Meet the speakers
Mike Chen
Mike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, A Quantum Love Story, and other novels, as well as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comics. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist and The Mary Sue, and in a different life, he's covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals. Follow him on Twitter, Bluesky, and Instagram: @mikechenwriter
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A.J. Hackwith
A.J. (she/they) is a magpie of plots, bad ideas, and spite. She is a queer speculative fiction writer and the author of a number of novels, including the acclaimed Hell’s Library fantasy series. Her writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine and various anthologies, and she's an alumni of Viable Paradise workshop. She's represented by Caitlin McDonald of Donald Maass Literary Agency.
A.J. lives in the deep woods just outside of Portland, OR with her husband, her hounds, and her ghosts.Â
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H. D. Hunter
Hugh “H. D.” Hunter is from Atlanta, Georgia. He’s the author of Torment: A Novella, the Futureland trilogy, and Something Like Right, as well as the winner of several international indie book awards for multicultural fiction.
Hugh is committed to stories about Black kids and their many expansive worlds. Connect with Hugh on Instagram (@hdhunterbooks), or his website: https://hughhdhunter.com
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Laura Stienstra
Lauren Stienstra is an American novelist who enjoys writing about the intersection of duty, science, and humanity. She believes that fiction can encourage readers to re-think their roles, responsibilities, and relationships in our own present world.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Lauren now lives, works, and writes around Washington, D.C.
She holds advanced degrees in science and public policy from the George Washington and Johns Hopkins universities, and trained in creative writing at UCLA.
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