Catherine Cheng is the author of Whitefish, a literary horror debut coming out in Fall 2027 with Flatiron Books and Hodder & Stoughton.

Catherine Cheng is a Chinese-American author who currently lives in New York City. When she isn’t daydreaming about what to write next, she is probably listening to sad girl love songs through wired earphones. She also has two cats named Tofu and Yogurt, who are incredibly relevant to her writing process. Whitefish is her debut novel.

She is represented by Maddy Belton at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV, and Film Agency.

Coming Fall 2027

Whitefish

“These fish only have two urges: feed and breed.”

For fans of Tender is the Flesh, Our Wives Under the Sea and Mark Mylod’s film The Menu, this stunning literary horror is a delightfully dark journey through desire and greed that begs to be talked about.

WELCOME TO AN UNFORGETTABLE FINE DINING EXPERIENCE . . . 

À La Belle Étoile, New York City

Jun Li owes everything to the wealthy and generous Winslows, who funded his rise to Michelin-starred chef. So when the head of the family asks him to cook a mysterious piece of whitefish, Jun doesn’t question it—not even when a strange, sour liquid bleeds from the flesh. Once stewed in a rich, gingery coconut milk, the meat is the most delicious thing he’s ever prepared.

Except it’s no ordinary fish. And mermaid tastes best served fresh.

To feed the Winslows’ increasingly voracious appetite, Jun tends to their mermaid, carving him up in a bathtub and serving him piece by piece. Each bite of the decadent flesh stokes dangerous desires, driving the family toward paranoia, sexual obsession, and madness.

When an unsettling intimacy blooms between chef and ingredient, Jun must confront the possibility that what he truly hungers for is more than just meat.

How far would you go for the perfect bite?

Set against New York’s cutthroat fine dining scene and the toxic glamour of the Upper East Side, combining the class critique of Parasite with the forbidden desire of The Shape of Water, Whitefish is a satirically funny, superbly shocking, and beautifully grotesque horror you’ll devour in one sitting.

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  • “With incisive wit, succulent prose, umami complexity, and unexpected tenderness Whitefish is literary horror at its finest. If books earned Michelin stars, this brutal tale of consumption, ambition, and obsession would boast all three. A deliciously disturbing debut to devour.”

    Kelsea Yu, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Stormraven

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Other Projects

Collage of nine images including a woman with long black hair, a person in traditional white attire with a parasol walking down stairs, a temple scene with people, dried flowers, a close-up of a woman's eye, a person in armor, a hand holding a sword, intricate ancient stone carving, and a woman in traditional clothing among trees holding a book.
A collage of nine images including: floating white masks in a dark setting, a nighttime sky with clouds and a crescent moon, a woman with dark hair under a veil, a glowing blue hand reaching out, a person writing calligraphy, a hand with lace gloves on black fabric, a person with short hair surrounded by flowers, two glowing butterflies, and a woman with skull-like makeup holding flowers.
Collage of black and white and color images featuring women, a man in a suit, city buildings, and artistic drawings of female faces with expressive eyes, some with tears or blushing, and a person walking down a hallway, along with a notebook labeled "Girl Boss."
Collage of black and white images including a woman with long hair, roses, a vintage funeral setting, a woman lying in a bed, a forest scene, and a person with sunglasses and headphones. Texts overlayed: "YOUR NAME IS" and a paragraph about emotional connection, with the word "ALICE" at the bottom.
A collage of nine images with different artistic styles, including silhouettes, clouds, butterflies, human faces, and text. The text includes the words "PROGRESS" and "THE END."
Collage of nine photos featuring a woman and nature elements such as water lilies, leaves, and water, with text 'Paradise is a woman'.
A collage of nine images including close-ups of hands, flowers, water with butterflies, and a woman with a poetic quote about love and the sea.