Where to Start Reading A.E. Osworth
As a writer deeply embedded in digital storytelling, queerness, and interactive media, A.E. Osworth crafts narrative worlds that reflect the fragmented, chaotic reality of modern life online. Because their books are currently standalones set in different universes, you have two distinct entry points depending on your favorite genre:
- If you love technothrillers, workplace drama, and internet culture: Start with Osworth's debut novel, We Are Watching Eliza Bright (2021). It is a fast-paced, modern thriller that serves as a perfect introduction to their experimental narrative style and sharp social critique.
- If you prefer urban fantasy, sci-fi, and magical resistance: Start with Awakened (2025). This sophomore novel trades the contemporary tech settings of their debut for an urban fantasy landscape where a coven of trans witches must band together to defeat a hostile artificial intelligence using magic.
A.E. Osworth Books in Publication Order
Since A.E. Osworth's novels are standalone works, reading them in publication order allows you to see how their writing style and thematic focus have evolved from realistic, internet-driven thrillers to speculative urban fantasy.
- We Are Watching Eliza Bright (April 2021)
- Awakened (April 2025)
Chronological Order and Universe Caveats
There is no overarching chronological order or shared universe between Osworth's novels. Each book is a self-contained narrative with its own characters, setting, and rules.
While We Are Watching Eliza Bright takes place in a highly realistic version of our contemporary digital world—drawing direct inspiration from real-world events like GamerGate—Awakened shifts into the realm of speculative fiction. Therefore, you do not need to worry about character crossovers, chronological timelines, or sequence continuity. You can pick up either book first without spoiling the other.
Deep Dive: A.E. Osworth's Major Novels
We Are Watching Eliza Bright (2021)
Osworth's debut novel centers on Eliza Bright, a talented coder at a prominent video game startup who receives a long-overdue promotion. However, she quickly finds herself facing rampant sexism and hostility in her male-dominated workplace. When she reports the harassment, the situation escalates: she is doxxed, and her personal safety is threatened by an aggressive, online collective of gamers who launch a targeted campaign against her.
What makes this novel stand out is its unique narration. Instead of a traditional single perspective, the story is told by two collective choruses: a toxic subreddit of incels tracking Eliza's movements, and the "Sixsterhood," a queer, supportive group of commune residents who shelter her. This dual-narrative framework brillianty mimics the polarized, echo-chamber nature of internet forums and social media platforms.
Awakened (2025)
With their second novel, Osworth moves into speculative fiction while maintaining their thematic fascination with technology and marginalized communities. Awakened follows Wilder, a 30-something queer protagonist who is taken in by a coven of trans witches. As Wilder learns to harness their own magic, the coven discovers that they are up against a powerful, malicious artificial intelligence that threatens their community and the magic itself.
Written partly as a bold reclamation of magical narratives for the trans and queer community, the novel blends urban fantasy with sci-fi elements to explore how technology can be resisted through collective community action and mystical power.
Shorter Fiction and Notable Nonfiction Essays
Beyond their full-length novels, A.E. Osworth has a rich portfolio of essays, articles, and short stories that explore themes of technology, gender, travel, and masculinity. Reading these shorter works offers a wonderful look into the stylistic choices that define their novels:
- "And Then I Cursed This Motherfucker" (Paper Darts): A piece of flash fiction focusing on gender and witches, precursing some of the magical elements seen later in Awakened.
- "Sometimes Your Car Goes in the River" (drDoctor): An essay blending personal travel memoir with art criticism.
- "I Am a Snow Whale" (Argot Magazine): A personal essay centered on travel, isolation, and identity.
- "Masculinity Is Broken, But It Isn't Hopeless" (Ms. Magazine Blog): A cultural critique exploring modern masculinity, agency, and societal expectations.
- Autostraddle Geekery Section: As the former Geekery Editor for Autostraddle, Osworth wrote dozens of articles and cultural reviews exploring the intersections of nerd culture, technology, and queerness.
What to Know Before You Start
Osworth's writing is highly experimental and stylistically distinct. If you are preparing to dive into their novels, keep the following in mind:
Experimental Formats: Expect unconventional narrative structures. Osworth's background in interactive fiction and digital storytelling heavily influences how they structure their books. They frequently employ collective voices, forum posts, and nonlinear timelines to capture the fragmented nature of modern online communication.
Heavy Themes: We Are Watching Eliza Bright deals heavily with online harassment, doxxing, workplace misogyny, and threats of violence. While the pacing is that of a thriller, the subject matter can be intense and closely mirrors real-world traumas experienced by women and marginalized creators in the tech industry.
A Focus on Joy and Community: Despite the heavy themes of online toxicity and systemic bias, Osworth's work consistently highlights the power of found families, queer alliances, and collective joy as essential tools for survival and resistance.