April Daniels (author)

{{Infobox writer

| name = April Daniels

| image =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| occupation = Writer

| period = 2017–present

| nationality = American

| alma_mater = University of California, Santa Cruz

| notableworks = Dreadnought, Sovereign

| spouse =

| website =

}}

April Daniels is an American author of the Nemesis superhero trilogy.

Personal life and education

Daniels lived in Ashland, Oregon until she was ten years old, where she was exposed to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, before her family moved to Los Angeles, California.{{Cite web |last=B |first=Rob |date=January 23, 2017 |title=Interview with April Daniels (Author of DREADNOUGHT) |url=https://www.sffworld.com/2017/01/aprildaniels-interview/ |language=en-US}} She was homeless in San Francisco for a time,{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2017 |title=April Daniels Tackles Trans Teen Trouble in Superheroine Story Dreadnought |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/april-daniels-tackles-trans-teen-trouble-superheroine-story-dreadnought/ |access-date= |website=B&N Reads |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Author Q&A: April Daniels |url=https://tetheredbyletters.com/author-qa-april-daniels/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421084457/https://tetheredbyletters.com/author-qa-april-daniels/ |archive-date=2021-04-21 |website=Tethered by Letters}} and currently lives in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a degree in literature.{{Cite web |last=Carolyn |first=Cox |date=June 21, 2016 |title=Exclusive Cover Reveal: YA Novel Dreadnought |url=https://www.themarysue.com/exclusive-cover-reveal-dreadnought/ |access-date= |website=The Mary Sue |language=en}} Daniels is a trans woman. Daniels is also a contributor to The Mary Sue.

''Nemesis'' series

Daniels' first book, Dreadnought, introduces a girl named Danny Tozer who inherits the mantle of her world's foremost superhero{{Cite web |last=Ceillie |first=Simkiss |date=February 24, 2018 |title=Ownvoices trans YA novel Dreadnought optioned for film |url=https://culturess.com/2018/02/24/ownvoices-trans-ya-novel-dreadnought-optioned-film/ |website=Culturess |language=en-US}}—the eponymous Dreadnought—which gives her powers like flight and the feminine body she has wanted ever since she realized she was transgender,{{Cite web |last=Nicole |first=Clark |date=March 14, 2019 |title=The Female Superhero Stories You Should Be Reading Right Now |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/mbzkmb/the-female-superhero-stories-you-should-be-reading-right-now |website=VICE |language=en}} and thrusts her into confrontation with a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) witch and other supervillains.{{Cite web |last=Falck |first=Alex |date=April 30, 2018 |title=An Interview with Author April Daniels |url=https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/interview-with-april-daniels/ |website=Intellectual Freedom Blog |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Leila |first=Roy |title=Dreadnought by April Daniels |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/idreadnoughti-april-daniels/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}} It was a Lambda Literary Award finalist.{{Cite web |date= July 31, 2018|title=30th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists and Winners |url=https://www.lambdaliterary.org/30th-annual-lambda-literary-award-finalists-and-winners/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824101758/https://www.lambdaliterary.org/30th-annual-lambda-literary-award-finalists-and-winners/ |archive-date=2018-08-24 |website=Lambda Literary |last1=Boureau |first1=Ella }}

Daniels' second book, Sovereign, introduces a genderqueer superhero named Kinetiq, continues to explore the moral and mental health implications of Danny's fights with villains, and has her file for emancipation from her abusive family and find love.{{Cite web |last=Michele |first=Kirichanskaya |date=October 3, 2017 |title='Sovereign' by April Daniels |url=https://lambdaliterary.org/2017/10/sovereign-by-april-daniels/ |website=Lambda Literary |language=en}}

A third and final installment in the Nemesis series is currently in development.{{Cite web |last=Kirichanskaya |first=Michele |date=October 8, 2020 |title=Interview With April Daniels |url=https://www.geeksout.org/2020/10/08/interview-with-april-daniels/ |website=Geeks OUT |language=en-US}}

In 2018, the series was optioned for film to Wayne Brady's production company, Makin' It Up Productions.

Bibliography

= Nemesis series =

Dreadnought (2017) – {{ISBN|978-1682300688}}
Sovereign (2017) – {{ISBN|978-1682308240}}

Awards

class="wikitable sortable" !Year{{efn\|Year of award ceremony.}} !Work !Award !Category ! style="min-width: 7em" \|Result
rowspan="2" style="font-weight: normal" \|2018 \|Dreadnought; Sovereign \|James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award \|— \|{{Nominated\|Honor List}}
Sovereign \|Locus Awards \|Young Adult \|{{Nominated\|18th}}

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year{{efn|Year of award ceremony.}}

!Work

!Award

!Category

! style="min-width: 7em" |Result

rowspan="2" style="font-weight: normal" |2018

|Dreadnought; Sovereign

|James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award

|—

|{{Nominated|Honor List}}

Sovereign