Utunu
Personal Information
Description
Edwin is a veteran of the video game industry and has worked therein as a programmer since 1991. Always a voracious reader, he decided in 2016 to try the storytelling side of things, and since then has been working on both short stories and longer form creative efforts. He most enjoys writing LGBTQ+ and anthropomorphic fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, romantasy, and historical fiction. The pseudonym ‘Utunu’, the name under which he writes, originated from a painted wolf (African wild dog) character he created some fifteen years ago. His first exploratory writing delved into this character’s world, a fantasy setting where long-lost gods began to take notice of their followers once more. Utunu has had various short stories and poems published, and in 2023 he published his first book, the romantasy Rafts. It was the runner-up for Best Novel in the 2023 Ursa Major Awards, was among Novel Approach Reviews’ Best of 2023, and won the 2023 Cóyotl Award for Best Novella. His second book, Far Flung, was published in the summer of 2024. It won the 2024 Cóyotl Award for Best Novel and was a quarterfinalist in the 2024 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition. The sequel to Far Flung will be releasing in early 2026. He’s also published Echoes, a fantasy anthology of his short stories and poems, which was released in 2025. Within its pages are included his three award-winning short stories ‘Water’ (Cóyotl and Leo Awards in 2020), ‘Lids’ (Cóyotl and Leo Awards in 2022), and ‘Houses of Stone’ (Cóyotl Award in 2024). He enjoys reading, writing, board games, commissioning artwork, nature, tabletop RPGs, ancient history, obscure languages, conlangs, worldbuilding, proper football, linguistics, and the Oxford comma. Utunu resides near Austin, Texas with his wife, son, daughter, three dogs, zero fennecs, and several Kallax units filled with board games he wishes he could play more often. (Source: [Mapaku Village](
Books
Echoes
Tales of times long past fill us with wonder, allowing us to envision lives and possibilities far from the worries of our own, very real world. ‘Echoes’ is a collection of short stories and poems written with anthropomorphic animals in mind. From tales of magic at the dawn of civilization to historical fiction of the antiquity and beyond, may they inspire you to dream of worlds all your own. (Source: [Mapaku Village](
Far Flung
Winner of the [2024 Cóyotl Awards]( for Best Novel On the harsh, barren planet of Sands, in the small settlement of Oasis, live three young companions: the inseparable fennecs Bori and Tuther, and their best friend, the hyena Samna. But Bori is psionic—and on the distant planet of Verdant, psionics are fervently sought. When the two planets align, a shuttle journeys between them, bringing needed resources to Sands and hoping to take gifted psionics back to lush Verdant in return. The shuttle’s imminent arrival signifies opportunities for Oasis, but for the trio it instead evokes dread. For if Bori is chosen, he’d be taken from his dearest friends and the only home he’s ever known. Bori would be broken without Tuther. Tuther would be broken without Bori. And Samna? All he can do is help make their remaining days together good ones. ([Mapaku Village](
Rafts
Kunet, a young human pearl-diver from a small coastal fishing village, seeks to prove himself. Yet when the gods of sea and sky clash, it wreaks havoc on those caught between. In the wake of catastrophe, he finds himself adrift with an unexpected companion. Torn from their homes and everything they once knew, two strangers must now work together to survive, even as an unlikely relationship blossoms between them. Content Warning The following work contains scenes of explicit male/male sex and deals with topics such as injury and loss. This book is intended for adults only, and reader discretion is advised.