Would neurodiversity be an advantage in an encounter with aliens? Let’s find out! Heartbroken starships. Human-sized hamster balls. Superpowers unleashed by anxiety. A planet covered in mathematical fidgets. And we finally learn why aliens abduct cows. A diverse, hopeful anthology of neurodiversity-themed science fiction short stories, poetry and art for anyone who loves science fiction, who cares about neurodiversity, or who wants to see optimistic visions of the future. Featuring stories, poems and art from Tobias S. Buckell, M. D. Cooper, Ada Hoffmann, Jody Lynn Nye, Cat Rambo, and nearly forty other contributors, The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters was edited by Anthony Francis, author of the award-winning urban fantasy novel Frost Moon, and Liza Olmsted, editor of the writing inspiration book Your Writing Matters. The Neurodiversiverse includes themes of autism, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, synesthesia, several kinds of anxiety, avoidant attachment disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and more.
Authors
Minerva Cerridwen is an author from Belgium who has loved writing fiction since xe was five. Xyr first written story was about a princess picking berries; the second about a bear who met a pirate-detective. Xe enjoys baking, yoga, drawing, and handlettering, and used to work as a pharmacist. Xyr debut novella The Dragon of Ynys is out now with Atthis Arts. Xe is currently working on xyr first science fiction novel with xyr Danish co-writer L.S. Reinholt.
Clara Ward lives in Silicon Valley on the border between reality and speculative fiction. Their latest novel, Be the Sea, features a near-future ocean voyage, chosen family, and sea creature perspectives, while delving into our ocean, our selves, and how all futures intertwine. Their short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Decoded Pride, Small Wonders, and as a postcard from Thinking Ink Press. When not using words to teach or tell stories, Clara uses wood, fiber, and glass to make practical or completely impractical objects.
Hello there! I'm mainly preoccupied with the question 'If Darth Vader and Dracula were fighting each other, who would win?' When not pondering said question, I bend my mind to writing gothic fantasy. It keeps me off the streets, but often gets me into trouble. Praise for A J Dalton's writing: SFX - ‘Empire Of The Saviours gives you an interesting setting and a devilishly good villain’ SciFi Now magazine - ‘Engaging, filled with sacrifice, adventure and some very bloody battles!’ Waterstones central buyer - ‘The best young British fantasy author on the circuit at the moment’ Sfbook.com - ‘Different, fresh and unique’ Best-selling author with Gollancz - Empire of the Saviours, Gateway of the Saviours, Tithe of the Saviours. Titles published with Kristell Ink - The Book of Angels, The Book of Orm. Other titles - I Am a Small God, Necromancer's Gambit, Necromancer's Betrayal, Necromancer's Fall. Hey, I did my best. Oh shut up. It's big in Germany.
M. A. Dubbs is an award-winning Mexican American and LGBT+ writer who hails from Indiana. Dubbs writes poetry, literary fiction, and micro-fiction. For more than a decade her writing has been published in literary magazines and anthologies across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Austria, Australia, Nigeria, and Germany. Dubbs is the author of three poetry collections: Aerodynamic Drag: Poetry and Short Fiction (2021), chapbook An American Mujer (Bottlecap Press, 2022) and Limestone Versified: Indiana Haiku and Poetry (2023). Her poem "The Quiets of Parenting" won the 2023 Holden Vaughn Spangler Award from RCC Muse. Her poem “Indiana Night” won first place in the 2012 Melba Geoffroy Poetry Contest and her poem “Slash-and-Burn won “Best of Poetry” award in the 2014 edition of Genesis. Her poem "A Bi Awakening in a Red State" was long-listed for the 2022 Spectrum Poetry Competition and her poem "Here's to You Spanglish Kids" was shortlisted in the 2023 Kinship Poetry Competition with Renard Press. Her poem "Poetic Paramour" won 2nd place in the 44th annual PSI Love of Poetry Prize. Her poem "A Forager's Haiku in Season's" won 3rd place in the 44th annual PSI Membership Award. Her poetry has been archived in Indiana's Poetry Archive (INverse) and she served as judge for the 2022 Poetry Out Loud's state competition. Dubbs has performed in several live and virtual readings including being a featured author for both Poets Laureate of Lawrence and Poetry on Brick Street. She also performed at the 2021 Grand Opening of Fort Ben’s Culture Campus and the 2023 Grand Opening of Fort Ben's Library. In 2024 she performed at DePauw University as part of the Hidden Sun solar eclipse tour. Her Hidden Sun haiku was printed on a banner and hung in Greencastle Square as public art. Dubbs will also be hosting a free public poetry publishing workshop through Poets Laureate of Lawrence to introduce new local writers to the world of publishing. Dubbs earned her BA in English at Indiana University Bloomington. She was president and founder of IU’s Creative Writing Club and was an Associate Editor of poetry, non-fiction, and literary fiction for The Scribe, a literary ezine. Dubbs was also an intern for the nationally celebrated Indiana Review. Dubbs lives with her husband, twin girls, cat, and dog and enjoys hiking, gardening, running, mushroom foraging, video games and watching 90s magical girl anime.
Malorie Cooper likes to think of herself as a dreamer and a wanderer, yet her feet are firmly grounded in reality. A ‘maker’ from an early age, Malorie loves to craft things, from furniture, to cosplay costumes, to a well-spun tale, she can’t help but to create new things every day. A rare extrovert writer, she loves to hang out with readers and people in general. If you meet her at a convention, she just might be rocking a catsuit, cosplaying one of her own characters, or maybe her latest favorite from Overwatch! She shares her home with a brilliant young girl, her wonderful wife (who also writes), a cat that chirps at birds, a never-ending list of things she would like to build, and ideas…
Lauren D. Fulter is a young American fiction author, publishing her first book at the age of sixteen. After learning the word ‘author’ at age five, she’s been captivated by the art of storytelling, and the little people roaming her mind. Though she longs for the cold, she lives in the desert with her large family, spending her days drawing, dabbling in the dimensions of the Fulterverse, and wearing sunglasses for unclarified reasons.
F&SF writer Cat Rambo lives and writes in the Midwest. They have been shortlisted for an Endeavour Award, Locus Award, World Fantasy Award and most recently the Nebula Award. Their debut novel, BEASTS OF TABAT, appeared in 2015 from WordFire Press, the same year she co-edited AD ASTRA: THE SFWA 50TH ANNIVERSARY COOKBOOK. Forthcoming books include EXILES OF TABAT (novel, Wordfire Press) and DEVIL'S GUN (novel, Tor Macmillan). They are a former two-term President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and still volunteers with the organization. They run the popular online writing school focused on fantasy and science fiction, the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. (academy.catrambo.com) If you would like to sign up to receive news of stories and appearances, check out their Patreon campaign at http://www.patreon.com/catrambo
