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Shaun David Hutchinson

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Shaun David Hutchinson
Born (1978-05-01) May 1, 1978 (age 46)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Alma materJupiter Community High School
Florida Atlantic University
GenreYoung adult fiction
Notable worksWe Are the Ants (2016)
Website
shaundavidhutchinson.com

Shaun David Hutchinson (born May 1, 1978)[1] is an American author of young adult texts. His novels often "combine speculative elements with LGBT characters and themes."[2]

Personal life

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Hutchinson was born May 1, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, and grew up in Jupiter, Florida.[1] He has three brothers and one half-sister.[1] In his memoir, Brave Face, Hutchinson explains that, throughout his adolescence, "he struggled to understand his sexuality, his depression, and the suicide attempt that led to a search for self-acceptance."[2] He has ADHD and now identifies as queer.[2]

Hutchinson graduated from Jupiter High School, then studied medieval and renaissance literature at Florida Atlantic University, though he dropped out to work in information technology.[1]

Hutchinson presently lives in Seattle, Washington.[1]

Career

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Most of Hutchinson's novels include elements of speculative fiction. In an interview with The Horn Book, Hutchinson explained why he chooses this genre, saying it "gives [him] the space to explore human emotions in a richer way than [he] could do in straightforward contemporary fiction" because the genre "is frequently about looking toward the future, and though the future often seems bleak, ... it's also filled with hope and wonder — a necessary counterbalance to the realities of life."[3]

Selected texts

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We Are the Ants (2016)

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Main article: We Are the Ants

We Are the Ants was published January 19, 2016, by Simon Pulse[4] with a 24-page companion story, "What We Pretend to Be", published on the publisher's website, Riveted, later that year.[5]

The book was generally well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist,[6] Kirkus Reviews,[7] School Library Journal,[8] Publishers Weekly,[9] and Shelf Awareness.[10] Kirkus called the book "[b]itterly funny, with a ray of hope amid bleakness". Shelf Awareness echoed the sentiment, calling the novel "bracingly smart and unusual".[10] As if explaining the book's unusualness, School Library Journal compared the storyline and writing style to Nick Burd's The Vast Fields of Ordinary and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five.[8] Booklist further explained, "Hutchinson's excellent novel of ideas invites readers to wonder about their place in a world that often seems uncaring and meaningless. The novel is never didactic; on the contrary, it is unfailingly dramatic and crackling with characters who become real upon the page".[6]

The Lambda Literary Foundation and Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) also praised the book for its thematic contents. VOYA said the novel tells "a very complex story about serious subjects". Lambda Literary expanded on the idea, saying it "is a book about more than love and loss; it's about struggling to find motivation and not taking the people in your life for granted".[11] Both complimented Hutchinson's writing. Lambda Literary called the book "a beautiful, masterfully told story by someone who is at the top of his craft",[11] and VOYA noted, "The voices of each character are strong and unique".

In 2017, We Are the Ants was included in the American Library Association's Rainbow List top 10[12] and was selected as one of the best 63 novels for young adults published in the previous twelve months.[13] Time included the novel on their continuously updating "100 Best YA Books of All Time" list.[14]

In 2022, We Are the Ants was listed among 52 books banned by the Alpine School District following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, "Sensitive Materials In Schools",[15] 42% of which "feature LBGTQ+ characters and or themes".[16][15] Many of the books were removed because they were considered to contain pornographic material according to the new law, which defines porn using the following criteria:

  • "The average person" would find that the material, on the whole, "appeals to prurient interest in sex"[17]
  • The material "is patently offensive in the description or depiction of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sadomasochistic abuse, or excretion"[17]
  • The material, on the whole, "does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value".[17]

At the Edge of the Universe (2017)

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At the Edge of the Universe was published February 7, 2017, by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The book was generally well received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews,[18] Publishers Weekly,[19] and Shelf Awareness.[20] Kirkus called the book "[a]n earthy, existential coming-of-age gem,"[18] while Booklist called it "wrenching and thought provoking."[21] Commenting on the book's plot and structure, Shelf Awareness said it is "delightfully constructed,"[20] and School Library Journal said it is "smartly written."[22] Publishers Weekly highlighted how "Hutchinson uses a science fiction overlay to explore important topics."[19]

At the Edge of the Universe is an American Library Association Rainbow List selection (2018),[23] and the Chicago Public Library included it on their "Best Teen Fiction of 2017" list.[24]

Awards and honors

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Below is an incomplete list of awards and honors Hutchinson's books have received.

Eight of Hutchinson's books are Junior Library Guild selections: We Are the Ants (2016),[25] At the Edge of the Universe (2017),[26] The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza (2018),[27] Brave Face (2019),[28] The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried (2019),[29] The State of Us (2020),[30] A Complicated Love Story Set in Space (2021),[31] and Before We Disappear (2022).[32]

The Chicago Public Library has included two of Hutchinson's books on their year-end lists of the best books for teens: The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza (2018),[27] Brave Face (2019).[28]

In 2017, Time magazine added We Are the Ants to their continuously updating "100 Best YA Books of All Time" list.[14]

Awards and honors for Hutchinson's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2016 The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley American Library Association Rainbow List Selection [33]
We Are the Ants Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee [34]
2017 American Library Association Rainbow List Top 10 [12]
Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection [13]
2018 At the Edge of the Universe American Library Association Rainbow List Selection [23]
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Selection [35]
2019 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalist [36]
Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection [37]
American Library Association Rainbow List Selection [38]
2020 Brave Face Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [39]
The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Selection [40]
2022 A Complicated Love Story Set in Space Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [41]

Publications

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Anthologies

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  • Violent Ends (2015)
  • Feral Youth (2017)

Nonfiction

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  • Brave Face: A Memoir (2019)

Novels

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  • The Deathday Letter (2010)
  • FML (2013)
  • The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley (2015)
  • We Are the Ants (2016)
  • At the Edge of the Universe (2017)
  • The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza (2018)
  • The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried (2019)
  • The State of Us (2020)
  • A (Complicated) Love Story Set In Space (2021)
  • Before We Disappear (2021)
  • Howl (2022)

Short stories

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  • "Better" in Grim, edited by Christine Johnson (2014)
  • "Please Remain Calm" in Been There, Done That, edited by Mike Winchell (2016)
  • "The Inferno and the Butterfly" in All Out, edited by Saundra Mitchell (2018)
  • "What We Pretend to Be," a We Are the Ants online exclusive from RivetedLit.com (2016)
  • "Defying Definition" in (Don't) Call Me Crazy, edited by Kelly Jensen (2018)
  • "Love is a Battlefield" in Battle of the Bands, edited by Eric Smith and Lauren Gibaldi (2021)
  • "Spite and Malice" in Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between, edited by Laura Silverman (2022)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "About". Shaun David Hutchinson. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  2. ^ a b c Futterman, Allison (2019-09-04). "Shaun David Hutchinson". The Writer. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  3. ^ "Spring 2017 Publishers' Preview: Five Questions for Shaun David Hutchinson". The Horn Book. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  4. ^ Hutchinson, Shaun David (2016). We are the ants (First ed.). New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 978-1-4814-4963-2. OCLC 946579344.
  5. ^ "Read WHAT WE PRETEND TO BE, A New We Are The Ants Short Story". Riveted. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  6. ^ a b Cart, Michael (2015-10-01). We Are the Ants. Retrieved 2022-08-06 – via Booklist.
  7. ^ "We Are the Ants". Kirkus Reviews. 2015-09-16. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  8. ^ a b DavidDar, Mahnaz (2016-12-01). "We Are the Ants". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  9. ^ "We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson". Publishers Weekly. 2015-12-14. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  10. ^ a b Davis, Ali (2016-02-19). "We Are the Ants". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  11. ^ a b Lovett, Sawyer (2016-01-20). "'We are the Ants' by Shaun David Hutchinson". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  12. ^ a b Rainbow List: 2017. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2022-08-06 – via Booklist.
  13. ^ a b "2017 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  14. ^ a b "The 100 Best YA Books of All Time". Time. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  15. ^ a b "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  16. ^ "School District Removes 52 Books From Libraries". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  17. ^ a b c Mullahy, Brian (2022-07-28). "Alpine School District pulls dozens of books from school library shelves". KUTV. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  18. ^ a b "At the End of the Universe". Kirkus Reviews. 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  19. ^ a b "At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson". Publishers Weekly. 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  20. ^ a b Anderson, Stephanie (2017-02-07). "At the Edge of the Universe". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  21. ^ Reagan, Maggie (2016-11-15). At the Edge of the Universe. Retrieved 2022-08-07 – via Booklist.
  22. ^ "At the Edge of the Universe". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  23. ^ a b "2018 Rainbow List". Rainbow Book List. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  24. ^ ChiPubLib_Teens. "Best Teen Fiction of 2017". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  25. ^ "We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  26. ^ "At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  27. ^ a b "The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  28. ^ a b "Brave Face: A Memoir by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  29. ^ "The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  30. ^ "The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  31. ^ "A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  32. ^ "Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  33. ^ "2016 Rainbow Book List". Rainbow Book List. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  34. ^ "We Are the Ants". Goodreads. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  35. ^ Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2018. 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2022-08-07 – via Booklist.
  36. ^ "The Walden Award". ALAN. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  37. ^ "2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  38. ^ "The 2019 Rainbow Book List". Rainbow Book List. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  39. ^ "2020 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2020-01-06. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  40. ^ "2020 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2020-01-07. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  41. ^ "2022 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
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