Contemporary Fiction

Meet an over-the-hill Pop Yé-yé singer with a faulty heart, two conservative middle-aged women holding hands in the Galápagos, and the proprietor of a Laundromat with a penchant for Cantonese songs of heartbreak. Rehash national icons: the truth about racial riot fodder-girl Maria Hertogh living out her days as a chambermaid in Lake Tahoe, a mirage of the Merlion as a ladyboy working Orchard Towers, and a high-stakes fantasy starring the still-suave lead of the 1990s TV hit serial The Unbeatables.Heartfelt and sexy, the stories of Amanda Lee Koe encompass a skewed world fraught with prestige anxiety, moral relativism, sexual frankness, and the improbable necessity of human connection. Told in strikingly original prose, these are fictions that plough, relentlessly, the possibilities of understanding Singapore and her denizens discursively, off-centre. Ministry of Moral Panic is an extraordinary debut collection and the introduction of a revelatory new voice.

Ministry of Moral Panic could be a good read for someone who is interested in unconventional, thought-provoking stories that explore the complexities of Singaporean culture and society. The book's unique and distinctive feature is its use of moral ambiguity and frank exploration of sexual themes. Readers may appreciate the way author Amanda Lee Koe challenges traditional notions of morality and societal norms.

Gut Symmetries could be a good read for someone interested in a complex love story intertwined with physics theories. The book's unique feature is its exploration of relationships through the lens of particle physics and Grand Unified Theory. The love triangle in the book is fascinating and makes the story unforgettable.