Nalo Hopkinson was born in Jamaica, grew up in Trinidad and Guyana, and settled in Toronto for two decades before taking up a position in Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside. Her five novels, which span (and mingle) the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, have won numerous awards.

"Every so often I come up with a different definition of what science fiction and fantasy do, and I'm always looking for one that describes what they both do, rather than separating them. Currently I'm saying that one of the things they do is look at the effects of large-scale social change on both populations and individuals. Fantasy tends to look to the past, and science fiction to the future, but what is common to many of the stories is change: huge societal upheaval."

—Nalo Hopkinson