Ken Liu

Ken Liu is a renowned American author of science fiction (SF) and fantasy novels. His works have won numerous awards including the Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy Awards as well as being a two-time winner of the John W. Campbell Award.

Ken Li was born in Hanford, California in 1976. He studied computer science and philosophy at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude. After graduation, he worked in IT and management consulting for several years. In 2012 he quit the consulting industry to pursue his dreams of writing full time.

He has written three science fiction novels including The Grace of Kings, The Wall of Storms and The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, a short story and novella collection. His other notable works include, Invisible Planets and Monsoon Mansion, a collection of short stories and poetry. His writing also appears on a diverse range of topics including sustainability, economics, artificial intelligence and ecology.

The Grace of Kings, a fantasy novel, follows two opposing sides in a struggle for power and supremacy in an Asian-inspired world. His latest novel, The Wall of Storms, is a multi-generational epic fantasy in which cultures clash and strange new technologies dominate the landscape.

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, his novella collection, won the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy awards and was nominated for the International Urania Award. In this work, he combines traditional storytelling with pioneering speculative fiction, reinventing the SF genre with stories that explore culture, identity and love.

Invisible Planets is a collection of sixteen short stories that explore what it means to be human and non-human in a changing world, dealing with topics such as human-bot relationships, automation and artificial intelligence. His short story Monsoon Mansion, a work set in the not too distant future, won the Locus Award and was a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula and Theodore Sturgeon Awards.

Apart from writing and awards, Ken Liu also translates from Chinese to English. Famous author Cixin Liu’s remembers Ken Liu fondly, saying, “I still remember the news that Ken had accepted my science fiction novel for translation. I understood this honor for him to be more than simply a commercial undertaking.”

Ken Liu’s works draw on his Chinese heritage, exploring themes of Eastern culture, power and history. He brings diverse backgrounds and identities, such as what it means to be Chinese-American and his own experiences, to his writings. Writing must all kinds of SF: he once said in an interview, “It is my hope that all science fiction readers, regardless of their orientation or preference, can read and enjoy the stories.”

For those who want to explore SF in world untouched by Western culture, Ken Liu is a master of the genre. His works are sure to surprise, delight, challenge and inspire.