The prestigious National Book Award Wednesday night went to Charlie Yu for Interior Chinatown, reports CNN.
The satire published by Pantheon Books pokes fun at the racism and typecasting faced by Asian actors in Hollywood.
Yu seemingly was at a loss of words after receiving his award in a virtual ceremony.
“I will probably just stop talking now,” he said after giving some brief remarks, according to CNN “I’m going to go melt into a puddle right now.”
Described as a science fiction writer by Vulture, Yu’s past credits include such TV shows as Lodge 49 and Legion as well as HBO’s Westworld.
Twice he’s been nominated for his work on Westworld.
Interior Chinatown follows a character named Willie Wu who’s seemingly stuck doing bit parts before he lands his dream role as Kung Fu Guy.
The judges described Interior Chinatown as ” a bright, bold, gut punch of a novel.”
In celebrating his victory, Yu paid homage to those authors who won before him.
Pulitzer-prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen called Yu’s novel “hilarious, poignant, and painfully relevant.”
Novelist Joon Sookfong Lee touchingly said “I am crying,” in reaction to Yu’s honor.
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