Sky Daddy

Sky Daddy

A Novel

About the Book

“Audaciously imagined. Slyly executed. Surprisingly tender. Deliciously weird.”—Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch

Cross the jet bridge with Linda, a frequent flyer with an unusual obsession, in this “razor-sharp and tender-hearted” (Lily Brooks-Dalton, author of The Light Pirate) debut novel by the acclaimed author of Out There.

Linda is doing her best to lead a life that would appear normal to the casual observer. Weekdays, she earns $20 an hour moderating comments for a video-sharing platform, then rides the bus home to the windowless garage she rents on the outskirts of San Francisco. But on the last Friday of each month, she indulges her true passion, taking BART to SFO for a round-trip flight to a regional hub. The destination is irrelevant, because each trip means a new date with a handsome stranger—a stranger whose intelligent windscreens, sleek fuselages, and powerful engines make Linda feel a way that no human ever could. . . .

Linda knows that she can’t tell anyone she’s sexually obsessed with planes. Nor can she reveal her belief that it's her destiny to “marry” one of her suitors by dying in a plane crash, a catastrophic event that would unite her with her soulmate plane for eternity. But when an opportunity arises to hasten her dream of eternal partnership, and the carefully balanced elements of her life begin to spin out of control, she must choose between maintaining the trappings of normalcy and launching herself headlong toward the love she’s always dreamed of.

Both subversive and unexpectedly heartwarming, Sky Daddy hijacks the classic love story, exploring desire, fate, and the longing to be accepted for who we truly are.
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Praise for Sky Daddy

“This is the craziest, funniest book I’ve read in a while. And I read a lot of crazy, funny books. Get your boarding pass out and get ready for some turbulence. Sky Daddy is insane.”—Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends

“Breathtakingly audacious, Sky Daddy lifts off and swiftly accelerates, breaking the barrier of your preconceptions and disbelief, taking you to utterly new places and insights.”—Ling Ma

“Kate Folk has an unusual eye and style, but if you buckle up, it’s one hell of a ride.”Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”

“Far and away one of the most audacious and surprisingly feel-good books that 2025 has to offer.”Polygon, “Most Exciting Books for 2025”

“[A] subversive and touching love story.”Language Arts, “2025’s Must-Read Books”

Sky Daddy is a voyeuristic masterpiece—you’ll never look at a contrail (or an airplane blanket) the same way again.”—Kimberly King Parsons, author of We Were the Universe

“This book is a dog whistle for the true freaks—never have I felt so seen! I loved it.”—Rita Bullwinkel, author of Headshot

“With wit and humor, Kate Folk gives us an unsettling but fascinating look at the complicated ways humans relate to technology.”—Weike Wang, author of Rental House

“Powerful and wise, Sky Daddy also manages to be the funniest book about sexual obsession that I have ever read.”—Colin Winnette, author of Users and The Job of the Wasp

“I found myself breathless, shocked, and wonderstruck. Kate Folk is a singular talent, soaring in a brilliant universe all her own.”—Emily Habeck, author of Shark Heart

“Innovative, daring, and (very) fun, Kate Folk’s eccentrically smart novel of outward, and inward, love effortlessly blends humor and heart. It's impossible to forget.”—Iain Reid, author of We Spread

“Get on board already! Sky Daddy is absurd and poignant, hilarious and gruesome, razor-sharp and tenderhearted.”—Lily Brooks-Dalton, author of The Light Pirate

“Delightfully weird and totally electric.”—Gina Chung, author of Sea Change and Green Frog

“Kate Folk’s sharp sentences and sidesplitting characters sparkle with glorious cringe. Do not miss this flight.”—Henry Hoke, author of Open Throat

“With this brilliant deep dive into the irrational abyss of obsession, Kate Folk proves herself to be a truly original new voice in fiction.”—Mat Johnson, author of Pym

“Audaciously imagined. Slyly executed. Surprisingly tender. Deliciously weird.”—Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch

Sky Daddy is outrageously funny and smartly unsettling . . . also probably the worst (or . . . best?) book to read on a plane.”—Ed Park, author of Same Bed Different Dreams

Sky Daddy is an exhilarating, addictive, and entirely convincing novel, not to mention strangely tender, deeply compassionate, and with pin-sharp prose.”—Lara Williams, author of Supper Club

“Wry, tender, and sweetly odd . . . It’s an unforgettable ode to the pursuit of desire.”Publishers Weekly, starred review

“An utterly confident and endearing portrait of a woman unlike anyone readers have met before.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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About the Author

Kate Folk
Kate Folk is the author of the short story collection Out There. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Granta, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, and Zyzzyva. A former Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, she’s also received support from the Headlands Center for the Arts, MacDowell, and Willapa Bay AiR. She lives in San Francisco. More by Kate Folk
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