Host: R. B. Wood

Mike Allen wears many creative hats, at least one of them tailor-made by his wife and partner-in-crime Anita. An author, editor and publisher of science fiction, fantasy and horror, Mike has written, edited, or co-edited thirty-nine books, among them his sidearms, sorcery, and zombies sequence The Black Fire Concerto and The Ghoulmaker’s Aria, his forthcoming dark fantasy novel Trail of Shadows, and his newest horror collection, Slow Burn.

Unseaming and Aftermath of an Industrial Accident, his first two volumes of horror tales, were both finalists for the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Story Collection, and his dark fable “The Button Bin” was a nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Another collection, The Spider Tapestries, contains experiments in weird science fiction and fantasy.

As an editor and publisher, Mike has been nominated twice for the World Fantasy Award: first, for his anthology Clockwork Phoenix 5, the culmination of the Clockwork Phoenix series showcasing tales of beauty and strangeness that defy genre classification; and then, for Mythic Delirium, the magazine of poetry and fiction he edited for twenty years.

He’s a three-time winner of the Rhysling Award for poetry. His six poetry collections include Strange Wisdoms of the Dead, a Philadelphia Inquirer Editor’s Choice selection, and Hungry Constellations, a Suzette Haden Elgin Award nominee.

With Anita, he runs Mythic Delirium Books, based in Roanoke, Virginia. Their cat Pandora assists. You can find him on Instagram at @mythicdelirium and Bluesky at @mythicdelirium.bsky.social.

Host: R. B. Wood

Karl Dandenell is a graduate of Viable Paradise and a Full Member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. He and his family, plus their cat overlords, live on an island near San Francisco famous for its Victorian architecture and low speed limits. His preferred drinks are strong tea and single malt whiskey. Apart from Sudden Fictions, Karl's work has appeared in such places as Fireside Fiction, Metaphorosis, DreamForge, Little Blue Marble, Speculative North, and the anthologies Abandoned Places and The Science Fiction Tarot. He counts Roger Zelazny, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Patricia McKillip among his early influences.

Host: R. B. Wood

Bill Kirton was born in Plymouth, England a long time ago but has lived most of his life in Scotland. He has written stage and radio plays, songs and sketches for revues, flash fiction, short stories, novels, stories for children and books aimed at helping students to write effective academic essays and dissertations and get the most out of university and work. Dr. Kirton has been a university lecturer, actor, director, TV presenter, visiting professor and artist at the University of Rhode Island, spent a few years as a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow in universities in Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews, and, more recently, held workshops in schools aimed at helping final year students with the transition to university or college. He loves writing and exploring many forms and genres.