About the Authors

David Afsharirad is an editor at Ark Press. His short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and publications. He was, for five years, the editor of Baen Books' The Years Best Military and Adventure SF series, as well as the anthologies All Roads Lead to Rome, Tomorrow's Troops (both with Hank Davis), The Chronicles of Davids, and Swords & Larceny (with Mark Finn). He lives in Austin, Texas.

Rhonda Eudaly lives in Arlington, Texas, with her husband and dogs. She has spent her career asking, “What if?” in the public and private sectors. She has a well-rounded, 20+ year publication history in both fiction and non-fiction. Links to her work can be found on www.RhondaEudaly.com.

Carlotta Hamilton is a Native Austinite. She has had a passion for writing ever since she can remember. With a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin, she enjoys how words can bring connection, insight, and enhanced beauty to the world. 

Morgan Harrell writes science fiction and horror at the intersection of technology, surveillance, and human vulnerability. With a professional background in data systems and technical documentation, her work interrogates how control, automation, and institutional knowledge shape—and erase—individual lives. Her stories favor slow-burn unease over spectacle, where the future feels uncomfortably familiar. 

Trent Huffaker is a twin, native Austinite and fifth generation Texan. His creative practice primarily involves printed media, which could be in the form of a screenprint, risography or a hand-bound zine. 

Heidi Kasa is the author of the poetry collection The Bullet Takes Forever, the flash fiction collection The Beginners (winner of the 2023 Digging Press Chapbook Contest), and Split. Find her at www.heidikasa.com.

William Ledbetter is a Nebula Award winning author with three novels published and more than seventy speculative fiction short stories and non-fiction articles printed in five languages, in publications that include Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Analog. 

Michael E. Marotta stopped counting magazine articles at 300 in 20th century. The American Numismatic Association granted his works first place (1995: “The Origins of Coinage”) and second place (2002: “Sir Isaac Newton - Warden and Master of the Mint”) George Heath Awards and a third place (2020: “Pay Warrants of the Texas Navy”) Catherine Sheehan Award. He posts  at NecessaryFacts.blogspot.com.

Michelle Muenzler is an author of the weird and sometimes poet also known as "The Cookie Lady" for her habit of baking hundreds of cookies for local conventions. Check out michellemuenzler.com for links to more of her work or track her down on Facebook to say hello.

Patrice Sarath is an author and filmmaker in Austin Texas. She is the author of the Tales of Port Saint Frey, the Gordath Wood series, and Austen-inspired romance The Unexpected Miss Bennet. Find her work at patricesarath.com.

Lauren C. Teffeau is a speculative fiction writer based in New Mexico. Her books include the eco-thriller Accelerated Growth Environment (Shiraki Press, 2026), the environmental fantasy A Hunger with No Name (University of Tampa Press, 2024), and the cyberpunk/solarpunk adventure Implanted (Angry Robot, 2018), which was shortlisted for the 2019 Compton Crook Award for best first SF/F/H novel. To learn more, visit her website: https://www.laurencteffeau.com