We chat with author S. Hati about Morbid Curiosities, which follows an ambitious teen who enrolls at an elite science institute.
Hello and welcome back! How have you been since we last spoke for the release of And The Sky Bled?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me back! It’s so surreal because the last time we chatted, I was teasing Morbid Curiosities, which hadn’t been announced at the time. I’ve been good and busy—somehow, I have 3 books coming out in the next 12 months so things behind the scenes have been quite chaotic, in the best way. I’ve finally emerged from a storm of deadlines and am so excited to shepherd these next stories into the world!
Your latest novel, Morbid Curiosities, is out April 21st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Twisty STEM dark academia thriller
What can readers expect?
A scholarship student is admitted to the country’s preeminent life science program, in a cohort of students prepared to spill blood to end up on top. Readers can expect mutated flora and fauna in the forest, a girl claiming to be the subject of the Institute’s experiments, academic rivals to lovers, and lots of twists. Also, dark science! The speculative elements in this book are rooted in genetics. For what it’s worth, my best friend who hates science gave the book her stamp of approval, so while I don’t hold back on technical details, I’ve done my best to make it accessible to everyone.
Where did the inspiration for Morbid Curiosities come from?
I started drafting it while I was finishing up my Masters in biotechnology and finally felt equipped to write the science thriller I’d always had in mind. I love dark academia, and while many of my favorites are centered around the arts and humanities, I wanted to write a STEM thriller, because science is severely underrepresented in the genre despite being so creepy. Being back in school also reminded me of my high school years, and made me reflect on how much I’d pinned my self-value on my academic accomplishments. So while this book tackles themes of ethics in human experimentation and the exploitation of BIPOC bodies, it’s also a look at the obsessive pursuit of knowledge, and finding one’s worth outside of academic and capitalist institutions.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I looooved writing Aarya’s voice. She’s so snarky and smart and determined, and I had a blast living in her mind. One of my biggest edits after selling Morbid Curiosities was amping up the romance, and I had so much fun writing the nerdiest academic rivals to lovers arc. Without spoiling anything, there’s a party scene and a bacteria imaging scene that I particularly loved writing.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Morbid Curiosities was by far the hardest book I’ve written, and I took multiple breaks from it, which is very unusual for me. I was trying out a new voice and audience, while also incorporating real science into the book, so it required a lot more research than anything I’d done before. My first draft was so bad I actually gave up on Morbid and went to draft The Carousel of Forgotten Places (more on this below) instead. This book taught me that stepping away was okay, and that the story would still be there waiting when I was ready.
What was your writing process like? Were there any differences between working on your previous fantasy release to a YA thriller?
And the Sky Bled had been on my mind for a while, and I drafted it in a few months before getting my agent. But as I alluded to above, Morbid Curiosities was ten times harder to write than And the Sky Bled. My first draft took over a year to form, when I’m normally pretty quick at writing the first bad draft. I’m grateful for that experience because I’m a lot more comfortable trusting a project to take shape in its own time, because every book requires a different process.
Were there any key lessons you learned with your debut that helped with Morbid Curiosities?
Morbid Curiosities was written before And the Sky Bled sold so I didn’t apply too many writing-related learnings, but I definitely learned what my priorities and boundaries were while debuting. While releasing And the Sky Bled had some unforgettable moments, nothing compares to the joy of actual writing, so that’s what I’ve learned to focus on. I don’t have any social media on my phone anymore and I allot my time online intentionally. As I gear up for these upcoming releases, most of my attention is on writing the next books.
What’s next for you?
I have an adult romantasy, The Carousel of Forgotten Places, coming out on August 25th — it’s for fans of Emily Wilde and The Spellshop, and follows an immortal timekeeper who teams up with her annoying (and hot) time god boss to save the space-time continuum. It also features a magical fairground, mischievous ghosts, and lite-physics-based time magic. It’s about love in all its forms—platonic, familial, and romantic—and is a meditation on the bittersweet ache of growing up and letting go.
My second YA novel, which I haven’t announced yet, comes out in January 2027. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say the date yet so don’t hold me to it! More to come on that but if people enjoy Morbid Curiosities, I think they’ll love this one.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
So many! I’m so excited for The Five of Us by Sian Gilbert, The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe, Dreamweaving by O.O. Sangoyomi, Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham, and We Dance Upon Demons by Vaishnavi Patel.
In terms of sequels, I’m eagerly counting down to Catching Feelings by Emily Charlotte, An Uncertain Magic by A.M. Kvita, Bird King Rising by Samantha Basil, and The Tapestry of Fate by S.A. Chakraborty.
