JEANNETTE NG
a short bio
Jeannette Ng is originally from Hong Kong but now lives in Durham, UK. Her MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies fed into an interest in medieval and missionary theology, which in turn spawned her love for writing gothic fantasy with a theological twist. She used to sell costumes out of her garage. She runs live roleplay games, performs hair wizardry and sometimes has opinions on the internet, including in Foreign Policy.
She has won the Astounding for Best New Writer in 2019 and the Sydney J Bounds Award (Best Newcomer) in the British Fantasy Awards 2018.
What is a Nettlefish?
from 'The Manual on Marine Biology of the Improbable Ocean & the Suspicious Seas,' Snuffle, Runcible, Micklemust, et al, Cupric & Associates, New New London, 1908.
The Warmwater, or Noble, Nettlefish (urticapisces scribens) is a mid-sized fish of the warm waters of the Southernmost Sea, characterized by a a modification of the scales forming long, delicate quills. Unlike the Common Nettlefish (urticapisces spinulentus) or the Venefice Nettlefish (urticapisces venenosa) which use the spines to either pierce or poison predators by contracting subcutaneous muscles until the spikes project away from the body, the quills of the Warmwater Nettlefish aren't suited to piercing or stabbing. Instead, the Warmwater Nettlefish uses the quills to write sharp notes of protest to the predator, or, in extreme cases, rude and threatening anonymous letters. It is unknown where it gets the ink to do so, as anatomical studies (Fecklemire & Runcible, 1898) have shown that it lacks ink producing glands. Current thinking (Lapinski, Möhre, & Marchew, 1903) is that is symbiotic with the rare and mysterious Librarian Cuttlefish (sepia atramentarium)."