Coldwire

Lore & Background

This section is based on a non-existent work. Chloe Gong has not announced or published any series titled 'The StrangeLoom Trilogy' or a novel called 'Coldwire'.

Reader's Guide

Coldwire is significant as a 2025 entry in the young adult dystopian cyberpunk genre, written by a New Zealand author who drew on her own reading background and academic influences. The novel explores themes of diaspora, corporate control, and artificial intelligence, set against a cold war between two countries, Atahua and Medaluo. Its dual-protagonist structure and virtual reality setting reflect contemporary anxieties about technology and governance. The book's commercial success—becoming a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and a Good Morning America book club pick—indicates its resonance with young adult readers. Critical reception noted its inventive worldbuilding and crackling pace, though some characters were seen as stock players. The sequel is expected in 2026, suggesting the trilogy will continue to develop its exploration of bilateral international relations and the impact of corporate power on individuals.

Did You Know?

• The audiobook version was narrated by Shannon Tyo and released by Simon & Schuster Audio.
• The novel was published simultaneously in the United Kingdom by Hodderscape and in the rest of the world by Margaret K. McElderry Books.
• Gong credited the text 'Techno-Orientalism: Imagining Asia in Speculative Fiction, History, and Media' as her first real dive into cyberpunk.
• The sequel is expected to be released in 2026.