Laura Rikono

From the rainforest to the stars, exploring life's frontiers

Laura Rikono is known inside the Colony as Aethalope

Laura Rikono lives in Malaysian North Borneo. Once a marine scientist, she met a tribesman who wooed her with fishing trips beneath a lilac mountain. They settled down and had children, who turned out to be far more interesting than fish. Her stories are sci fi and fantasy grounded in the natural sciences with a touch of the surreal.

Get in touch with Laura

Secrets

1. My CV has more random plot twists than my 'experimental' teenage fantasy novel

2. Borneo, with its biological and cultural richness, is a cheat sheet for sci fi worlds

3. By performing a simple act of kindness while on expedition, I once averted a disaster and saved our lives

When You’re Not Reading Me

1. Joseph Conrad

A master of human nature and evocative settings

2. Mary Gentle

Arquebusses, Wild Machines, Carthage, Footnotes and Mercenary Captain Ash

3. Ted Chiang

For poignant contemplations of tech and human nature

What's On My Bedside Table

1. A Lokamade Notebook - Food Paradise

For jotting down 3 am ideas while drooling over Malaysian food illustrations

2. A Piece of Coral

Probably leaf plate Montipora. A fragment from fish bombing.

3. A Pelita Amoi

A vintage kerosene lamp left over from our off-grid days

I Love Sabah, Malaysian Borneo — Here's Why

Papers

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Field Journal

Huminodun – A Borneo Legend

In the lush landscapes of Sabah, Malaysian North Borneo, dwells the Kadazandusun community, the region's largest indigenous group. Their cultural identity is deeply entwined with...

Future Abstract: Crisp and Squish

SATIRE ALERT: This Future Abstract is entirely fictional and should not be taken as actual scientific research. No plastic was consumed in the making of...

The Moon vs. Brian Cox

Of the many jobs I’ve juggled, my latest presents a unique challenge. Sabah, in Malaysian North Borneo, is popular with Korean tourists. Five hours south...

The Unexpected Pantomime

Deep in tribal territory in Jharkhand, India, three schools — one by a road, one in a forest, and one on a hill — hosted...

Of Straw-Stacks and Sisters

Ten minutes before I left the house, my boss called. “The science class is cancelled today. Take Jisoo and Jennie instead. They need adjective practice.”...