Kelly McCullough

Kelly McCullough writes fantasy, science fiction, and books for younger readers. His novels include two series, WebMage and Fallen Blade, as well as School for Sidekicks; Magic, Madness, & Mischief, and the forthcoming Spirits, Spells, & Snark. His short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. His microfiction series DragonDiaries and Badnoir can be found on his webpage or by following him on Twitter or Facebook. He has been known to dabble in science fiction as science education, having written short fiction for the National Science Foundation and co-created a science comic for NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope. He also does a fair bit of silly performance art which can be found at: kellymccullough.com/shenanigans. He lives in Wisconsin with his physics professor wife and a small herd of cats. In those rare moments when he is not writing fiction, he serves as an elected county board supervisor, an office he has held for eight years.

Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire lives, works, and watches way too many horror movies in the Pacific Northwest, where she shares her home with her two enormous blue cats, a ridiculous number of books, and a large collection of creepy dolls.

McGuire does not sleep much, publishing an average of four books a year under both her own name and the pen name “Mira Grant.” Her first book, Rosemary and Rue, was released in September 2009, and she hasn’t stopped running since. When not writing, she enjoys Disney Parks, horror movies, and looking winsomely at Marvel editorial as she tries to convince them to let her write for the X-Men. Keep up with McGuire at www.seananmcguire.com, on Twitter as @seananmcguire, or by walking into a cornfield at night and calling the secret, hidden name of the Great Pumpkin to the moon. When you turn, she will be there. She will always have been there.

Maureen McHugh

Maureen McHugh has written four novels and two collections of short fiction. Her first novel, China Mountain Zhang, won a James Tiptree Award (now the Otherwise Award) and was a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula Awards. She teaches writing courses online as part of Story Kitchen Studios. She is at work on a new novel.

Foz Meadows

Foz Meadows is a blogger, author, essayist, and reviewer whose writing, both fictional and critical, has appeared in venues such as The Mary Sue, Apex Magazine, The Huffington Post and Goblin Fruit. In 2014 she was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer for her blog, Shattersnipe. Her latest novel, An Accident of Stars, is an epic portal fantasy due out from Angry Robot in August 2016.

V. Medina

V. Medina is queer, nonbinary, blind, and usually trying to write three things at once. They live outside of Tampa with their partner, two ridiculous cats, and a never-ending supply of fizzy drinks and coffee. Find them on Twitter at @howsweettheword.

Rati Mehrotra

Born and raised in India, Rati Mehrotra now lives and writes in Toronto, Canada. She is the author of the science fantasy novels Markswoman (2018) and Mahimata (2019) published by Harper Voyager, and the YA fantasy novels Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove (2022), and Flower and Thorn (2023) published by Wednesday Books. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for The Sunburst Award, nominated for the Aurora Award, and has appeared in multiple venues including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed Magazine, Uncanny Magazine, Apex Magazine, Podcastle, and Cast of Wonders.

Yamile Saied Méndez

Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) Saied Méndez is an Argentine-American author of many books, including Furia, a Reese book Club selection and a Pura Belpré gold medal. She also co-edited Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors with Aida Salazar, and is the author of the upcoming middle grade book The Beautiful Game which portrays a teen soccer player getting her first period during a crucial game. Yamile is a graduate of Voices of our Nations (VONA) and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Writing program. She lives in Utah with her multicultural family, and is the founding member of Las Musas, a marketing collective for Latine creators. She’s represented by Linda Camacho, from the Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency. Connect with her at yamilesmendez.com.

Michael Merriam

Michael Merriam is an author, actor, poet, playwright, and professional storyteller. He has published three novels, two short story collections, four novellas, and over 90 pieces of short fiction and poetry. His debut novel, Last Car to Annwn Station, was named a Top Book in 2011 by Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women’s Fiction. His scripts have been produced for stage and radio, and he has appeared on stage in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Tellebration!, StoryFest Minnesota, and over the air on KFAI and Minnesota Public Radio. Michael is a founding member of the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers and a member of the Artists with Disabilities Alliance, the Steampunk Artists and Writers Guild, and Story Arts Minnesota. Visit his homepage at michaelmerriam.com.

Karlyn Ruth Meyer

Karlyn Ruth Meyer is a former singer-songwriter with a career in legal education. You can find her writing in Lady Science, Uncanny Magazine, legal publications, and small video games. She spends her dwindling free time as a community organizer, volunteer, and speaker. Other passions include friendship and learning new things with her endlessly curious kid. She tweets @karlyn_darlin.

Lincoln Michel

Lincoln Michel’s debut novel The Body Scout (Orbit) was named one of the ten “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2021” by the New York Times. He’s also the author of the story collection Upright Beasts (Coffee House Press) and the co-editor of the anthologies Tiny Crimes and Tiny Nightmares (Catapult). His fiction and poetry appear in The Paris Review, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Granta, Strange Horizons, and elsewhere. You can find him online at lincolnmichel.com and @thelincoln.