A short life of the author
Marie Lu (born 1984) is one of the most commercially successful YA authors to emerge from the early-2010s dystopian wave, with a career that has expanded across multiple series, genres, and media. Her debut trilogy Legend (2011–2013) established her gift for cinematic plotting, and subsequent series have demonstrated a willingness to experiment with genre conventions while maintaining the pace and accessibility that define her readership.
Life and Career
Born Xiwei Lu in Wuxi, China, she immigrated to the United States with her family at age five, growing up in Texas. She studied political science at the University of Southern California and worked in the video game industry as an artist and designer at Disney Interactive Studios before turning to full-time writing. Her visual arts background and game design experience are evident in her fiction’s cinematic set pieces and world-building precision.
Legend (2011, Putnam/Penguin) is set in a future Los Angeles — now part of the Republic, a militarized state at war with the Colonies. Two protagonists, Day (a street criminal) and June (a military prodigy), are on opposite sides until they discover the government’s dark secrets. The novel’s dual-narrator structure, tight pacing, and political thriller elements made it an immediate bestseller. Prodigy (2013) and Champion (2013) completed the trilogy, which sold millions of copies and was optioned for film.
The Young Elites trilogy (2014–2016) took a darker turn — its protagonist, Adelina, is a villain, and the series follows her descent into cruelty. The inversion of the chosen-one narrative was ambitious for YA fiction. Warcross (2017) and Wildcard (2018) moved into near-future cyberpunk, drawing on Lu’s game industry experience with a story set in a virtual reality gaming competition.
Skyhunter (2020) and Steelstriker (2021) returned to military SF, while her Batman: Nightwalker (2018) contributed to the DC Icons YA novel series.
Key Works
- Legend (2011)
- The Young Elites (2014)
- Warcross (2017)
- Skyhunter (2020)
Collecting Lu
Legend first edition (Putnam, 2011) is the key collectible — signed first printings bring $50–$200. ARCs are sought. The Young Elites first edition (Putnam, 2014) signed is $30–$100. Lu signs extensively at events and conventions. Her books are primarily collected by YA completists. Warcross (Putnam, 2017) signed firsts are readily available. The Legend trilogy is the most likely to have lasting collecting value given its commercial and cultural impact. Condition is critical for YA titles, as many copies were read by young audiences.