Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Yao.
Hi Tiffany, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Tiffany Yao. I was born and raised in Houston, and I am an electrical engineer and a writer. Though at first glance, those two professions seem miles apart, I don’t see much distinction between them. In both professions, I am participating in the act of creation. I am piecing together a puzzle, taking a vision of something that does not yet exist and breathing life into it so others can see and experience it too.
My grandparents and parents immigrated to the US from Vietnam, China, and Taiwan. Both sides of my family fled Communism and escaped some pretty horrific conditions. Through their courage and resourcefulness, an immense amount of luck, and the kindness of strangers, my family went farther than they could have ever dreamed. My family’s story has a happy ending, but sadly, not every story does. Their history is a constant reminder of the terrible things human beings are capable of doing to one another. This raised some of the biggest existential questions that I have. Why? Why do we suffer or inflict suffering on each other? Why would the universe allow this to exist in the first place? Through writing, I am able to express these thoughts and feelings.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I love to be challenged. I am passionate about my work as an electrical engineer as well. There is always a problem to be solved, which is part of the fun. So far, I have worked in the aerospace and tech sectors. Space travel and other up-and-coming technology bring new possibilities to our world. Part of my job as a sci-fi writer is to explore those possibilities, and in a way, predict how such technology will shape our society and decisions for years to come. Just like in my line of work as an engineer, writing is just as much about understanding human behavior and the human psyche.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the author of Glitched, a philosophical sci-fi novel that explores the relationship between creator and creation. In my book, we meet Kashmira, an artificially intelligent video game character who was supposed to be deleted when a player kills her in the virtual reality video game where she exists. But through a fluke, she survives and discovers the true nature of her reality. She has to team up with Dugan, the person who made her, not only to win her freedom, but also to answer the fundamental question of what “life” is.
As you can see, I write science fiction to explore the ways technology shapes our view of ourselves. In my storytelling, I incorporate my experience working in the tech industry to voice the questions and dilemmas that arise anytime we create something new that pushes the boundaries of what we know.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There are rich topics worth exploring everywhere we look, in art and in science. I am happy to see young people, especially, getting into the arts and reading. Social media has its downsides, but if we use technology responsibly, it can really expand our access to all the cool inventions and scientific discoveries happening every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiffanyyaowritesstories.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyyaowritesstories/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanyyaowritesstories
Image Credits
Tiffany Yao Personal photo credit: Albert Yao (brother)
Tiffany Yao Book-signing event
Photo Credits: Amanda Pascali (friend)
Glitched Book clutched by lady in pink sweater: My Business Found Digital Marketing Consultant Bunny Moore
