Jack of All Arts

Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas smiles warmly while wearing a mauve shirt with a rainbow patch over the chest, standing in a softly lit room with blurred art and furniture in the background.
Aiden Thomas speaks at a panel, smiling with his hand near his ear, wearing a black North Face shirt and a 2024 convention lanyard. A visible tattoo and water bottle are in the foreground.
Aiden Thomas poses in a pink shirt reading “Best of Luck, you’ll need it,” with one arm behind his head. He wears a denim Twitter cap and stands in a cozy, decorated room with string lights and art.
Aiden Thomas sits at a table grinning, with his books The Sunbearer Trials and Cemetery Boys stacked in front of him. A plant and cozy interior are visible in the background.
Aiden Thomas holds up copies of Cemetery Boys and The Sunbearer Trials, smiling widely while seated indoors with framed art on the wall behind him.
Aiden Thomas laughs while sitting behind copies of The Sunbearer Trials and Cemetery Boys, with a tattooed arm resting on a marble table. A textured wallpaper is in the background.

Born: 1990
Pronouns: They/He
Nationality: American
Identity: Transgender, queer, Latinx (Mexican and Cuban descent)
Occupation: Author

Overview
Aiden Thomas is a groundbreaking American author whose bestselling works have reshaped young adult fantasy by centering trans and queer characters in rich, culturally grounded stories. They are best known for Cemetery Boys, which made them the first openly transgender author to land a spot on the New York Times fiction bestseller list with a book featuring a transgender main character. Their writing infuses fantasy with themes of gender identity, cultural pride, and queer heroism.

Early Life and Education
Thomas was born in 1990 and raised in Oakland, California. They are a first-generation Latinx American, with roots in both Mexican and Cuban heritage. They studied at Mills College in Oakland, where they earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Thomas has spoken openly about the lack of trans and Latinx representation in media and how that absence inspired their writing.

Literary Career
Their debut novel Cemetery Boys was published in 2020 by Swoon Reads/Macmillan. It follows Yadriel, a transgender Latinx teen trying to prove his gender identity to his traditional family by summoning a spirit. The novel blends Latinx culture, magical realism, and themes of gender euphoria, gaining wide acclaim from both readers and critics.

Cemetery Boys became a New York Times bestseller, was a finalist for the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, and was nominated for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards in multiple categories. The book has been included in school curricula and celebrated as a landmark in queer YA literature.

Thomas followed up with Lost in the Never Woods in 2021, a dark and emotional Peter Pan–inspired fantasy exploring themes of grief, trauma, and disappearance.

In 2022, they released The Sunbearer Trials, the first book in a planned duology. This Mexican mythology–inspired fantasy centers on Teo, a 17-year-old trans semidiós and the son of the goddess Quetzal, who must survive a series of divine challenges. It continues Thomas’s legacy of writing genre fiction that places queer and trans youth at the center of epic adventures.

In 2024, Thomas published Celestial Monsters, continuing their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusive storytelling.

Impact and Legacy
Aiden Thomas’s success is historic and continues to pave the way for marginalized voices in speculative fiction. As one of the first trans authors to receive mainstream acclaim for a book centered on a trans protagonist, they have opened doors across the publishing industry.

Their work is frequently cited in queer literary studies and featured in recommended reading lists for teens and educators. Thomas is a vocal advocate for inclusive storytelling and often emphasizes the importance of positive representation for trans and queer youth.

Notable Works

Awards and Recognition

  • New York Times Bestseller – Cemetery Boys
  • Finalist, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
  • Nominee, Goodreads Choice Awards – Cemetery Boys
  • Critical acclaim in Time, NPR, Teen Vogue, and The New York Times

Quotes

“I wanted a story where a trans boy gets to save the day.”
— Aiden Thomas

Further Reading and Media

Go Back
Index
Home

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *