A.S. King is a woman (see picture), but I didn’t know that when I first read her work and she has the wonderful ability to really write in a genderless style. I read one story of hers on Word Riot and was blown away by her humor, her darkness and her ability to basically use magic realism in a way that I found refreshing and purposeful.  I immediately read everything else she had online and that was a really great day.  Sigh. I then contacted her via her website and told her that I was her  newest, rabid fan. Then I worried that she thought I was a stalker. But she insured me that if I were a stalker, she would like that. I find such a maturity of subject matter and playfulness to her stories and an ability to even broach politics –read this messed up, great one on Eclectica– without being preachy or didactic or anything but fascinating and truly thoughtful. She falls into the category of writer-whose-work-is -very-different-than-mine who I so appreciate for opening me up to different  ways of writing.

Pre-order her forthcoming book, The Dust of 100 Dogs, here, even though it’s a “young adult” book because how rad is a book about a girl pirate reincarnated as a dog 100 times who then comes back as a modern teenager? I’m reading it, ya or no ya.