Tell us a little about yourself and what you like to write.
I am Singaporean, married with two girls. I like to read, cook and garden. And I like to write. I tend to write science fiction and fantasy, a bit on the social aspect – as in looking at the relationships and nuances in society. I also write YA and urban fantasy.
What was it that inspired “Dragon-Form Witch”?
Teenagers. Kids who are different growing up in Singapore. The Chinese dragons in the story are part of the Myriad, a name for all the non-human groups. Also, familial relationships and obligations, things we sometimes find it hard to run away from.
How urban do you like your fantasy and who are your must-read authors?
As urban as it can be. I live in a highly urbanized environment, but I like to weave fantasy in to it, that magic can co-exist beside the mundanity of the business district or suburbia. Must-read author: Charles de Lint.
You’ve written about Chinese werewolves and dragons among many others – how deeply does myth and folklore influence your work?
Deeply, I think. I grew up with Chinese myths and legends. I mean, there is a lady who flew to the moon. There is also the Journey to the West. There are fox ladies and spider demons. Likewise, where I am, we have other things like the Garuda, the Naga, the orang bunian and the were-tigers.
What are you up to next?
My YA science fiction novel Rider will be published by this year (2013). Another urban fantasy novel is slated for next – I need to get to the edits! And a couple of shorts in anthologies, including We See a Different Frontier.
[Born in Singapore but a global citizen, Joyce Chng writes mainly science fiction (SFF) and YA fiction. She likes steampunk and tales of transformation/transfiguration. Her fiction has appeared in The Apex Book of World SF II, The Ayam Curtain and Crossed Genres. She can be found at A Wolf’s Tale ]
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