S. L. Huang

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-09-04

S. L. Huang, born Shi Lian Huang in New Jersey, holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from MIT. Before turning to writing full time, Huang worked in Hollywood as a stunt performer and armorer, appearing in productions including Battlestar Galactica and Raising Hope as well as the reality series Top Shot; a breast cancer diagnosis prompted the decision to leave the entertainment industry and pursue fiction writing. Huang, who identifies as genderqueer, began as a self-published author before being acquired by Tor Books, and draws heavily on personal mathematical expertise in crafting fiction. Huang is best known for the Cas Russell series, featuring a mercenary protagonist whose extraordinary abilities stem from an unusual relationship to mathematics, blending hard-edged action with rigorous internal logic. Other notable works include the Hugo Award-winning short story "As the Last I May Know" (2020), which examines the ethics of nuclear command; the fantasy novella Burning Roses; and The Water Outlaws (2023), a gender-flipped retelling of the classical Chinese novel Water Margin that was a finalist for the 2024 Nebula Award. Huang's novel Murder by Pixel was also a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award. Across genres spanning science fiction thriller, fantasy, and speculative crime fiction, Huang is noted for combining technical precision with sharp, propulsive storytelling and a consistent interest in questions of moral agency and structural violence.

Universe(s)

Books

• The Water Outlaws (2023) · The Water Outlaws Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 1 book
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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