Hi, thanks for stopping by. I’m Henry Lien. I’m a speculative fiction writer. In case you don’t know, that’s a fancy way to say “science fiction and fantasy writer” without people thinking you have geek cooties. If you’re looking for a list of my author appearances, click HERE.
My first novel, PEASPROUT CHEN, FUTURE LEGEND OF SKATE AND SWORD, came out from Holt/Macmillan in April 2018. The sequel PEASPROUT CHEN: BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS came out in January 2019. I am represented by the sagacious Alex Slater at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates for literary rights, and the benevolent Will Watkins and the august Josie Freedman at CAA for media rights.
I write mostly fiction but also some non-fiction. Mostly books, but some short stories and songs, too. I like to write about very specific things, like Wu Liu (a sport I made up combining kung fu and figure skating), imperial court eunuchs, earthquakes, grandes dames of the Gilded Age, underwater gardening, and how to talk to dolphins.
I attended Clarion West Writers’ Workshop in 2012. It was deeply rad. I studied under George R.R. Martin, Chuck Palahniuk, Kelly Link, Gavin Grant, Connie Willis, Stephen Graham Jones, and Mary Rosenblum. Since then, I have sold stories to magazines including Asimov’s, Analog, the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, and been nominated for a few Nebulas.
Before becoming a writer, I worked as an attorney, fine art dealer, and college instructor. I was born in Taiwan. I live in Hollywood, CA.