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Kaufman, Amie

(? - ) Australian author much of whose work has been in collaboration with Jay Kristoff or Meagan Spooner, most of her output being confined to Young Adult series. She is of sf interest for the Starbound sequence beginning with These Broken Stars (2013) with Spooner, the traditional lines of whose Space Opera narrative are "opened out" in terms of romantic fiction, as the Starship containing its young protagonists crashes out of Hyperspace and abandons them on a seemingly empty planet where, despite their varying backgrounds, they find themselves bonding (the cover of the first edition parodies Michelangelo's painting of God giving life to Adam with his finger). An evil corporation plays a role. The lovers' plight unpacked in The Illuminae Files sequence beginning with Illuminae (2015) with Jay Kristoff is perhaps more complex, as their colony planet is invaded (see Invasion) by two corporations simultaneously, the ship that rescues them is run by an AI they cannot trust, a plague may kill them all; and they have a quarrel. Eventually they must return to their home planet, where the plot has thickened in their absence.

The Unearthed sequence beginning with Unearthed (2019) with Meagan Spooner carries its young protagonists to an improperly explored planet where an ancient artifact known as the Undying (see Time Abyss) turns out to be a Weapon aimed at interstellar humanity. The name of the planet is Gaia (see Gaia), which may signal a challenge to the early assumptions of the cast. The Aurora sequence of Space Operas beginning with Aurora Rising (2019) with Jay Kristoff carries the spunky multi-species Aurora Legion Squad 312 through an array of challenges, including its being framed for a ruthless massacre, but more importantly the task of saving the galaxy from the Alien Ra'haam; more than one sequel may be expected. [JC]

Amie Kaufman

born

works

series

Starbound

These Broken Stars (Crow's Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin, 2013) with Meagan Spooner [Starbound: pb/Tom Corbett]
This Night So Dark (Crow's Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin, 2014) with Meagan Spooner [story: ebook: Starbound: na/Tom Corbett]
This Shattered World (Crow's Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin, 2014) with Meagan Spooner [Starbound: pb/Tom Corbett]
Their Fractured Light (Crow's Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin, 2015) with Meagan Spooner [Starbound: pb/Tom Corbett]

The Illuminae Files

Illuminae (Crow's Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin, 2015) with Jay Kristoff [The Illuminae Files: pb/Ray Shappell, Shutterstock]
Gemina (New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2016) with Jay Kristoff [The Illuminae Files: hb/]
Obsidio (New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018) with Jay Kristoff [The Illuminae Files: hb/]

Elementals

Ice Wolves (New York: HarperCollins, 2018) [Elementals: hb/]
Scorch Dragons (New York: HarperCollins, 2019) [Elementals: hb/]
Battle Born (New York: HarperCollins, 2020) [Elementals: hb/]

Unearthed

Unearthed (Los Angeles, California: Disney/Hyperion, 2018) with Meagan Spooner [Unearthed: hb/Mike Heath]
Undying (Los Angeles, California: Disney/Hyperion, 2019) with Meagan Spooner [Unearthed: hb/Mike Heath]

Aurora Cycle

Aurora Rising (London: Rock the Boat, 2019) with Jay Kristoff [Aurora Cycle: hb/Charlie Bowater]
Aurora Burning (New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2020) with Jay Kristoff [Aurora Cycle: hb/Charlie Bowater]
Aurora's End (New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2021) with Jay Kristoff [Aurora Cycle: hb/Charlie Bowater]

Isle of the Gods

Isle of the Gods (New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2023) [Isle of the Gods: hb/]

individual titles

The Other Side of the Sky (New York: HarperTeen, 2020) with Meagan Spooner [hb/]

links

Entry from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2011-current) edited by John Clute and David Langford.
Accessed 02:00 am on 27 July 2024.
<https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/kaufman_amie>