Picture a French-Vietnamese storyteller who weaves alternate histories and sentient spaceships into spellbinding tales—meet Aliette de Bodard! This award-winning speculative fiction author, born in the U.S. but raised in Paris, has captivated readers with her unique blend of cultural richness and imaginative worlds. From Aztec noir to Vietnamese-inspired space operas, de Bodard’s stories challenge conventions and explore identity, power, and family with a fresh, vibrant voice.
The Making of Aliette de Bodard
Born on November 10, 1982, in New York City to a French father and Vietnamese mother, Aliette de Bodard moved to Paris at a young age, where French became her first language, though she writes in English. A graduate of the prestigious École Polytechnique, she trained as a software engineer, specializing in railway signaling as of 2024. Her love for mythology, history, and authors like Isaac Asimov and Ursula Le Guin sparked her writing journey. De Bodard published her first short story in 2006, earning a Writers of the Future award in 2007 and a nomination for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2009.
Aliette de Bodard’s Unforgettable Stories
De Bodard’s works are a tapestry of speculative fiction, blending science fiction, fantasy, and occasional horror. Her Obsidian and Blood trilogy, starting with Servant of the Underworld (2010), is an Aztec noir fantasy where gods and magic intertwine with gritty detective work. The Dominion of the Fallen series, beginning with The House of Shattered Wings (2015), paints a haunting post-apocalyptic Paris ruled by fallen angels, earning a British Science Fiction Association Award. Her Xuya Universe, a Vietnamese-inspired space opera, includes the Nebula-winning novella The Tea Master and the Detective (2018), a Sherlockian mystery featuring a sentient spaceship. De Bodard’s style is lush and sensory, often exploring mother-daughter relationships and non-Western cultures, challenging the sanitized futures of traditional sci-fi.
Recent works like Fireheart Tiger (2021), a sapphic romantic fantasy set in pre-colonial Vietnam, and Navigational Entanglements (2024), a xianxia-inspired space opera, showcase her versatility. Her stories, published in outlets like Asimov’s and Interzone, are celebrated for their intricate worldbuilding and emotional depth, earning her three Nebula Awards, a Locus Award, and six British Science Fiction Association Awards.
Why Aliette de Bodard Matters
Aliette de Bodard’s impact on speculative fiction is profound, diversifying the genre with her French-Vietnamese perspective and meticulous research into Aztec, Vietnamese, and Chinese cultures. Her focus on underrepresented themes, like complex familial bonds and non-Western settings, has inspired a new generation of writers to explore their own cultural narratives. As a member of the Written in Blood writers’ group, she champions inclusivity, reshaping sci-fi and fantasy into a more global, empathetic space. Her awards and nominations, including a double Hugo finalist spot in 2019, cement her as a trailblazer.
- Born: November 10, 1982, New York City
- Key Works: Obsidian and Blood, The House of Shattered Wings, The Tea Master and the Detective
- Awards: 3 Nebula Awards, 1 Locus Award, 6 BSFA Awards
Snag The Tea Master and the Detective and dive into Aliette de Bodard’s vibrant, culture-rich speculative worlds!