Tag Archives: autistic readers

Frustrated by Parent-Centered Books About Autism? AutPress Is Your Solution

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Autistic readers perennially find themselves encountering literature that isn’t crafted from an autistic-centered point of view. On a yearly basis, we’re continually bombarded by books about autism written by parents of autistic children that either perpetuate harmful beliefs or disrespect their children in horrifying ways, failing to recognize their rights to privacy and personal agency. “To Siri with Love” by Judith Newman is the latest offender to make the rounds, but even books by so-called “experts” and journalists, such as “In a Different Key” don’t do the topic justice. Fortunately, Autonomous Press is committed to offering solid alternatives written by autistic people.

The Real Experts Lives Up to Its Name

Who better than autistic individuals to talk about their brand of neurodivergence? The Real Experts is an anthology about autism, with essays written by autistic folks from a wide range of backgrounds. The collection includes words of wisdom from respected activists like Kassiane Sibley and Amy Sequenzia, educators such as Nick Walker and autistic parents like Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. As one of the first wave of books released by AutPress, it’s evidence of one of our core fundamental beliefs: neurodivergent people should be the ones to craft and control the narratives of their lives.

Nantais: Autistic Space Adventures

 Author Verity Reynolds describes their debut science fiction novel Nantais as “autistic as heck,” but the real genius behind the book is that the word “autism” never appears anywhere in its text. Instead, Reynolds shows rather than tells (which one of the fundamental tenets of masterful storytelling, after all) characters “interfacing autistically with a non-autistic world,” as they put it. Want to know the best part? Besides Nantais being an action-packed space opera full of slavers, biologically-evolved assassins and the dark underbelly of a supposedly legitimate organization being exposed, it turns the typical tropes on their heads, giving us a universe in which non-autistics are the ones “suffering mind-altering self-consciousness over their own vague-meaning, innuendo-stuffing” style of communication.

Need some post-holiday reading to curl up with? With our 101-style books like The Real Experts and science fiction thrillers such as Nantais, AutPress has exactly what you’re looking for. Feed your need to read by shopping for these and our other great titles in our AutPress store.

Real, Authentic Autistic Representation in Fiction

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Autism has been a hot topic for at least two decades, but mainstream media and literature is replete with material written about autistic people rather than by autistic people. At Autonomous Press, we’re one of the independent publishers set on radically change that. That’s why AutPress’ catalog heavily features fiction with autistic characters created by autistic writers. If you’re looking for new books to keep you company this fall, you’ll want to add “Shaping Clay: The Elemental Trilogy” to your list.

Autistic Storytelling From the Inside Out

Autistic readers may feel an eerie sense of recognition when they immerse themselves in the saga of Clay Dillion. Currently at three books and counting, “Shaping Clay: The Elemental Trilogy” includes:

  • Nothing Is Right
  • Defiant
  • Imaginary Friends

Nothing Is Right introduces us to Clay Dillon, a young autistic child starting first grade. As you read, you peer over his shoulder while he experiences frustration, sensory overload, self-injury and the sheer panic of suddenly being unable to speak. The author’s storytelling method focuses on autistic characters’ experiences and in this case, depicts Clay’s struggle between desiring to be known for who he truly is and retreating from the pain that comes from how others treat him.

Clay’s story arc continues in both Defiant and Imaginary Friends. Defiant shows us Clay at age 30, finally discovering that he is, indeed, autistic. With this new knowledge comes more challenges as he questions what his desires are, and even who he is, while his world shifts around him.  Published in 2016, Imaginary Friends takes a journey to earlier in Clay’s timeline, showing readers the hellish world around him that the adults in his life construct.

Engaging Books That Keep You Reading

This is not literature that gazes at autistic characters from the outside. Author and AutPress partner Athena Lynn Michaels-Dillon opens a portal to give readers a view from the inside. Going beyond the issue of autistic representation, the works in “Shaping Clay: The Elemental Trilogy” are intensely gripping with a ferocity that both affects deeply and rewards you for journeying through the hells Clay Dillon encounters. As one reviewer put it, “I started reading Imaginary Friends in the evening, big mistake. Dawn was just breaking when I finally finished, tears in my eyes, wanting more.”