Decoding trauma: A.S. King's process of writing surrealist young adult literature

King, A.S (2026) Decoding trauma: A.S. King's process of writing surrealist young adult literature. PhD thesis, Bath Spa University.

Abstract

This PhD by Publication consists of two parts: a selection of my published work and this contextualising thesis. My published works centre my two most surreal novels, 'I Crawl Through It' (Little, Brown 2015) and 'Switch' (Dutton 2021) and reference others, including 'Please Ignore Vera Dietz' (Knopf 2010), 'Reality Boy' (Little, Brown 2013), 'Still Life with Tornado' (Dutton 2016), 'Dig' (Dutton 2019) and 'Pick the Lock' (Dutton 2024). This contextualising thesis defines my writing process, which I term “trauma code”, and traces its origins within my own lived trauma experience and my literary influences, most notably Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The thesis explores trauma code’s connections to and deviations from André Breton’s trauma-inspired literary surrealism while also noting its relation to its intended audience: contemporary American teenagers who are navigating normalised trauma in their everyday lives. My aim is to contextualise why my young adult surrealist work stands out (“A.S. King’s novels . . . are in another solar system entirely” said BookPage in 2019) while examining the invention of the trauma code writing process, and trauma code’s ability to provide catharsis for myself, with the hope of offering similar catharsis to readers through literary transaction. To do this, I identify key markers of trauma code in the characters, settings, structures, and narrative voice of the chosen novels, and pinpoint how trauma code operates outside strict literary surrealism, and why. Identifying these markers helped me to solidify the definition and process of trauma code, and allowed me to trace my personal healing journey through that process. This research offers techniques for other writers seeking to utilise their lived experiences to connect with readers, including a masterclass on how to use trauma code in personal trauma work and creative writing.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Note:	This is a PhD by Publication with the key texts being 'I Crawl Through It' (2015) and 'Switch' (2021). The full list is as follows: King, A.S. (2009) The Dust of 100 Dogs. St. Paul, MN: Flux. King, A.S. (2010) Please Ignore Vera Dietz. New York, NY: Knopf. King, A.S. (2011) Everybody Sees the Ants. New York, NY: Little, Brown. King, A.S. (2012) Ask the Passengers. New York, NY: Little, Brown. King, A.S. (2013) Reality Boy. New York, NY: Little, Brown. King, A.S. (2014) Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future. New York, NY: Little, Brown. King, A.S. (2015) I Crawl Through It. New York, NY: Little, Brown. King, A.S. (2016) Still Life with Tornado. New York, NY: Dutton. King, A.S. (2019) Dig. New York, NY: Dutton. King, A.S. (2021) Switch. New York, NY: Dutton. King, A.S. (2024) Pick the Lock. New York, NY: Dutton.
Keywords:	PhD by Publication, creative writing, surrealist fiction, American literature, 21st century literature, young adult literature, trauma experience, emotional healing, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., André Breton
Divisions:	School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities
Date Deposited:	15 May 2026 10:46
Last Modified:	15 May 2026 11:26
URN:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/17753

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