S.B. Divya Books In Order

Publication Order of The Alloy Era Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Laksa Anthology Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

S.B. Divya is an Indian-American author who debuted as a novelist with Machinehood in 2021. She has also written numerous short stories in her career with numerous appearances in anthologies as well as publishing her own collection.

The name S.B. Divya is actually a pen name. Her real name is Divya Srinivasan Breed. She was born in Pondicherry, India, but her family immigrated to the United States when she was just five years old. Her father was a professor of business administration while her mother worked as a software designer. She would go on to study at the California Institute of Technology, also known as Cal Tech, where she earned her BS degree with a major in Computation and Neural Systems. She then went on to earn her M.Eng. in Signal Procession from the University of California, San Diego.

When she is not writing, Divya has many diverse hobbies. She enjoys hiking, snowboarding, scuba diving, mountain biking, and oil painting. She also has an eclectic musical taste as she enjoys listening to everything from classic to electronica to heavy metal. S.B. has even worked as a DJ in her time.

S.B. Divya has worked as an engineer in a career spanning two decades. However, she prefers to write especially short fiction. Divya’s work has appeared in notable publications among them the science fiction-oriented online magazine named Daily Science Fiction, the weekly journal Nature, and the online magazine Lightspeed.

A saying soberly pipes thus: nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is the subtext of S.B. Divya’s debut novel wherein the main character is egged on to pursue a career that she is not interested in at all, prompting a career switch. The character sacrifices nursing education at the altar of her aspirations, albeit a worthwhile gamble.

Additionally, S.B. Divya has coauthored literary works with various authors among them M. Darusha Wehm, archivist Beth Goder, poet Barry Charman, short story writer Amy Griswold, and Russell Reed among many others. Divya disregards stereotypes and her literary works typically revolve around feminism, family life, and futurism.

Section on Books
Author S.B. Divya debuted relatively recently with the first edition being initially published in May 2016, titled Runtime. This book, a novella, is shelved under the science fiction (especially cyberpunk sub-genre), novella, and speculative fiction genres.

Mary Margaret Guinto or, better still, Marmeg Guinto, is the featured protagonist in the S.B. Divya’s Runtime. Marmeg Guinto is an American national of Filipino ancestry. She is a youthful woman who thinks beyond her limits, is ambitious, determined, laudable, optimistic, selfless, creative, adorable, somewhat naive, twelve, and defiant. She has a progressive mentality and is a risk-taker, independent minded, and gives scant credence to old norms and practices. She was a bouncer at a regional club, is a computer expert, and loves the thrills and spills. On the flip side, Guinto’s family is not financially stable.

Marmeg Guinto’s mother prompted her to attend a school of nursing and go into formal employment. However, Guinto believes that the gateway to a successful life both for her and her siblings is not education. She prefers to be at the coalface which, in this context, is a nerve-wracking contest.

The turning point in Runtime is the contest. Incidentally, the contest is a sort of computer-aided sports adventure wherein the participants are clad in exoskeletons. The rough and tough contest, which is dubbed Minerva Sierra Challenge and last all day, takes place in a Californian mountain range known as the Sierra Nevada. There is no discrimination and anyone can participate in the contest.

However, most of the participants are being sponsored by companies and have their own technical support. Guinto, who is self-sponsored, has neither equipment nor the necessary support so she sticks out like a sore thumb. Fortunately for her, she can adapt and improvise by using things collected from garages to get the desired equipment.

Hoping to win the challenge, Marmeg Guinto diverts her tuition fees from the initially intended purpose to preparations for the contest. Guinto is inspired by several factors. First, she is angling for breaking the yoke of poverty wherein the downtrodden cannot cater for the basic requirements including basic education and healthcare services.

Secondly, she is looking forward to winning and, subsequently, making a positive impact on the life of her sibling who is readjusting to civilian life hard on the heels of being discharged from military service. Guinto, an amateur competitor, hopes to win the event, become a professional and, attract her own sponsors in the future in order to have a better life.

The ensuing story as Guinto tackles a plethora of problems including a difficult landscape, infighting among the contestants, and situations necessitating desperate measures. The story is out-and-out delightful. Divya expertly tackles socio-technology in this futuristic novella, albeit fleetingly, a stamp of approval that it deserved being nominated for the prestigious Nebula Award.

S. B. Divya Awards
In 2016, S.B. Divya was nominated for the Nebula Award. Divya’s nomination was in the Best Novella category and she was nominated courtesy of her novella titled Runtime.

Best S. B. Divya Books
The following are the best books authored by S.B. Divya. The first one is Runtime, by virtue of being nominated for the Nebula Award. The said novella has been described in a previous section.

The second one is Microbiota and the Masses. This short story which was first published in early 2017, features protagonist Moena Sivaram. Sivaram is a youthful, intelligent and prosperous Indian scientist.

Wary of the extensive pollution in India, Sivaram stays away from the mainstream society, but when she finds Rahul, her heartthrob, Sivaram disregards her fears and risks her well-being to get him.

The third one is a short story entitled The Boy Who Made Flowers which is contained in a 2016 collection called Mothership Zeta, fourth issue. S.B. Divya’s story revolves around Charlie Kim, a child character that is tackling a problematic and good-for-nothing superpower.

Other Book Series You May Like
Readers who liked the books authored by S.B. Divya also liked the following series of books. The first one is called The Indranan War series, authored by K.B. Wagers. This trilogy features empress and orphan Hail Bristol, formerly a gun-runner. Bristol’s parents are killed, prompting her to look for allies to quell a looming war and reassert her authority.

The second one is called Assassin series, penned by Tim Lebbon. This is also a trilogy and features protagonist Gabriel, a handicapped and injured fighter who is on the quest for killing a malicious demon.

The third one is called Daedalus series, authored by Michael J. Martinez. The protagonist is Shaila Jain, an experienced lieutenant commander; the trilogy is about manned interplanetary missions wherein various nations have a vested interest, leading to conflicts and prompting uprooted aliens to invade Earth.