The Language of Liars

A story of secrets, body jumping, and the power of language, The Language of Liars is a poignant, thought-provoking new masterpiece from award-winning author of The Water Outlaws S. L. Huang.

"Pitch-perfect science fiction about linguistics and consequences. This book destroyed me."--Yoon Ha Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Ninefox Gambit

A New Scientist Best of 2026 Pick, an Amazon Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of April Pick

Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them.
And discover you've destroyed them.

In his training as a spy, Ro was warned: you will always be living a lie.

Jumping into a Star Eater's mind in the first place requires a moment of perfect psychic connection, and he has studied all his life to comprehend their species. Admires them, respects them, is reverent at the idea of being one of them--the only species physiologically capable of mining the element needed for lightyear-spanning space travel. The species all others crave to know more of, but who have notoriously shared so very little. The species Ro's own small civilization, with its dwindling resources and withering reach, needs to know more about.

It will feel real, his elders impressed upon him. It will never be real.

But Ro's certainty runs deep: he will be different. Ro will not be an imposter hiding the truth of his past, because his heart will be one of them. He will be one of them.

To understand is to become. It never occurs to him that the mere act of understanding can destroy.