by Kathe Koja
First published 1993
Tess works alone with molten metal, obsessed with perfect welds and the searing heat of her craft. Her isolation breaks when she encounters Bibi, a performance artist who treats her own body like raw material. Bibi pushes her physical limits through dance, transforming herself into what she calls a precision instrument. The two women collaborate on performances that blend Tess's sharp metal sculptures with Bibi's movement, creating increasingly brutal and perilous art. Bibi craves transformation beyond what dance allows. She turns to body piercing, then ritual cutting and scarification. Her appetite for bodily modification grows insatiable. Tess ends their partnership, but cannot halt Bibi's descent into self-destruction. Bibi's quest to remake her flesh becomes consuming and unstoppable, driving her toward extremes that threaten to destroy her completely. The novel explores the dangerous territory where art meets obsession and the body becomes both canvas and sacrifice.
Genres: fiction, art, literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller, dark
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-academia, obsession, self-destruction
384 pages · Paperback · Weidenfeld Military
Content warnings: body-horror, graphic-violence, self-harm