Q&A: Chloe Gong, Author of ‘Coldwire’

We chat with author Chloe Gong about her latest release Coldwire, which is the start of a daring new dystopian series where humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival.

Hi, Chloe! Welcome back! It’s been five years since we last spoke for the release of your debut, These Violent Delights. How have you been and what have you been up to?

I can’t believe it’s been five years! Time has flown. Since we last spoke, I’ve launched the Secret Shanghai universe that began with These Violent Delights and is now complete at four books and two novellas. I’ve also gone into adult fantasy with Immortal Longings, which is a trilogy that is still pending the third book while I return to YA with Coldwire. So I have been busy, but in the best way doing what I love.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve always been such a huge reader. I frequented the local library constantly and I would read so many books every week—it was genuinely my only hobby as a tween. At a certain point, I was running out of library books to read, and because I loved the thrill and the escapism of sinking into a story, I decided to try my hand at writing my own to see if it would give me the same feeling. It absolutely did, and I’ve been writing ever since.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: One of the Nancy Drew: Girl Detective books, I don’t know which one because I swept that entire series off the library shelves and into my bag.
• The one that made you want to become an author: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

Your latest novel, Coldwire, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Neon cyberpunk with teenage angst.

What can readers expect?

Neon cyberpunk with teenage angst! Just kidding, readers can also expect a vivid world caught in a cold war between two domineering nations, young cadets caught in a conspiracy, and railing against corporations.

Where did the inspiration for Coldwire come from?

For a very long time, I’d had the seed of an idea about a virtual reality world drifting somewhere at the back of my mind, but I couldn’t quite envision the accompanying story. It wasn’t until I did my senior year of college online during the pandemic that something clicked and I realized I wanted to write about a world in which virtual reality was trying to replace physical reality under the guise of safety and ease. And so Coldwire was born.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There’s one very quiet scene that follows two characters in an abandoned penthouse overlooking the city at night, and it is the culmination of a certain character arc as well as the most I got to lean into a sense of pure atmosphere while writing. I really loved that scene and I’d been looking forward to it from the very beginning.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Coldwire is written in first person, and I hadn’t written in first person for years at that point. These Violent Delights and everything that came after is in third person! So I essentially had to re-learn that style again, and it took a few rewrites and revisions, but the more I got to know the characters, the more I could perfect their narrative voice.

With it being five years since your debut and now seven novels published, what are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a writer?

That writing is an art, and art can’t be created in a vacuum. It can be so easy to assume that writing a good book just means sitting down at your desk and getting in the zone for it, but to have interesting things to say, you need to see the world. I remind myself of this every time I try to force myself to write and it’s just not working quite right. That usually means I need to go outside for a bit and touch some grass.

What’s next for you?

Next is the conclusion in the Flesh & False Gods trilogy that started with Immortal Longings. I hope I can talk about that soon, because this final book has been a long time coming… And after Coldwire, its sequel is also in pipeline, expected Fall 2026!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve really enjoyed Reasons We Break by Jesmeen Kaur Deo, which is also out now! Imagine Romeo & Juliet meets Breaking Bad with the most compelling characters—it was definitely one of my favorite reads of this year. I also recently loved The Poet Empress by Shen Tao, which is coming out in January and ranks as one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. And I’m really looking forward to Right as Rain by Tashie Bhuiyan!

About the book: To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.” But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy. Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason. Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong… Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

About the author: Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, People, Cosmopolitan, and more. She was named one of Forbes’s 30 Under 30 for 2024. Chloe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and international relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.

Will you be picking up Coldwire? Tell us in the comments below!