Hello, friends! 🙂 How’s your October going? I just wanted to pop in here for a bit for a little exciting update/piece of news that I still cannot wrap my head around!!!!
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I’m in a sci-fi anthology!!!
And yes, sci-fi. Not fantasy. Which is…. surprising. Normally, you’ll find me surrounded by piles of fantasy books (usually my own chaotic manuscripts), where I can have magical creatures, enchanted objects, and also where I can pretty much rewrite the laws of logic and science with the simple explanation: “Oh, that’s how this magical world works!” That has always been my comfort zone. Magical worlds filled with whimsy and wonder. Oh yes, and children’s fiction as well. That is my comfort zone.
But science fiction??? Which has futuristic cities?? High tech things I can barely even imagine??? I once swore I would never ever write science fiction.
But then, my dear friend, Agnes Crisler, started a YA sci-fi/dystopion anthology, and everyone was joining, and I just… I could not resist!!! I have FOMO (fear of missing out). And so…. peer pressure made me cave.
However, this, for once, turned out to be a good thing, and I am so glad Agnes started this anthology, because I had so much fun writing this short story!!!!!! I was in a writing slump with Island Keepers, and this was something new, something fresh, and something exciting!
And then not 30 minutes after joining, the tiny idea I had for this sci-fi anthology that I’d maybe join somehow ballooned into an idea for a whole trilogy.
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So yes. I somehow found my way into writing not just sci-fi but also young adult. Which I also swore I would never touch, because, well, me writing YA???? I could never!
And because the idea somehow ballooned into a whole YA sci-fi trilogy taking place in 3099 Beijing China, I decided to write a prequel short story to the trilogy.
So here it is, y’all!!!!! I can finally share it you!! The anthology cover, and the title and synopsis of my story…..
On a day fractured by silence, memory, and consequence, nine voices rise from the dust. Marked is a unique anthology that threads together fiction, surrealism, and emotional depth–each story a shard of a world reshaped by a single moment. From distant planets to fractured timelines, these tales explore what it means to be human when everything falls apart.
Published by Quillion Press, this collection is a debut of creative collective bound by vision, vulnerability, and the power of storytelling.
Ta-da!!!! And here is the title of my sci-fi story:
In a dystopian world of darkness, where the Hui Gui have overtaken everything, the high tech city of Beijing is one of the last safe spots on the planet.
19 year old Liu Wen will never forget the day, all those years ago, that she and the other eleven cyborgs failed so miserably in their duty to defeat the Hui Gui. But now it is time. Wen must now get her baby sister, Liu Xia, to the Order for their new plan. A plan they are certain will work. A plan that will eradicate the Hui Gui once and for all.
But when the Tiankong, the energy dome around Beijing meant to keep the Hui Gui out, breaks and the Hui Gui swarm the city, Wen will have to face betrayals and heartbreak – all to make one, last sacrifice.
I’ve always wanted to write a story that takes place in China, and so I kind of decided, “Why not do it with this short story??” (And yes, I am Chinese. Isabelle Knight is a pen name, in case you were confused).
This anthology releases on October 15th, 2025, and will be available as an ebook! It will also be included in Kindle Unlimited, so if you have that, you read it for free with your KU subscription! You can pre-order it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTFR2319/
And yes, I will someday write the full YA trilogy that will accompany this prequel short story. When, you make ask?
…I have no idea…
(awkwardly points to my overflowing TBW — to-be-written — list)
Heh… uh… well… just know I will write the full YA trilogy someday.
Anyway, I wanted to pop in to announce this!!! Hope you’re just as excited for this anthology as I am! Let me know down in the comments what you think and if you’ve ever attempted writing something outside of your comfort zone!
Till next time,
-Isabelle
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