, Liu makes an odd decision structurally about two thirds of the way through which didn't quite hit for me. Despite that this is a truly fantastic book and while it would work perfectly as a stand alone I cannot wait for the next entry into this series.

This was a book with a really interesting plot and premise. I liked the plot and the setting of a not so distant future with humanity having a heavy reliance on AI and machines. The plot was entertaining up until the 70% mark when everything comes to a head. After that mark, I felt as though the story dragged on a little bit and the book then turned into a crime investigative thriller with a subplot. I had more questions than answers at the end especially relating to Elli. The book was enjoyable to read.

Julia has a troubled background. When Piers comes to ask for her help finding his missing wife, she’s reluctant. Julia says yes but has no idea what she has truly gotten herself into.

This book had a lot of really exciting moments and some excellent concepts. There was a good amount of action, which helped the parts that I could not understand at all.
I had a couple issues with this book that made it hard to read. It felt as though there were two different books trying to be tied into one. The rising and falling action led into another somewhat obscure path for the main character that just felt not tied to the rest of the book. My other issue was the fact that I didn’t know what the characters were talking about half the time. There were long sections of ‘explanation’ that were boring and not helpful to the plot.

I did like the occasional perspective shifts. And I enjoyed the plot overall. Just wasn’t my favourite.

Weird book. Felt like it ended two-thirds in and then just... kept going? The pacing is all over the place—like dreaming of running a marathon, to then wake up and realise it's the day of the actual marathon.

The AI themes are actually really smart, and you can tell Liu’s got a sharp mind for the philosophical side of tech and humanity. But the story itself? Not so much. It’s pretty half baked and unforgettable .

Characters were paper-thin, which was disappointing. No one really stuck with me or felt real. Hoping his fantasy stuff (which I’ve heard good things about) has more emotional depth, because this one didn’t hit on that front.

Still, props for ambition. Just didn’t quite land for me, won't continue series