NEW YORK, May 7, 2025—Rune Works Productions Ltd. announced today that it will publish a new book by author R.J. Huneke, titled ANTS WAKING. R.J. Huneke’s work has been hailed as powerful, gripping, and compelling. For readers of fantasy, ANTS WAKING is a thrilling, visceral magical realism tale about a trans college freshman with autism in the magical city of Cambridge racing against meddlesome gods for the means to thwart their friend’s premature death before a Dark storm consumes them. The novella is akin to Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January crossed with Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” with a touch of Mickey Spillane’s I, the Jury, evoking fairy-tale-noir. The title novella is accompanied by Huneke’s illustrations plus bonus material: previously published and unpublished short stories and select poetry. For every book sold the author is donating $1 to the Global Action for Trans Equality [GATE] and $1 to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, to benefit the trans and neurodivergent communities. The novella publishes on October 28, 2025.
Erica’s journey into the magical city of Cambridge to attempt to thwart their beloved Danny’s untimely death has become legend. The trans, autistic college freshman-turned story warrior, Erica, trudges the magical city’s snowy, cobblestoned labyrinth full of streetlamp faeries and meddling gods in the hopes of finding the Legioness at the city’s heart, before the onset of the Dark conquers the day and, with it, the only chance of redeeming tragedy. ANTS WAKING is Huneke’s 3rd published book of long fiction. This story displays all the hallmarks of a great Huneke novel; it has an emotional power that speaks to experiences of loss and identity and coming of age, and it uses myth and youth as a guide into an immersive new world.
“This novella was born from a mix of grief and inspiration that was so strong I could barely sleep and did little for two weeks except write the first draft. The dead whom I miss dearly were literally haunting my dreams. I have lost far too many, far too young. I also watched a loved one battle to have their trans identity acknowledged. I struggled with finding my own sense of self, as I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD in my forties. And then a friend recommended I read Alix E. Harrow’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and it was transformative – I took a wholly different look at writing style and how it could evolve to do new things. My mind was similarly blown by the first book in Dr. Brandy Schillace’s “Ardemore Series”, The Framed Women of Ardemore House; I was riveted by the intriguing and innovative mystery and its protagonist Jo Jones, who was the first example of an autistic character that I had seen represented in a way that invokes the experience of being neurodivergent without being stereotypical or a main focus of the story; Jo Jones is a great character and the autism is just a part of the whole, as she is part of the riveting mystery. All of this shook me. And a piece of fruit fell from my boughs,” said R.J. Huneke.
Said his editor, Cassie Sinclair: “ANTS WAKING is a resoundingly powerful, emotional, and gritty coming-of-age fantasy page-turner.”
Huneke retains all rights to ANTS WAKING.
ANTS WAKING is 100% AI-free.
ISBN: 9798349273322 (hardcover) ISBN: 9798349340338 (ebook)
R.J. Huneke began his writing career as a journalist in New York at Newsday, Gadizmo, and The Examiner. He recently wrote a piece for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association titled, “Writing SFF With Paper & Pen Spurs Memory & Creativity”. His thriller-cyberpunk novel Cyberwar was published worldwide in 2015. R.J.’s SFF short story “The Ink From Mars” was featured in EM Magazine. R.J. has pursued his love of fiction, as an autistic author, creator, and artist from his earliest days making comic books as a small child. He currently has a bevy of creative projects on the horizon, including a new fantasy novel, and he lives with his wife, their daughter, a spotted dog, and an unspotted cat, New Yorkers in Portugal. You can view R.J. Huneke’s works at RJHuneke.com.
Rune Works Productions Ltd. began in 2007 as an outlet for innovative artists looking to thrive with their works. The object: to give a voice to unique artists – the weird, the talented, the controversial – and bring those voices to the world. As a source of entertainment media, they have worked in the production of books of fiction, poetry, graphic novels, animation, photography, and film adaptation, including book trailers. Rune Works Productions Ltd. differs from traditional media, production, and publishing houses in that their business model favors the artist and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers all over the world. For more information visit their website at RuneWorks.com.
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