I loved this epic collision of drama/sci-fi/horror/post-apocalyptic story. Tseng clearly has a knack for world building, and they fully establish an intriguing society rife with social and political divisions. This peek beyond the initial chaos of a zombie outbreak gives us a really fascinating look into how society might reorganize and reprioritize after a world-ending crisis with believable threads of xenophobia and prejudice still guiding legislation and one-on-one interactions. I appreciated how this could be allegorically linked to everything from the AIDS crisis to immigration to brutal authority. Like all great sci-fi, contemporary connections abound.

RIZING was my introduction to Jason's work, and the play that got him accepted into our Propulsion Lab writer's group. Jason has a skill for world building, and a knack for writing about LGBT issues that doesn't feel forced or preachy, and RIZING is an intriguing combination of those skills.