John Chu () is a Taiwanese-American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

writer. His work has won a

Nebula award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pr ...

, a

Hugo award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...

, an

Ignyte award The Ignyte Awards are an annual literary award for the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror works and achievements of the previous year. Established in 2020 by writers L. D. Lewis and Suzan Palumbo as an off-shoot of ''FIYAH Literary Magaz ...

, and a

Locus award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. Originally a poll ...

Personal life and education

Chu was born in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. He moved to the US and began learning English at age six. He read voraciously as a child and credits reading Year’s Best SF volumes as solidifying his love of short science fiction stories. The works of

Ted Chiang Ted Chiang (; pinyin: ''Jiāng Fēngnán''; born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula Award, Nebula awards, four Hugo Award, Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus Award, ...

made Chu realize it was possible to be a working author. Chu attended the 2006

Viable Paradise Viable Paradise is an annual one-week residential writing workshop held each autumn on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts and is focused on speculative fiction. The workshop began in 1997, as part of a science fiction convention pr ...

workshop. And in 2010 was a graduate of the

Clarion Clarion may refer to: Music * Clarion (instrument), a type of trumpet used in the Middle Ages * The Register (music), register of a clarinet that ranges from B4 to C6 * A Trumpet (organ stop), trumpet organ stop that usually plays an octave abov ...

science fiction & fantasy workshop. He has a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

computer engineering Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engi ...

and works as a microprocessor architect by day. He is gay, a theme that he explores in his writing. Other common themes in Chu's work include family relationships, the limitations of the body, accepting yourself, and the power of food in human connections. Chu is a fan of the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

. Chu published his first story in 2011. As of 2024, he has published over two dozen stories. In 2014, Chu’s third published story, "

The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere "The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere" is a 2013 science fiction/magic realism short story by American writer John Chu. It was first published on Tor.com,Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...

. Chu’s story "If You Find Yourself Speaking to God, Address God with the Informal You" won the 2022

, the 2023

, and the 2023

for Best Novelette. The story was runner up for the 2023

. Chu’s stories have appeared on the

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Mathematics and science * Locus (mathematics), the set of points satisfying a particular condition, often forming a curve * Root locus analysis, a diagram visualizing the position of r ...

Recommended reading list four times. In addition to his work as an author, Chu also reads for podcasts and translates novels and stories from Chinese into English. His interest in translation began after he acted as a beta reader for

Ken Liu , birth_date = , birth_place = Lanzhou, Gansu, China , occupation = , nationality = American , period = , genre = Science fiction, fantasy , subject = , movement = , notableworks= * '' The Paper Menagerie'' (2011 ...

’s English translation of The Three Body Problem. Chu was offered his first translation job in 2013. Chu’s debut novel is forthcoming.

Bibliography

Short fiction

References

External links

* *
John Chu's bibliography
Many of his stories are available free online. *
John Chu
, Tor.com, September 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, John Living people American gay writers American LGBTQ people of Asian descent American male short story writers American science fiction writers Asimov's Science Fiction people Hugo Award–winning writers Nebula Award winners Taiwanese emigrants to the United States Taiwanese gay writers Taiwanese male short story writers Year of birth missing (living people)