As 2025 unfolds amid artificial intelligence advancements and geopolitical uncertainties, what better way to begin the year than with a surreal, thought-provoking novel? Maggie Su’s debut, Blob: A Love Story, offers exactly that—a blend of bizarre fiction and emotional depth.
The novel follows Vi, a young Taiwanese-American woman who stumbles upon an unusual discovery outside a dive bar: a gelatinous beige blob with eyes, a mouth, and lips. Rather than dismissing it as an oddity, she takes it home, feeds it, and watches as it slowly transforms into a man.
On the surface, the premise is strange, almost whimsical. Vi essentially molds her ideal companion—“He doesn’t look like any one movie star but rather a conglomeration of movie stars”—but Blob: A Love Story is far more than a lighthearted sci-fi romance.
Vi is a 20-something navigating the uncertainties of adulthood. She has dropped out of university, works a monotonous front-desk job at a hotel, and struggles with a recent breakup. She treats her colleagues, friends, and even family with indifference, yet nurturing Bob the blob forces her to confront her own emotional detachment. Through her interactions with him, she begins to question her relationships and her capacity for change.
As Bob evolves, so does Vi’s understanding of herself. “He’s so pure. Anything I do or say could taint him,” she reflects, highlighting the contrast between her cynicism and Bob’s innocence.
However, Bob is not just a creation—he is an evolving being with thoughts and emotions of his own. When he escapes Vi’s apartment and interacts with the outside world, he becomes more than just her personal experiment. His journey raises questions about identity, autonomy, and what truly makes someone human.
Maggie Su leaves readers with more questions than answers, avoiding the temptation of a neatly wrapped conclusion. Instead, she crafts a story about growth, self-awareness, and the unexpected ways in which people—or in this case, blobs—enter our lives and change us.
With its unique premise, sharp humor, and underlying emotional depth, Blob: A Love Story is an inventive and surreal exploration of human connection, proving that even the strangest encounters can lead to meaningful transformation.
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