A journalist by trade, Sulayman X is a world traveler who has lived in Bangkok for many years. He has keen insight into what it means to be an outsider looking in, a foreigner shut out by language barriers, a "legal alien" living in a world of aliens, a person whose sexuality has forced him to blaze his own trail through life and to find comfort in the most unlikely of places. Sulayman X has long been a fan of the fantasy genre, as it allows for the exploration of truly diverse worlds, possibilities, and alternative ways of life. He believes the time has come for the fantasy genre to embrace gay characters that appeal to young adults and fantasy lovers alike in books that adhere to the long-standing rules of the genre—fully developed worlds, characters and creatures full of wonder and surprise, books like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He hopes young readers will find strong role models in his fiction.