Writer of speculative fiction that's often queer, sometimes political, and always full of wonder.
Updates
Website Renovation Forthcoming
I'm working on a bit of renovation for this site in both design and content, including improved accessibility features. I'm also happy to say—though it's too early to share any details—that I'll have at least two new short stories coming out in 2025!
About me
I'm non-binary, asexual, neurodivergent, and anti-fascist. I'm also a white settler and have lived most of my life on Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ (Cayuga) and Umonhon (Omaha) & Otoe-Missouria land. I say so because these things influence my writing. I believe in the value of representation for the disempowered, and I believe in the power of fiction to move people and ultimately move societies. So I tend to write stories with a lot of queer, PoC, neurodiverse characters, exploring themes of identity and family, survival and recovery, resistance, justice, and self-determination. And I like to wrap it all together with magic and majesty, physics and futures, with that speculative sense of wonder and vastness that reminds you we're all part of something bigger than ourselves.
After earning a PhD in linguistics, I took up copy editing for an educational non-profit. When I'm not writing queer fantasy and sci-fi, I also like to make art and conlangs (constructed languages), read books, ride bikes, and teach myself web development. (Like the site? Why thanks, I made it myself!)
Find me around
My particular neurodivergences make social media difficult for me, but I try to check in there periodically. A better way to reach me is by email, riley.neither@gmail.com.
I've also created a separate website to serve as a combination art portfolio and craft shop: www.neitherwise.com
Pronouns & pronunciations
Gender-neutral pronouns, please. I'll accept most any (other than "it"), so if there's a set you're already familiar with (like singular "they"), feel free to use those for me. All else being equal, though, I prefer ze/zim/zer, and so do some of my characters. They work like this:
| ze | ~ she/he/they | Ze used to play flute. |
| zim | ~ her/him/them | You might still catch zim at it now and then. |
| zer | ~ her/his/their | Zer flute is old and tarnished. |
| zers | ~ hers/his/theirs | This flute is too shiny to be zers. |
| zimself | ~ herself/himself/themself | Ze tries not to take zimself too seriously. |
(If your screen is too narrow for this table, it scrolls horizontally. So do other tables throughout the site.)
As for the name, I pronounce Neither with the first vowel like "eye," not like "see."
© Riley Neither