Shaun David Hutchinson

About Shaun David Hutchinson

Shaun David Hutchinson was born on May 1, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida. He attended Florida Atlantic University but did not complete his degree. He is openly queer and has ADHD, experiences that both inform the young adult fiction he writes. Before his literary career, he worked in computer and technology support. He began publishing fiction in the early 2010s, and his fourth novel, We Are the Ants (2016), brought him widespread critical attention and established him as a distinctive voice in queer YA speculative fiction.

We Are the Ants follows a teenage boy named Henry who has been repeatedly abducted by aliens, and who is given the choice to press a button that would save the Earth—a choice he struggles to make because of the depression and grief he carries following the suicide of his boyfriend. The novel weaves science fiction speculation with an unflinching examination of depression, abuse, and the will to survive. It was named one of the best young adult novels of 2016 by numerous literary outlets. Hutchinson's other novels include The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley (2015), At the Edge of the Universe (2017), Brave Face: A Memoir (2019), and A Complicated Love Story Set in Space (2021).

His Most Challenged Works

We Are the Ants has been challenged in school libraries primarily for its LGBTQ+ content—including a gay protagonist, a relationship between two male characters, and depictions of their sexual and romantic lives—as well as for its treatment of suicide and depression. Challengers have objected to the book's frank portrayal of Henry's sexual experiences and to the central premise of a gay relationship. Mental health advocates and educators have praised the novel precisely for its honest treatment of suicide's aftermath from the perspective of those left behind, arguing that such representation can be lifesaving for young readers who share similar struggles. Hutchinson's memoir Brave Face, which openly addresses his own experiences with depression and suicidal ideation, has also been challenged.