Neon Yang

An enthralling collection of new and classic tales of the fearsome Djinn, from bestselling, award-winning and breakthrough international writers. Imagine a world filled with fierce, fiery beings, hiding in our shadows, in our dreams, under our skins. Eavesdropping and exploring; tormenting us, saving our souls. They are monsters, saviours, victims, childhood friends. And they are everywhere. On street corners, behind the wheel of a taxi, in the chorus, between the pages of books. Every language has a word for them. Every culture knows their traditions. Every religion, every history has them hiding in their dark places. There is no part of the world that does not know them. They are the Djinn. With stories from Neil Gaiman, Nnedi Okorafor, Amal El-Mohtar, Catherine Faris King, Claire North, E. J. Swift, Hermes (trans. Robin Moger), Jamal Mahjoub, James Smythe, J. Y. Yang, Kamila Shamsie, Kirsty Logan, K. J. Parker, Kuzhali Manickavel, Maria Dahvana Headley, Monica Byrne, Saad Hossain, Sami Shah, Sophia Al-Maria and Usman Malik.

With an armored, oath-bound hero reminiscent of The Mandalorian and the Asian-inspired epic fantasy of She Who Became the Sun, Neon Yang's Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen. Few know the true identity of the masked guildknight of Mithrandon. She barely remembers herself. The masked guildknight--Yeva--was thirteen when she killed her first dragon. With her gift revealed, she was shipped away to the imperial capital to train in the rare art of dragon-slaying. Now a legendary dragon hunter, she has never truly felt at home--nor removed her armor in public--since that fateful day all those years ago. Yeva must now go to Quanbao, a fiercely independent and reclusive kingdom. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper, but instead loved and worshipped. It is rumored that there, they harbor a dragon behind their borders. While Yeva searches for the dreaded beast, she is welcomed into the palace by Quanbao's monarch, Lady Sookhee. Though wary of each other, Yeva is shocked to find herself slowly opening up to the beautiful, mysterious queen. As they grow closer, Yeva longs to let Lady Sookhee see the person behind the armor, but she knows she must fulfill her purpose and slay the dragon. Ultimately, she must decide who--or what--she is willing to betray: her own heart, or the sacred duty that she has called home for so long.

A Goodreads Best Science Fiction Choice Award NomineeA New York Public Library Top 10 Book of 2022 An immersive, electrifying space-fantasy, Neon Yang's debut novel The Genesis of Misery is full of high-tech space battles and political machinations, starring a queer and diverse array of pilots, princesses, and prophetic heirs." This is Joan of Arc meets Gideon the Ninth with a touch of Pacific Rim thrown in as a treat. A mind-blowing rollercoaster ride of a space opera, propulsive and strange in the best way."--Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling author It's a story you think you know: a young person hears the voice of an angel saying they have been chosen as a warrior to lead their people to victory in a holy war. But Misery Nomaki (she/they) knows they are a fraud. Raised on a remote moon colony, they don't believe in any kind of god. Their angel is a delusion, brought on by hereditary space exposure. Yet their survival banks on mastering the holy mech they are supposedly destined for, and convincing the Emperor of the Faithful that they are the real deal. The deeper they get into their charade, however, the more they start to doubt their convictions. What if this, all of it, is real? A reimagining of Joan of Arc's story given a space opera, giant robot twist, the Nullvoid Chronicles is a story about the nature of truth, the power of belief, and the interplay of both in the stories we tell ourselves.

There are many ways to be a heroine. Princess and swordswoman, lawyer and motorcyclist, scholar and barbarian: there are many ways to be a heroine. In this anthology, seventeen authors find new ways to pair one weapon-wielding woman and one whose strengths lie in softer skills. "Which is more powerful, the warrior or the gentlewoman?" these stories ask. And the answer is inevitably, "Both, working together " Herein, you'll find duels and smugglers, dance battles and danger noodles, and even a new Swordspoint story From big names and bold new voices, these stories are fun, clever, and always positive about the power of love. Ellen Kushner * Aliette de Bodard * Yoon Ha Lee * Neon Yang * Jennifer Mace * Django Wexler * Freya Marske * Claire Bartlett * K. A. Doore * Alison Tam * Ann LeBlanc * Cara Patterson * Chris Wolfgang * Elaine McIonyn * Elizabeth Davis * S. K. Terentiev * Kaitlyn Zivanovich