Shelley Parker-Chan is a nonbinary Asian author from Melbourne, Australia. There isn't much biographical information about them available online, given that they've only recently emerged as an author as of 2021. Before that, they worked on human rights, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights as an international development advisor in Southeast Asia (1). In a short biographical quip on their website, Parker-Chan states, "I write queer, lightly fantastical historical fiction with plot, a surfeit of feelings, and flawed characters making bad life choices" (1).
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| Shelley Parker-Chan |
Parker-Chan’s The Radiant Emperor duology, a “queer reimagining of the 14th century rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang, the peasant rebel who expelled the Mongols, unified China under native rule, and became the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty" (1), has won multiple awards, including Astounding Award for Best Debut, the British Fantasy Awards for Best Fantasy Novel, and Best Newcomer. When the first novel, She Who Became the Sun, was released in 2021, it reached the number one spot on The Sunday Times bestseller list and the number four spot in the Goodreads Choice Awards for fantasy novels that year (2). The sequel, He Who Drowned the World, was released in August 2023. The duology was both a Sunday Times and USA Today bestseller, and has been translated into fifteen languages (1).
In She Who Became the Sun, the main character Zhu "begins life in deep poverty and starvation as the sole surviving daughter not just in her family, but her entire village, after four years of a punishing drought" (3). "When the family’s terrible situation gets even worse, the girl makes the bold decision to take on her brother’s identity, and in turn, his fate... The new Zhu Chongba must survive as first a monk and then a warrior without appearing to be anything other than a boy, then a man. This Zhu finds her way forward by being clever, stubborn, and relentless, in ways both inspiring and devastating" (3). Both the main character and villain disrupt gender conventions, though in very different ways.
When asked about their inspiration for these novels, Parker-Chan highlighted Chinese and Korean dramas and said, "It was quite revolutionary to me because I could see every face on that screen, every character, was Asian — and therefore they could be a terrible, wretched individual, or the villain or the hero. It wasn’t making a broader statement that all Asians are like this. I found that very freeing because I like to write morally grey characters, people who are flawed" (2). Parker-Chan used this newly-discovered freedom to write their own story in which every character was Chinese, allowing those characters to be whoever they were, good or bad, without worrying about the message those traits would send to readers. Because She Who Became the Sun includes so much real-world 14th century Chinese culture, it also educates readers about Chinese history and customs in a subtle way.
In "Gender and Greatness in She Who Became the Sun", published in the Chicago Review of Books, Greer Macallister writes, "What Parker-Chan makes from the story of Zhu Yuanzhang is both inseparable from its real-life inspiration and wholly original. This inventive, powerful debut novel—equal parts action-packed and thought-provoking—belongs completely to its talented author from the first page" (3). This review is definitely meant for those who have read the book, as it contains some minor spoilers. Macallister describes Parker-Chan's writing skill throughout the novel and its specific elements, highlighting the book's complex characters and their connections to their various identities, especially gender identity and expression. As Macallister states, "She Who Became the Sun beautifully illustrates how the fantasy genre opens up to embrace anything an author can imagine—not just ghosts and goblins, but new ways of exploring and interrogating gender and identity, prejudice and violence, history and humanity" (3). The article praises Parker-Chan's writing and exploration of identity within the novel's semi-fictionalized version of fourteenth century China.
In the article, "Review: She Who Became the Sun is an important entry in the LGBTQ fantasy canon" from USA Today, Eliot Schrefer discusses Parker-Chan's writing early in the novel: "In the book’s opening chapters, Parker-Chan masterfully balances poetry and tension, keeping the reader flying through the pages as they watch Zhu gain a foothold in life. Whether lugging slopping washbasins or binding her breasts to prevent exposure, Zhu is sympathetic and resilient. Parker-Chan doesn’t establish Zhu’s male gender expression as merely a trick to survive; it is very much a part of her identity" (4). Schrefer provides some critiques of the novel as well, but also writes about how She Who Became the Sun gives us insight into how queer identities may have been expressed in 14th century China, and states that the novel "Expands our concept of who gets to be a hero and a villain, and introduces a pair of gender disruptors who are destined to change China – and the LGBTQ fantasy canon – forever" (4).
I was initially drawn to research and write about Parker-Chan because I had heard a plethora of positive reviews and recommendations of She Who Became the Sun, and I wanted to learn more about it and its author. As a queer writer, I'm always interested in learning about how successful queer authors incorporate LGBTQ+ issues and identities into their works, which is something Parker-Chan has spoken quite a lot about. I especially enjoy reading and writing in the fantasy genre, which Parker-Chan's duology falls loosely into while still maintaining its real-world connections and significance. Researching Parker-Chan and their works has made me even more excited to read The Radiant Emperor duology and has opened my eyes to more possibilities about how to include real social issues into fantasy writing.
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