The Dead Do Not Improve

In this glorious debut novel, Jay Caspian Kang gives us a story of murderous intrigue, hippie detectives, and an MFA student on the run—a true original in terms of story, voice, language, and humor.

Philip Kim, stymied recent MFA recipient and a scathing, expert capturer of the filth and glory of our modern times, becomes the focus of an elaborate, violent scheme after the murder of his elderly next-door neighbor. Philip maneuvers through a suddenly menacing, unknowable San Francisco, fending off militant surfers, overpopulated quinoa cafes, and aggressive Advanced Creative Writing students as he--and the laconic cops who land his case--tries to determine who's causing trouble in this city he loves to hate. Exceedingly unique, pulsing with vigor and heart, and loaded with fierce, fresh language, The Dead Do Not Improve will have Jay Caspian Kang standing alongside Junot Diaz, Gary Shteyngart, and Jonathan Lethem as a true American original.