Karima Vargas Bushnell’s The Book of Squidly Light Wins Firebird Award

The novel revisits the life of Halycon Sage, an eccentric protagonist navigating a post-technological society in Dry Creek Gulch. The plot centers on the arrival of the Squidren—telepathic, time-traveling entities from other dimensions—alongside sentient nanobots and a shadowy antagonist. Bushnell frames the narrative within her self-styled Post-Modernist Minimalist Neo-Symbolist Pseudo-Realist school of literature, a framework where time and physical reality remain fluid.

Bushnell, who holds an M.A. in Intercultural Relations, frequently explores the liminal spaces between disparate worldviews. Her protagonist, Sage, serves as a conduit for these themes of spiritual and emotional border-crossing. Reflecting on the reception of her work, the author noted the difficulty of engaging contemporary readers, yet emphasized the positive impact such accolades have on reaching an audience. Beyond the main novels, Bushnell has released a companion collection of short stories and space diplomacy narratives available through her website.