Walking Practice: A Novel

Written by Dolki Min

Narrated by Nicky Endres

Squid Game meets The Left Hand of Darkness meets Under the Skin in this radical literary sensation from South Korea about an alien's hunt for food that transforms into an existential crisis about what it means to be human.

After crashing their spacecraft in the middle of nowhere, a shapeshifting alien find themself stranded on an unfamiliar planet and disabled by Earth’s gravity. To survive, they will need to practice walking. And what better way than to hunt for food? As they discover, humans are delicious.

Intelligent, clever, and adaptable, the alien shift their gender, appearance, and conduct to suit a prey’s sexual preference, then attack at the pivotal moment of their encounter. They use a variety of hunting tools, including a popular dating app, to target the juiciest prey and carry a backpack filled with torturous instruments and cleaning equipment. But the alien’s existence begins to unravel one night when they fail to kill their latest meal.

Thrust into an ill-fated chase across the city, the alien is confronted with the psychological and physical tolls their experience on Earth has taken. Questioning what they must do to sustain their own survival, they begin to understand why humans also fight to live. But their hunger is insatiable, and the alien once again targets a new prey, not knowing what awaits. . . .

Dolki Min’s haunting debut novel is part psychological thriller, part searing critique of the social structures that marginalize those who are different—the disabled, queer, and nonconformist. Walking Practice uncovers humanity in who we consider to be alien, and illuminates how alienation can shape the human experience.

Translated from the Korean by Victoria Caudle

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063258648

Dolki Min

Dolki Min is an artist and writer based in South Korea. Walking Practice is their first novel.

[Cecilie Bækgaard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Funny. Insightful. Unique. Odd but strangely relatable still. An exploration of queerness and beauty and being ‘othered’ and loneliness and much more. The narration is INSANE, the writing is fun and decidedly atypical. I cannot wait for more Dolki Min novels. Highly recommend.

[Jonnalyn Tabaco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Peak narration! This style felt so immersive. Visceral. Highly recommend!

[3dangerfield · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Disgusting in all the best ways, I could imagine it all so viscerally and somehow even found it amusing in so many ways. Worth the read! Random side note, the audio version is amazing with the voice following the energy levels of our beloved creature.

[Geoff Cavanough · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Phenomenal! Such a fun, gory read. The audiobook narration made the experience way better!