Nadia Amatullah King

author of speculative fiction and dark sci-fi

Fiction

The Black Refinery

an afro-surrealist, dark sci-fi short story

"'The Black Refinery' by Nadia Amatullah King invokes sand trolls in an allegory about exploitation, resistance, and what it means to be human in a world that treats certain bodies as expendable resources." —Editors Ndlovu & Kagunda

Published in June 2025, The Black Refinery is available to read at Strange Horizons.

About

Nadia Amatullah King is an author of speculative short stories and is currently working on her debut novel. Her first publication, The Black Refinery, is a dark sci-fi black comedy and can be found in Strange Horizons.Nadia experiments with various genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and historical fiction, and she uses them to explore themes of culture and identity. Her religious and multiethnic background combines with her atypical sensibilities, creating a deep well of perspectives to draw from.Born in New York, Nadia currently lives in the rural south, and she spends her days in contemplative, off-grid living. When she isn’t writing, she’s chasing goats, foraging mushrooms, and hoping to greenify her black thumb. She can be reached on Bluesky.