2024 Publications - Kelsea Yu

Since we’re halfway through December (somehow?) I thought I’d share my 2024 publications! As I was going through my site, checking which of these published this year, I was gobsmacked to realize I’ve published ten original pieces this year, had one story translated, and three more reprints produced as podcasts?? I’m really proud of these pieces! And, of course, I’d be really, really honored to have any of them considered for awards, but I’m also just excited to share.

Aside from my novel, if you want a copy of any piece, send me a message and I’ll send it your way! :)

As a reminder, you can always check my website for content warnings, links to read in all available formats, about the book/story, and short samples! For short stories, check here. For essays, check here. For books, go to the book’s page.

NOVEL

My debut novel came out this year!

It’s Only a Game

young adult thriller / horror novel

A gamer girl and her friends are blackmailed by a mysterious programmer into playing a dangerous video game with real life consequences—but the further into the game they get, the more she realizes the murderer knows too must about the past she ran from.

Published by: Bloomsbury

SHORT FICTION

I published five pieces of original fiction in 2024!

“Within the Pink Paisley Walls”

horror short story

A modern gothic story inspired by “The Yellow Wallpaper”—a lonely girl discovers an abandoned house with a presence claiming to be her dead mother.

PUBLISHED in: MOTHER KNOWS BEST (anthology, Black Spot Books)

“Carol of the Hells”

horror short story

A modern horror story inspired by “A Christmas Carol,” in which a woman who lost half her family in a house fire decades earlier has the chance to relive her worst moment and make a new choice.

Published in: The Darkest Night (anthology, Crooked Lane Books)

“Skittering Within”

literary / fantasy short story

A girl with eczema and a strange connection to the ocean begins to transform in strange ways.

Published in: Apparition Lit (magazine)

“Creature”

literary / horror short story

A woman suffers a miscarriage, but something escapes her body along with it.

PUBLISHED IN: Kaleidotrope (magazine)

“To Rise Again”

literary / fantasy flash fiction

Cozy apocalypse piece that won the February Apex Magazine flash fiction contest with the theme “falling skies.”

Published in: APEX (Magazine)

ESSAY

I published four original essays this year!

“All the Missing Mothers”

personal essay

A personal essay about fairytales in connection with maternal mortality.

PUBLISHED IN: Nightmare (magazine)

“Here in the After”

personal essay

A personal essay about miscarriage, ghosts, and anachronisms.

published in: Apparition Lit (magazine)

“Writing Chinese Food Into My Stories”

personal essay

A personal essay about writing Chinese food and restaurants into my stories.

published in: CrimeReads

“Kelsea Yu’s YA Thriller Recommendations”

essay + recommendations

Brief essay + recommendations for YA thrillers to read (9 recommended reads + 9 bonus recommended reads).

published in: Nerd Daily

TRANSLATION

Note: This is a translation of a previously published story and is not eligible for 2024 awards, but I wanted to share that it is newly available to read in German!

“A Scarcity of Sharks” (German translation reprint)

science fiction short story

In a future where (great) white sharks have not been seen for years, a team of scientists sets out to discover if they are truly lost.

published in: future fiction (magazine)

REPRINT

Note: These are reprints of previously published stories and are not eligible for 2024 awards, but I wanted to share that they are newly available to listen in podcast form!

“Obedient Son” (reprint)

historical horror short story

A 17th/18th century twisted Chinese folklore retelling.

published by: Tales to Terrify (podcast)

“China Doll” (reprint)

horror short story

A college girl begins dating a boy, but someone watches. (Themes of exoticism, transformation, and misogyny.)

published by: drabblecast (podcast)

“The Orchard of Tomorrow” (reprint)

science fiction short story

In a future ravaged by climate change, a woman tries to win back her former best friend by telling a tale of the Monkey King and the Peaches of Immortality.

Published by: Cool Zone Media Book Club (podcast)

It's Only a Game ARC Letter

I thought it would be fun to share a letter I wrote to accompany It’s Only a Game! It provides a bit of background for why I wrote this book. My publisher included it at the front of the advanced readers’ copies. I made a pretty version of it for socials, but I’ve also included the plain text below the graphics. :)

Dear Booksellers, Librarians, and Reviewers,

In my family, being an avid reader is core to our identities. In childhood, my two younger brothers and I fought over who would get to be first to read the latest bargain bin book, and whenever my mom took us to the library, we’d each check out a stack as tall as we could carry—then, once we’d read through our stack, we’d borrow from one another’s. Because we devoured so many of the same books, we had our own built-in, unofficial book club.

One of the other big ways we connected was through video games. One of us would play Diddy Kong, another Donkey Kong, as we attempted to collect bananas and beat levels. Later, we’d try out bizarre strategies in Age of Empires or run around getting lost in Zelda (2/3 of us have a poor sense of direction). Later in life I married a gamer who ended up working in the video games industry. In our early days of dating, we played Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends together—and we discussed books.

So, for me, books and games have been two of the great connecting forces in my life. They both have the potential to be lonely endeavors, but they can also be a vehicle that forges strong bonds. Now, as my husband and I watch our children grow up and connect—with each other, with us, and with their friends—through books and games, it feels like we’re passing the torch.

In It’s Only a Game, I wanted to highlight how kids—especially those who grow up shy, isolated, or anxious—can form friendships through games. And in a world where gendered assumptions are frequently made about who plays games, I wanted to write the story of a gamer girl in particular.

My character, Marina, is on the run after a traumatic event. She’s scared and lonely and unsure of her place in the world. She meets a group of friends through games, and for a while, it’s her safe haven. When events from her past begin catching up to her and her friends, threatening the fragile new life she’s built, she has to relearn how and who to trust. I wanted to write the story of a girl who, like my younger self, seeks an escape in games, but finds connection and a place to belong instead.

Thank you for everything you do for readers and for authors. Book people are the best. Happy reading!

 

Sincerely,

Kelsea Yu