Kali Wallace

Kali Wallace is an American science fiction and fantasy author with a background in geophysics. She holds a PhD in geophysics from the University of Colorado and worked as a scientist before becoming a full-time author. Her scientific background informs the technical rigor of her speculative fiction, particularly her science fiction work. Wallace is the author of young adult fantasy novels including Shallow Graves (2016) and The Memory Trees (2017), as well as middle grade fiction. She transitioned to adult science fiction with Hunters, Heretics, and others. Her novel Dead Space (2022), a science fiction thriller set aboard a mining station in the asteroid belt, won the Philip K. Dick Award in 2022 for best science fiction novel published as an original paperback. The novel combines hard SF technical authenticity with elements of locked-room mystery and psychological tension. Wallace's work is characterized by strong female protagonists, careful scientific world-building, and atmospheric thriller plotting. She lives in southern California.