Book Series Guide

Simon Jimenez

Author guide

Simon Jimenez Books in Order

Simon Jimenez is a Filipino-American writer of speculative fiction. He received an MFA from Emerson College, and his short fiction has appeared in Canyon Voices and the 100 Word Story anthology Nothing Short Of. His debut novel, The Vanished Birds, was followed by The Spear Cuts Through Water. His work has received the British Fantasy Award and the IAFA Crawford Award, along with nominations for the Ursula K. Le Guin Award, the Ignyte Award, the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer.

speculative fictionscience fictionfantasy

Catalog record updated .

Simon Jimenez's Newest Book

Cover of The Spear Cuts Through Water

The Spear Cuts Through Water

novel · First published 2022

"The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace. But that god cannot be contained forever. With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom—and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined."-- Provided by Amazon

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Vanished Birds

The Vanished Birds

The debut novel and chronological starting point.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (2)
  1. The Vanished Birds

    novel · 2020

    A “highly imaginative and utterly exhilarating” (Thrillist) debut that is “the best of what science fiction can be: a thought-provoking, heartrending story about the choices that define our lives” (Kirkus Reviews, Best Debut Fiction and…

  2. The Spear Cuts Through Water

    novel · 2022

    "The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens…

Frequently asked questions about Simon Jimenez

Who is Simon Jimenez?

Simon Jimenez is a Filipino-American writer of speculative fiction. He received an MFA from Emerson College, and his short fiction has appeared in Canyon Voices and the 100 Word Story anthology Nothing Short Of.

Source: sites.prh.com (opens in a new tab)

Is Simon Jimenez Filipino-American and gay?

Jimenez has described himself as a gay person of mixed-race heritage and said he is half-Filipino. He has also discussed wanting his fiction to better represent experiences like his own.

Sources: pacificbookreview.com (opens in a new tab)kirkusreviews.com (opens in a new tab)

What writers and books influenced Simon Jimenez?

Jimenez has cited Dan Simmons’s Hyperion Cantos and Vernor Vinge’s A Fire Upon the Deep as major science-fiction influences. He also names David Mitchell, Gabriel García Márquez, and Jennifer Egan as important literary influences.

Source: kirkusreviews.com (opens in a new tab)

What awards has Simon Jimenez won?

In 2023, The Spear Cuts Through Water won the British Fantasy Society’s Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel and the IAFA Crawford Award.

Sources: britishfantasysociety.org (opens in a new tab)file770.com (opens in a new tab)

Where did Simon Jimenez study creative writing?

Jimenez earned his MFA in creative writing from Emerson College, where he began working on his first novel.

Sources: sites.prh.com (opens in a new tab)hudsonvillelibrary.org (opens in a new tab)