Neal Shusterman Explained

Neal Shusterman
Birth Date:	12 November 1962
Birth Place:	New York City, U.S.
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Novelist
Awards:	National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2015) Margaret A. Edwards Award (2024)
Period:	1988–present
Genre:	Young adult fiction, dystopian fiction, science fiction
Language:	English
Alma Mater:	University of California, Irvine
Children:	4

Neal Shusterman (born November 12, 1962) is an American writer of young adult fiction. He won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for his book Challenger Deep and his novel, Scythe, was a 2017Michael L. Printz Honor book.^{[1] [2]}

He won the Margaret Edwards Award in 2024 "honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens."^[3]

Early life

Shusterman was born on November 12, 1962, and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. His family is Jewish.^[4]

From a young age, Shusterman was an avid reader. At the age of 16, Shusterman and his family moved to Mexico City.^[5] He finished high school there at the American School Foundation and is quoted as saying that "Having an international experience changed my life, giving me a fresh perspective on the world, and a sense of confidence I might not have otherwise."^[6] He attended the University of California, Irvine, where he double-majored in psychology and theater, and was also on the varsity swim team.^{[7] [8] [9]}

Career

After college, Shusterman worked as an assistant at the Irvin Arthur Associates, a talent agency in Los Angeles, where Lloyd Segan became his agent. Within a year, Shusterman had his first book deal and a screenwriting job. He lives in Florida.^[10]

Shusterman has received numerous honors for his books, including the 2005 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and 2008 California Young Reader Medal for The Schwa Was Here, as well as the 2015 National Book Award for Challenger Deep.^[11] He served as a judge for the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship in 2012.^[12] Unwind has won more than 30 awards and is in development with Constantin Film as a television series.^[13]

In 2016, it was announced that his novel Scythe is in development with Universal as a feature film.^[14] Challenger Deep was acquired by Disney+ in 2019, and Will McCormack has been selected to write the script.^[15]

He has been nominated four times (twice in 2019; 2020; 2023) in different categories of the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis and won the Youth Jury Prize in 2019. In March 2023, the German translation of the book Roxy, written with his son Jarrod Shusterman, was nominated by the youth jury.^[16]

Shusterman has also written for TV, including the Disney Channel Original Movie Pixel Perfect, and episodes of Goosebumps, Animorphs, and R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series.^[17]

Fellow author Orson Scott Card invited Shusterman to write novels parallel to Ender's Game about other characters from the series, but schedules didn't permit it, and Card wrote Ender's Shadow and the subsequent series himself.^[18]

Awards

• 2005 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for The Schwa Was Here
• 2008 California Young Reader Medal for The Schwa Was Here^[19]
• 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Golden Kite Award for Fiction, and Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor for Challenger Deep^{[20] [21]}
• 2017 Michael L. Printz Award Honor for Scythe^[22]
• 2019 Young Hoosier Book Award (Middle Grade) for Scythe^[23]
• 2019 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Challenger Deep (German: Kompass ohne Norden), chosen by the youth jury

Bibliography

Fiction series

The N.O.A.H. Files trilogy (with Eric Elfman)

• I Am the Walrus^[24]
• Shock the Monkey^[25]

The Accelerati trilogy (with Eric Elfman)

• Tesla's Attic (2014) ^{[26] [27] [28]}
• Edison's Alley (2015) ^{[29] [30]}
• Hawking's Hallway (2016) ^[31]

Antsy Bonano

• The Schwa Was Here (2004) ^{[32] [33]}
• Antsy Does Time (2008) ^{[34] [35]}
• Ship Out of Luck (2013) ^{[36] [37]}

Arc of a Scythe

• Scythe (2016)
• Thunderhead (2018)^[38]
• The Toll (2019)^[39]
• Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe (2022)

Dark Fusion

• Dread Locks (2005)^{[40] [41]}
• Red Rider's Hood (2005)^{[42] [43]}
• Duckling Ugly (2006)^{[44] [45]}

Shadow Club

• The Shadow Club (1988)
• The Shadow Club Rising (2002)^{[46] [47]}

Skinjacker trilogy

• Everlost (2006)^{[48] [49]}
• Everwild (2009)^{[50] [51]}
• Everfound (2011)^{[52] [53]}

Star Shards

• Scorpion Shards (1995)^[54]
• Thief of Souls (1999)^[55]
• Shattered Sky (2002)^{[56] [57]}

The Unwind dystology

• Unwind (2007) ^{[58] [59]}
• UnStrung (2012) (short story) ^{[60] [61]}
• UnWholly (2012)
• UnSouled (2013) ^{[62] [63]}
• UnDivided (2014) ^{[64] [65]}
• UnBound (2015) (short story collection, contains UnStrung)^[66]

• The X-Files Young Adult Series

• 3) Bad Sign (1997) [writing as Easton Royce]^[67] novelization of The X-Files episode Syzygy

• 10) Dark Matter (1999) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of The X-Files episode Soft Light
• The X-Files Young Readers Series

• 8) Voltage (1996) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of The X-Files episode D.P.O.

• 9) E.B.E. (1996) co-authored with Les Martin [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of The X-Files episode E.B.E.

• 1) The Aliens Approach (1996) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of the pilot episode of the Space: Above and Beyond TV series
• 3) Mutiny (1996) [writing as Easton Royce] novelization of the Space: Above and Beyond episode, Mutiny

Other novels

• Dissidents (1989)
• Speeding Bullet (1991)^[68]
• What Daddy Did (1991) (later renamed Chasing Forgiveness)^[69]
• The Eyes of Kid Midas (1992)^[70]
• The Dark Side of Nowhere (1997) ^{[71] [72]}
• Downsiders (1999)^{[73] [74]}
• Full Tilt (2004) ^{[75] [76]}
• Bruiser (2010) ^{[77] [78]}
• Challenger Deep (2015) illustrated by Brendon Shusterman ^[79]
• Dry (2018) co-authored with Jarrod Shusterman
• Game Changer (2021)
• Roxy (2021) co-authored with Jarrod Shusterman

Picture books

• Piggyback Ninja (1994) Illustrated by Joe Boddy

Short stories

• Resurrection Bay (2013) [published only as an ebook]^[80]

Short story collections

• Darkness Creeping: Tales to Trouble Your Sleep (1993)
• Darkness Creeping II: More Tales to Trouble Your Sleep (1995)
• Mindquakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain (1996)
• Mindstorms: Stories to Blow Your Mind (1996)
• Mindtwisters: Stories To Shred Your Head (1997)
• Mindbenders: Stories to Warp Your Brain (2000)
• Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales (2007)
• Violent Ends (2015) co-authored with 17 other authors including, Brendon Shusterman, Shaun David Hutchinson, and Beth Revis

Games

• How to Host a Murder: Roman Ruins (1997)
• How to Host a Murder: The Grapes of Frath (1997)
• How to Host a Teen Mystery: Hot Times at Hollywood High (1997)
• How to Host a Murder: The Good, the Bad, and the Guilty (1998)
• How to Host a Murder: Tragical Mystery Tour (1999)
• How to Host a Teen Mystery: Barbecue with the Vampire (1999)
• How to Host a Murder: Saturday Night Cleaver (2000)
• How to Host a Murder: Maiming of the Shrew (2001)
• How to Host a Teen Mystery: Roswell That Ends Well (2002)
• How to Host a Murder: An Affair to Dismember (2003)

Nonfiction

• Guy Talk (1987)
• It's Ok to Say No to Cigarettes and Alcohol (1988)
• Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story (1989) with Cherie Currie
• Kid Heroes: True Stories of Rescuers, Survivors, and Achievers (1991)

Poems

• "Shadows of Doubt" (1993)

Screenwriting credits

Television

• Goosebumps (1996-1998)
• Animorphs (1998)
• (2011)

Film

• Double Dragon (1994)
• Pixel Perfect (2004)

Notes and References

1. Web site: National Book Awards 2015 . 2024-07-02 . National Book Foundation . en-US.
2. Web site: Printz Award 2017 Young Adult Library Services Association . 2024-07-02 . www.ala.org . en.
3. Web site: Neal Shusterman wins 2024 Edwards Award for 'The Arc of the Scythe: Scythe, Thunderhead and The Toll,' 'Bruiser,' 'Challenger Deep,' 'Everlost,' 'Full Tilt,' 'The Schwa Was Here' and 'Unwind' ALA . 2024-07-02 . www.ala.org . en.
4. Web site: Jensen . Kelly . 2020-05-26 . Neal Shusterman's Inclusive YA and Talking to the Author About Representation . 2023-04-23 . BOOK RIOT . en-US.
5. Book: Gale, Thomas . Neal Shusterman Biography . May 8, 2009 . .
6. Web site: About . 2024-07-02 . Neal Shusterman . en-US.
7. Web site: Yolsirivat . Nattanont . The Wonderful Neal Shusterman . PantherNation . 2018-04-10 . 2022-10-10.
8. Web site: Exploring the abyss . UCI News . 2016-03-10 . 2022-10-10.
9. Web site: Scythe :: Kling Memorial Library . Kling Memorial Library . 2022-10-10.
10. Web site: Neal Shusterman: Bio . May 23, 2008 . Shusterman . Neal . storyman.com . . https://web.archive.org/web/20080620002614/http://www.storyman.com/bio/ . June 20, 2008 . dead .
11. Web site: Book . Horn . Past Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Winners . 2024-07-02 . The Horn Book.
12. Web site: Announcing the 2012 PEN Literary Award Recipients . October 15, 2012 . February 6, 2013 . PEN American Center.
13. Web site: 2015-07-22 . UNWIND Movie News! . 2024-07-02 . Neal Shusterman . en-US.
14. Web site: Galuppo . Mia . 2016-05-06 . Universal to Adapt Upcoming Neal Shusterman YA Series, Starting With ‘Scythe’ (Exclusive) . 2024-07-02 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
15. Web site: Jr . Mike Fleming . 2019-07-25 . Disney+ Acquires Neal Shusterman Novel ‘Challenger Deep’ With ‘Toy Story 4’s Will McCormack Adapting . 2024-07-02 . Deadline . en-US.
16. Web site: Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis 2023 Nominierungen . Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur . 2023-03-23 .
17. Web site: Neal Shusterman Writer, Producer . 2024-07-02 . IMDb . en-US.
18. Card himself describes the origins of the idea for Ender's Shadow and Shusterman's early involvement in the foreword of some editions of Ender's Shadow, including)
19. Web site: Winners . CYRM . November 19, 2015.
20. Web site: 2015 National Book Award Winner, Young People's Literature . November 19, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151119055311/http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2015_ypl_shusterman.html . November 19, 2015.
21. Web site: M.ed . Lee Wind . 2016-07-29 . The Official SCBWI Conference Blog: The 2016 Golden Kite Award-Winner For Fiction: Neal Shusterman for Challenge Deep . 2024-07-02 . The Official SCBWI Conference Blog.
22. Web site: Printz Award 2017 Young Adult Library Services Association . 2024-07-02 . www.ala.org . en.
23. Web site: Past Winners: Young Hoosier Book Awards.
24. Web site: Goodreads: I am the Walrus . April 27, 2023 . Goodreads.
25. Web site: Goodreads: Shock the Monkey . March 19, 2024 . Goodreads.
26. Web site: The Accelerati Trilogy, Book One: Tesla's Attic . January 23, 2014 . June 23, 2015 . Disney Publishing Worldwide.
27. Web site: Tesla's Attic – Book Description . June 23, 2015 . Shusterman . Neal . storyman.com . .
28. Web site: TESLA'S ATTIC . December 7, 2013 . June 23, 2015 . .
29. Web site: The Accelerati Trilogy, Book Two: Edison's Alley . December 4, 2014 . June 23, 2015 . Disney Publishing Worldwide.
30. Web site: Edison's Alley – Book Description . June 23, 2015 . Shusterman . Neal . storyman.com . .
31. Web site: June 2015 News Tidbits . June 23, 2015 . Shusterman . Neal . storyman.com . . June 3, 2015 .
32. Web site: The Schwa – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
33. Web site: THE SCHWA WAS HERE by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
34. Web site: Antsy Does Time – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
35. Web site: ANTSY DOES TIME by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
36. Web site: Ship Out Of Luck – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
37. Web site: SHIP OUT OF LUCK by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
38. Web site: Sythe – Neal Shusterman. December 14, 2016.
39. Web site: Four Questions for Neal Shusterman. Publishers Weekly. February 7, 2019.
40. Web site: Dread Locks – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
41. Web site: DREAD LOCKS by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
42. Web site: Red Rider's Hood – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
43. Web site: DARK FUSION by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
44. Web site: Duckling Ugly – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
45. Web site: DUCKLING UGLY by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
46. Web site: The Shadow Club Rising – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
47. Web site: THE SHADOW CLUB RISING by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
48. Web site: Everlost – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
49. Web site: EVERLOST by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
50. Web site: Everwild – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
51. Web site: EVERWILD by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
52. Web site: Everfound – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
53. Web site: EVERFOUND by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
54. Web site: Scorpion Shards – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
55. Web site: Thief Of Souls – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
56. Web site: Shattered Sky – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
57. Web site: SHATTERED SKY by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
58. Web site: Unwind – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
59. Web site: UNWIND by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
60. Web site: UnWholly – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
61. Web site: UNWHOLLY by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
62. Web site: UnSouled – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
63. Web site: UNSOULED by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
64. Web site: UnDivided – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
65. Web site: UNDIVIDED by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
66. Web site: Digital Catalog – UnBound. June 25, 2016.
67. Book: royce. easton. the x files bad sign. 1997. HarperCollins. 9780064471701. first.
68. Web site: SPEEDING BULLET by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
69. Web site: WHAT DADDY DID by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
70. Web site: THE EYES OF KID MIDAS by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
71. Web site: The Dark Side of Nowhere – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
72. Web site: THE DARK SIDE OF NOWHERE by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
73. Web site: Downsiders – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
74. Web site: DOWNSIDERS by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
75. Web site: Full Tilt – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
76. Web site: FULL TILT by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
77. Web site: Bruiser – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
78. Web site: BRUISER by Neal Shusterman – Kirkus Reviews. June 25, 2016.
79. Web site: Challenger Deep – Neal Shusterman. June 25, 2016.
80. Web site: Resurrection Bay – Neal Shusterman – E-book. World. Archipelago. June 25, 2016.