The Kafka Protocol & the Burden of Compliance
- Jeff Currier works three jobs, so has little time to write. Hence he writes little stories (usually twenty times shorter than this one.) Find links to more @jffcurrier on X or Jeff Currier Writes on Facebook.
- Bobby Rollins is (gratefully) prone to daydreams, some of which he puts into words. He hopes his stories make people laugh and think, both of which he'd like more of in the world. Updates about his writing appear @writerollins on Twitter.
- Max Medeiros graduated from Bennington College with a BA in literature and writing. He's lived in nine states and worked in education, insurance, tools, and fish. Publications include an essay in the Lambda Literary Award winning New York Times best seller Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture and short stories with Fireside Fiction & F(r)iction. Max lives in Northwest Washington and is working on a fantasy novel.
- Chris Sumberg’s writing has been published in The Museum of Americana, The Temz Review, Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Death (AHOY Comics), The Partially Examined Life, Local News (MWPH Books, 2019), Further Tales From the Cubicle (Blue Cubicle, 2024), and other magazines and anthologies. His novella/mock writing guide, 500k/MO!! as EPIC-POET! by Vincent "Vinnie The Weasel" Vulpikonek - Introduction by Mister C.N. Sumbvert (Mentor-Helpmeet-Editor-At-Largess™) - with Chris Sumberg (side-kick, gofer), was published in 2022.
- Robert Bagnall was born in Bedford, England, in 1970. He has written for the BBC, national newspapers, and government ministers. Five of his stories have been selected for the annual "Best of British Science Fiction" anthologies. He is the author of sci-fi thriller "2084 - The Meschera Bandwidth" and two anthologies, each of which collects 24 of his eighty-odd published stories. He can be contacted via his blog at meschera.blogspot.com.
- Andy Dibble writes from Madison, Wisconsin and works as a healthcare IT consultant. His work appears in Writers of the Future, Diabolical Plots, Mysterion, and others. He edited Strange Religion: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality, Belief, & Practice.
- David Rogers's work has appeared or is forthcoming in various publications, including Asimov's Science Fiction, Star*Line, and Daily Science Fiction. His story "Val and the Vorpal Sword" is featured on Tall Tale TV (on YouTube and elsewhere). His novel The Delphi is out now from Ellipsis Imprints. More at Davidrogersbooks.wordpress.com.
- A disciple of literary masters like Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King, J. Dean is a Michigan-based independent author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror works. He is also a soon-to-be retired teacher, and hopes that his upcoming open schedule involves publishing more and better novels and short stories. Links to his other works can be found at jdeanauthor.wordpress.com.
- Rosalind Goldsmith lives in Toronto, is a volunteer facilitator with the Writers Collective of Canada and tutors literacy for adults. Before writing short fiction, she wrote radio plays for CBC Radio Drama and a play for the Blyth Theatre Festival and also translated and adapted short stories by the Uruguayan writer, Felisberto Hernández, for CBC Radio. Her short stories have been published in over fifty journals in the USA, the UK, and Canada, including Orca, Litro, the Temz Review, Fairlight Books, Chiron Review, the Lincoln Review, the Amsterdam Quarterly, Fiction International and the Masters Review.
- Ben Lockwood is a writer in central Pennsylvania. Ben’s work has been featured in Intrepidus Ink, ergot., Clarkesworld Magazine, Seize the Press, Vast Chasm, and others. You can find Ben on Mastodon and Bluesky (fediscience.org/@benlockwood, @benlockwood.bsky.social).
- CB Droege is an author and voice actor from the Queen City living in the Millionendorf. His latest book is Ichabod Crane and the Magic Lamp and Other Stories. Short fiction publications include work in Nature Futures, Science Fiction Daily, and dozens of other magazines and anthologies.
- David Stephen Powell was born in London and worked as a professional musician. He now lives and works in Italy. His stories are published in Litro Magazine, Idle Ink, Dreams or Shadows, Parabnormal Magazine, Black Hare Press, "The Other Stories" podcast, Cloaked Press, and Cosmic Horror Monthly.
- Zary Fekete grew up in Hungary. He has a debut novella Words on the Page out with DarkWinter Lit Press and a short story collection To Accept the Things I Cannot Change: Writing My Way Out of Addition out with Creative Texts. He enjoys books, podcasts, and many many many films. Twitter and Instagram: @ZaryFekete.
- Arwen Spicer (she/her) is a writer and educator from Sonoma Mountain, California. Her recent short fiction has appeared in the Ursula K. LeGuin-inspired anthology, Dispatches from Anarres, Dragon Soul Press's Timeless II, and the Fabled Collective's Women of the Woods. She is the mom of two teenagers and handmaiden to a feline deity. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
- S. B. Kleinman, aka Eyeteeth, is a writer, copyeditor, and cartoonist living in Manhattan. She is the creator and protagonist of the webcomic Small Peculiar (smallpeculiar.com) and a member of the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers. Her work has appeared in Dissent, Wyngraf, and the Masters Review. She is currently writing a funny novel about serial killers.
- Paul A. Moscarella has been a teacher for over twenty years and currently lives with his wife and son in Calgary, Alberta. His debut science fiction novel, Machinia, is available through Amazon and Pandamonium Publishing House, and "A Pattern in the Heavens" appears in the Felis Futura anthology.
- Rachel Rodman’s work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Dreams and Nightmares, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and many other publications. She is also the author of two collections: Art is Fleeting (Shanti Arts Press) and Exotic Meats + Inedible Objects (Madness Heart Press). You can find her online at www.rachelrodman.com.
- Mike Morgan was born in London, but not in any of the interesting parts. He moved to Japan at the age of 30 and lived there for many years. Nowadays, he's based in Iowa, and enjoys family life with his wife and two young children. If you like his writing, be sure to check out his website, PerpetualStateofMildPanic.wordpress.com.
- David Stevens lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and those of his children who have not yet figured out the locks. He is the author of more than two dozen published stories, which have appeared most recently in Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Pseudopod, Vastarien Literary Journal, Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, Sci-Phi, and the anthology Prolescaryet (where Blur was originally published). You can find him at davidstevens.info and as @DStevens_esq on X.
- Stephen Myer is a writer and musician in Southern California. His stories and poetry have been published in Tales from the Moonlit Path, Hidden Peak Review, Roi Faineant Press, Grand Little Things, JayHenge Publishing's The Back Forty anthology, Figwort Journal, The Avenue Journal, Close To The Bone, A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Blood Fiction Anthology Vol. 2, Venus Hour, and elsewhere.
- Lynn Gazis (she/they) has loved Kafka ever since her mother read Metamorphosis to her as a child. What child could resist a story about turning into a bug? She lives in Southern California. Her short stories have been published by Air and Nothingness Press, Friends Journal, Persimmon Tree Magazine, and Cathedral Canyon Review.
- Mike has had over 150 audio plays produced, won The Columbine Award and twelve Moondance awards, and written two short films, Dark Chocolate and Hotline. His screenplay Die Laughing was a semi-finalist in 2020’s Unique Voices Competition. His TV pilot script "The Bullying Squad" was a quarter-finalist in 2021’s Emerging Writers Genre Screenplay Competition. Mike’s blog: audioauthor.blogspot.com.
- Steven Mathes lives miles from the nearest pavement with a spouse and a dog. When he isn't writing, he tends a garden. He gardens because he likes to cook. He cooks because he is passionate about eating. He is a full member of SFWA.
- Eric Farrell lives in Long Beach, California, where he works as a beer sales rep by day, and speculative fiction author by night. His writing credits stem from a career in journalism, where he reported for a host of local and metro newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. He posts on Twitter @stygianspace and has recent fiction in Simultaneous Times, Haven Spec, and Stupefying Stories.
- Simon Kewin (he/him) is an award-winning writer of fantasy and sci/fi, with over 500 publications to his name. He's the author of the Cloven Land fantasy trilogy, cyberpunk thriller The Genehunter, steampunk Gormenghast saga Engn, the Triple Stars sci/fi trilogy and the Office of the Witchfinder General books, published by Elsewhen Press. He's the author of several short story collections, with his shorter fiction appearing in Analog, Nature, Escape Pod and many other magazines. His novel Dead Star was an SPSFC award semi-finalist and his novella The Clockwork King won the Tales by Moonlight Editor's Prize. He has an honours degree in English Literature (1st class) and an MA in Creative Writing (Distinction).
- Anna Elin Kristiansen writes out of Denmark, a short drive from Hamlet's haunting castle, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. In her fiction, she loves to explore the thin line between reality and sanity. Find her published work at annakristiansen.com or follow her sporadic updates on X @annaelinwrites.
- Mike Adamson holds a Doctoral degree from Flinders University of South Australia. After early aspirations in art and writing, Mike returned to study and secured qualifications in marine biology and archaeology. Mike has been a university educator since 2006, is a passionate photographer, master-level hobbyist and journalist for international magazines.
- Damon L. Wakes was born in 1991 and began to write a few years later. He holds an MA in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Winchester and a BA in English Literature from the University of Reading. He is the author of over 400 works of short fiction and upwards of one novel.
- Julian Renaud (they/it/he) is a horror writer and enthusiast of the tenderly macabre. They live and work on the traditional, unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg. Previously published in Mouthfeel Issue 1, his stories centre trans, queer, and mentally ill characters—and the creatures that alternately love and terrorise them—and hold them the way you might cradle a bruise. It can be found on Twitter @queerprophetic.
- David Fox is a writer based in New York City. He studied Labor Relations at Cornell University and currently works in the healthcare industry. His short fiction has previously been featured in publications such as Dark Horses Magazine, The Lit Nerds, and Corner Bar Magazine.
- Kurt Newton's stories have appeared in Weird Tales, The Dark, Vastarien, The Fabulist, and Cafe Irreal. His latest collection, Bruises, was published by Lycan Valley Press in 2023.
- Glen Engel-Cox has published a novel, Darwin’s Daughter; a non-fiction compilation, First Impressions; and short fiction in LatineLit, Utopia, Nature, Triangulation, Factor Four, SFS Stories, and elsewhere. He publishes a daily newsletter about authors and literary events as part of his Patreon: join for free at patreon.com/gengelcox.
- Galen T. Pickett has been a member of the physics faculty at Cal State Long Beach since 1999. He lives in the greater LA area with his spouse, four grown children, and several canines. His writing is inspired by the grandeur of the physical world and the absurdity of the academic world, in nearly equal measure.
- Mike has had over 150 audio plays produced, won The Columbine Award and twelve Moondance awards, and written two short films, Dark Chocolate and Hotline. His screenplay Die Laughing was a semi-finalist in 2020’s Unique Voices Competition. His TV pilot script "The Bullying Squad" was a quarter-finalist in 2021’s Emerging Writers Genre Screenplay Competition. Mike’s blog: audioauthor.blogspot.com.
- Ben Serna-Grey is an author and musician from the Pacific Northwest. His work has appeared in Apex Magazine, After the Storm Magazine, Dark Recesses, and others. He puts out music under the name Mother Anxiety and also gigs as a multi-instrumentalist in the Portland metro area. You can find him on Twitter @bensernagrey, on Bandcamp and streaming platforms as Mother Anxiety, and you can find reprints of his work on his Ko-Fi.
- Rachel Rodman’s work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Dreams and Nightmares, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and many other publications. She is also the author of two collections: Art is Fleeting (Shanti Arts Press) and Exotic Meats + Inedible Objects (Madness Heart Press). You can find her online at www.rachelrodman.com.
- Carew S. Bartley is originally from eastern Kentucky. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Richmond and a J.D. from Georgetown, he has returned to Richmond, Virginia to work as an attorney. His fiction has been published in print with Crimeucopia and online with Hearth & Coffin Literary Journal and 365tomorrows. He enjoys reading, playing chess, and watching Kentucky basketball.
- Josh Weiss-Roessler writes stuff. Sometimes for kids. Sometimes for adults. Almost always he likes to explore the fantastical interacting with the mundane and how we persevere in an increasingly complex, seemingly unforgiving world. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife, two kids, and way too many animals.
