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Maybe sophomore slumps are a concern for some authors, but that isn’t something Ling Ling Huang has to worry about. Huang’s satirical horror/speculative fiction/literary fiction debut, Natural Beauty, was, as you can imagine by the slew of genres I just threw at, unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Her follow-up novel, Immaculate Conception, was a highly anticipated read for me this year. I saw it on a bunch of lists at the beginning of 2025, so I’m not the only one who was eagerly awaiting a new book from this author. You’ve probably guessed, but just so we’re clear: Immaculate Conception 100% lived up to the hype.
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
Immaculate Conception is a literary sci-fi novel that injects the art world with innovative technology and scientific advancements. Some of the science/technology in the story seems very much within the realm of possibility (such as AI), while others seem more speculative (like a person conceiving a child on their own). But all of it is done in the name of artistic expression, of experimenting with what is possible and how the public will react to such experimentation.
At the center of these art experiments are Mathilde and Enka, two friends who meet in art school and immediately form a deep, obsessive, co-dependent bond with one another. Right away, Enka admires her classmate Mathilde’s artistic vision. Mathilde has a unique perspective and unparalleled talent, and Enka hopes closeness to such a talent will help her own star rise. Mathilde sees Enka as an endlessly comforting presence, someone who is always there for her, even in her darkest moments.
Mathilde and Enka graduate and move on to live their adult lives, both of them moving in different directions. Mathilde becomes a famous, critically-acclaimed artist, whose strange exhibits shock and tantalize audiences. Enka marries a wealthy man who gives her access to the elite art world from a different angle, even though Enka’s mother-in-law will never take her or her art seriously.
Yet despite their very different trajectories, Mathilde and Enka’s lives remain relentlessly intertwined. Their love and respect for one another are complex and challenging to put into words. Then SCAFFOLD makes their relationship even more confusing. With this new invention, Enka and Mathilde can truly meld minds. Enka volunteers to undergo a procedure that would allow her to enter Mathilde’s mind and help her friend process her deepest traumas through enhanced empathy. When their minds become one, Mathilde and Enka will be one for eternity. But when they learn the truth about one another, will they even want that anymore?
Readers, there is so much happening in this book that it’s challenging to summarize it in a few paragraphs. While it might seem like I’ve already discussed a lot of the plot, know that I have only scratched the surface. Immaculate Conception is a novel that isn’t just read. It is experienced. And you absolutely should experience it.
If you love stories about female friendships, narrators with questionable morals, satirical send-ups of elitist art culture, and disturbing sci-fi, you won’t be able to put this book down.
