Singaporean writer of speculative fiction
Neon Yang, formerly JY Yang, is a Singaporean writer of English-language speculative fiction best known for the "Tensorate" series of novellas published by Tor.com, which have been finalists for the Hugo Award, Locus Award, Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, Lambda Literary Award, British Fantasy Award, and Kitschie Award. The first novella in the series, "The Black Tides of Heaven", was named one of the "100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time" by "Time" magazine. Their debut novel, "The Genesis of Misery", the first book in "The Nullvoid Chronicles", was published in 2022 by Tor Books, received a starred review from "Publishers Weekly", received a nomination for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction, and was a Finalist for the 2023 Locus Award for Best First Novel and 2023 Compton Crook Award.
Biography.
Yang is non-binary and queer, and uses "they" pronouns. They legally changed their name to "Neon" in 2020. They have a master's degree in creative writing from the University of East Anglia and were a member of the 2013 class of the Clarion West Writers Workshop.
Career.
Yang has published short fiction since 2012 in publications such as "Clarkesworld", "Lightspeed", "Uncanny Magazine", "Apex Magazine" and "Strange Horizons". Their novelette, "Waiting on a Bright Moon" was a top ten finalist for the 2018 Locus Award for Best Novelette. Their novelette, "Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy" was a finalist for the 2020 Ignyte Award. Their novelette, "A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, Is Infinite Potential" was a top ten finalist for the 2021 Locus Award for Best Novelette.
Their "Tensorate" series of novellas began in 2017 with the simultaneously released "The Black Tides of Heaven" and "The Red Threads of Fortune", which were published by Tor.com to critical acclaim. "The Black Tides of Heaven" received a starred review from "Publishers Weekly", which called it "a captivating Buddhist-inspired steampunk setting" that "captures an epic sweep in compact, precise prose", and a positive review from "Library Journal", which called it (and its sibling volume, "The Red Threads of Fortune") "an impressive, fresh debut steeped in Chinese culture". "The Red Threads of Fortune" was also reviewed by "Publishers Weekly", which said "though not as gripping as ["The Black Tides of Heaven"], the novella authentically depicts trauma and lays promising groundwork for future books in the series". "The Black Tides of Heaven" was a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella, and the 2018 Kitschies Golden Tentacle, and was named one of the 100 best fantasy novels of all time by a "Time" magazine panel. The "Tensorate" series continued with the novellas "The Descent of Monsters" in 2018 and "The Ascent to Godhood" in 2019. "The Descent of Monsters" was a finalist for the 2019 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ SF/F/Horror and the 2019 Locus Award for Best Novella. "The Ascent to Godhood" received a positive review from "Publishers Weekly", which called it "a thrilling adventure [that] stands alone, as well as providing moving, complicated backstory for the earlier books", and was a Finalist for the 2020 Locus Award for Best Novella and the 2020 British Fantasy Award for Best Novella.
Yang's debut novel, "The Genesis of Misery", the first in "The Nullvoid Chronicles" trilogy, was announced by Tor Books in 2020, published in September 2022, and described as a retelling of the story of Joan of Arc as a mecha space opera. "The Genesis of Misery" received a starred review from "Publishers Weekly", which called it a "vibrant tour de force" and "a triumph", noting that it "presents a simultaneous embrace and inversion of Chosen One narratives" and its "themes of faith, suffering, queerness, and duty".
Themes.
Yang's work revolves around "the human body as a vessel for storytelling", and is based on their background as a molecular biologist, journalist and science communicator. They have described themself as "a deep pessimist about human nature," saying that "the best we can do is to recognize this and mitigate that assholic nature when we can. I think, ultimately, that’s what most of my stories end up being about." They have referenced David Mitchell, Helen Oyeyemi, and William Gibson as influences on their writing.
Yang has described their Tensorate novellas as "queer Asian science fantasy." The series has been described as "silkpunk" by reviewers.
Bibliography.
Novels.
"The Nullvoid Chronicles" trilogy
Novellas.
"Tensorate" series.
The four volumes were collected in an omnibus edition: "The Tensorate Series", Tor.com, 2021, 
References.
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