Jordan Kurella

Jordan Kurella
Jordan Kurella holding a copy of his book I Never Liked You Anyway.
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
GenreScience fiction, fantasy, horror
Years active2015–present
Notable worksThe Death of Mountains, I Never Liked You Anyway

Jordan Kurella is an American fantasy and horror author. His fiction, which has been described as new weird[1] "with a strong moral bent,"[2] has been a finalist for the Nebula Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Theodore Sturgeon Award.

Biography

Kurella lives in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kenyon College in 1999.[3][4][5] He is transgender and disabled and has previously worked as a photographer, radio station disc jockey, and social worker.[6]

Career

Kurella initially wrote literary fiction, but published only a single short story before realizing that he preferred to write fantasy and horror stories.[7] Since then, his short fiction has been published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Apex Magazine, and Lightspeed Magazine. In 2024, his short story "Evan: A Remainder" was published by Reactor Magazine and named a finalist for the Nebula Award[8] and the Theodore Sturgeon Award.[9]

His first book of long fiction, I Never Liked You Anyway, was released in 2022 by the small press Vernacular.[10] His follow-up novella The Death of Mountains was released in 2025 by Lethe Press.[2]

He has also served on the board of directors of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America[11]

Critical Reception

Kurella's stories have been noted for being "serious, thoughtful, melancholy" and carried by "beautifully rendered characters and their voices."[12] His stories have also been noted to belong to the new weird genre[1] and described as haunting allegories[10] "with a strong moral bent.[2]

The Ancillary Review of Books called Kurella's novella The Death of Mountains "a delightful, thoughtful, moving story of a mountain who doesn’t want to die, and the Death that doesn’t want to kill her."[12] Publishers Weekly called the book "a fabulist take on the cli-fi formula that makes a powerful case for the triumph of the natural world."[2] The novella was named a finalist for both the 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction[13][14] and the Nebula Award.[8]

Publishers Weekly called his novella I Never Liked You Anyway "funny, sexy, and wrenching" while also noting that "Kurella's beautifully queer take on this story shows Eurydice's full and compelling humanity."[10]

Kurella is a three-time finalist for the Nebula Award, twice in the category of Best Novella and once for Best Short Story.

Bibliography

Novellas

  • I Never Liked You Anyway (Vernacular, 2022)

Short Story Collections

  • When I Was Lost (Trepidatio Press, 2022)

Selected Short Fiction

  • "Evan: A Remainder" (Reactor, 2024)

References

  1. ^ a b "SH@25 Episode 10: An interview with Jordan Kurella" by Kat Kourbeti, Strange Horizons, March 17, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Death of Mountains by Jordan Kurella," Publishers Weekly, January 9, 2025.
  3. ^ "Valentine’s Day got you down? You’re not alone in feeling lonely. How to give yourself a boost" by Erin Jensen, USA Today, February 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "Kenyon Class of 1999 Fall Class Letter," Kenyon College, accessed 4/2/2026.
  5. ^ "Book Shelf," Kenyon Alumni Magazine, accessed 4/2/2026.
  6. ^ "Press Kit," Jordan Kurella's website, accessed 4/2/2026."
  7. ^ "Bite into a baconless BLT with Jordan Kurella in Episode 201 of Eating the Fantastic," Scott Edelman, Eating the Fantastic podcast, episode 201, June 30, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Jordan Kurella: Past Nominations and Wins," The Nebula Awards, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, accessed 4/2/2026.
  9. ^ "Loyer Wins 2025 Sturgeon Award," Locus Magazine, October 3, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "I Never Liked You Anyway by Jordan Kurella," Publishers Weekly, June 02, 2022.
  11. ^ "2022 SFWA Election Results," Locus Magazine, May 10, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Small Press Dispatch: The Voice of the Hills" by Roseanna Pendlebury, Ancillary Review of Books, July 2, 2025.
  13. ^ "Here Are the Finalists for the 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction" by Molly Templeton, Reactor Magazine, February 18, 2026.
  14. ^ a b "L.A. Times Book Prizes 2025: Amy Tan, Adam Ross among honorees" by Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, February 18, 2026.
  15. ^ "2025 Locus Poll Award," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, accessed 4/3/2026.
  16. ^ "2025 Hugo Awards," Internet Speculative Fiction Database, accessed 4/2/2026.
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