Angela Slatter is a Brisbane-based writer of speculative fiction (that’s in Australia, by the way). Over the years she’s done many things in order to avoid being a writer, including administering an MBA program and studying law – it’s hard to say which was worse. But now she’s given all that up and embraced the writerly and all it entails (poverty, depression, rejection, talking to herself, living on two-minute noodles and generally being an inveterate liar).

For some reason, she has a Masters (Research) in Creative Writing, which produced Black-Winged Angels, a short story collection of reloaded fairytales. In order to further avoid reality, she is now studying (very slowly) for a PhD in Creative Writing. During her daylight hours, she works at a writers’ centre. She has been known to occasionally teach creative writing at Queensland University of Technology. At night, she stalks the darker recesses of her (and other people’s) minds, flensing knives in hand. Except, you know, when she’s not.

Her short stories have appeared in anthologies such as Jack Dann’s Dreaming Again, Tartarus Press’ Strange Tales II, Twelfth Planet Press’ 2012, Dirk Flinthart’s Canterbury 2100, and in journals such as Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, Shimmer, ONSPEC and Doorways Magazine. Her work has had several Honourable Mentions in the Datlow, Link, Grant Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthologies #20 and #21; and three of her stories have been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards in the Best Fantasy Short Story category.

She is working on various short stories and two novels at the moment. Novel the First: an historical fantasy set in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Novel the Second: Finbar’s Mother, a mix of Irish and Norse mythology. She is also working on ways to find more time to write and is trying to stop referring to herself in the third person because it’s just weird. She is also a graduate of Clarion South 2009 http://www.clarionsouth.org/ and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006 http://www.tinhouse.com/workshop/index.htm. In 2010, she will have two short story collections published, Sourdough & Other Stories with Tartarus Press (UK) and The Girl with No Hands & Other Tales (Ticonderoga Publications). This makes her happy.

Lewis Shiner is one of the original cyberpunk authors. He's been a cyberpunk rhetorician since the Movement's beginning. His voice has been a primary and highly articulate force in cyberpunk's bullheaded and successful battle for public acceptance without compromise. Yet, like most (or all but Gibson) cyberpunks , his own fiction is unlike the others -- excepting, of course, an uncompromising devotion to quality.

Since his first publication in 1977, Lewis Shiner has written a widely ranging spectrum of short stories: mysteries, fantasies, and horror as well as SF. But the 1984 appearance of his first novel, Frontera, demonstrated his important role in Movement fiction. Frontera combined classic hard-SF structure with a harrowing portrait of postindustrial society in the early twenty-first century. The book's gritty realism and deflating treatment of SF icons aroused much comment.

Shiner's work is marked by thorough research and cooly meticulous construction. His lean, vigorous prose shows his allegiance to hard-boiled mystery fiction as well as to such quasi-mainstream authors as Elmore Leonard and Robert Stone.

Lewis Shiner was born in 1950 in Oregon, United States. He grew up in Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, and in the Sudan. Mr Shiner describes himself as a compulsive researcher. He has travelled widely throughout the USA and Mexico, and has worked as house painter, rock musician, computer programmer, draftsman, clerk, and construction worker.

Ticonderoga Publications is over the moon to announce a forthcoming collection of stories by Campbell-Award nominated and International Bright Young Thing Lezli Robyn.

The collection is scheduled for publication in 2012.

Lezli Robyn is an Aussie Lass who has very recently discovered a love for writing fiction. She has sold 9 stories since October 2008 to professional markets in America, such as Asimov’s and Analog; six of them appearing in print before the close of 2009 to qualify for the Campbell Award. She’s also recently made an audio publication sale, an e-print sale, and 11 foreign translation sales to countries such as Italy, Greece, China, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Spain and Slovakia.

Her first Campbell Award qualifying publication was the first story she ever wrote, “Idle Roomer” with Mike Resnick, for Clarkesworld magazine. And all of her sales since then have been sold to professional paying markets.

“I think that Lezli Robyn deserves a collection. She has written some great stories, scored some excellent sales — I can’t recall the last time an Aussie sold to both Asimov’s and Analog,” Ticonderoga Editor Russell B. Farr said.

“By 2012 I’m confident she’ll be more than a writer to watch out for, and given all her sales have been offshore it will be great for these gems to be available down under,” he said.

Lezli Robyn is also looking forward to being more accessible in the Antipodes.

“It feels very special to me to make my first collection sale to an Australian publisher. I’ve sold all my new fiction to professional markets in the US, and have also sold to over 10 other countries around the world, but I have never had an Aussie sale,” Lezli Robyn said.

“Chuffed doesn’t describe how I’m feeling!” She added.

While the contents are still being decided, the collection will feature at least one original story.

“Lezli has given me the synopsis of a novelette that should blow many minds,” Russell added.

The yet-to-be-titled collection is scheduled for publication in 2012, in limited edition hardcover and trade editions.

Lezli Robyn is an Aussie Lass who has very recently discovered a love for writing fiction. She has sold 9 stories since October 2008 to professional markets in America, such as Asimov's and Analog; six of them appearing in print before the close of 2009 to qualify for the Campbell Award. She's also recently made an audio publication sale, an e-print sale, and 11 foreign translation sales to countries such as Italy, Greece, China, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Spain and Slovakia.

Her first Campbell Award qualifying publication was the first story she ever wrote, "Idle Roomer" with Mike Resnick, for Clarkesworld magazine. And all of her sales since then have been sold to professional paying markets.

She was also a finalist for a 2009 Aurealis Award for a novelette she has written with prolific award-winning author Mike Resnick, "Soulmates".

Greg Mellor is a Canberra-based writer of science fiction, and occasional writer of horror, paranormal, romance, erotica, fantasy and any combination thereof. He is also a totally awesome husband and dad – well, at least that’s what he tells everyone. Ask his wife if you want to find out the “home truth”.

Greg has worked and studied in and around Canberra all his life, with a ten-year residency in the UK somewhere in the middle. For some reason he felt compelled to do an Honours Degree in Astrophysics, and as if that wasn't enough punishment, he also completed an MBA in Technology Management. He has worked in professional service firms for the last 15 years and will continue to do so for a while yet to ensure he leaves enough inter-generational debt for his son and future grandchildren. There's a long, puzzling journey from astrophysics to consulting, involving shelf-packing, builder’s labourer and general dog’s body, technical drawing, business reporting, IT systems trainer, electrical power-line maintenance, four wheel driving, writing science articles and . . . you get the gist. Don't ask him "how" or "why", suffice to say there were many "sliding doors".

He is a regular contributor to Cosmos Magazine with “Defence of the Realm”, “Autumn Leaves Falling” and “Day Break”. His work has also appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, Aurealis, AntipodeanSF and Daily Science Fiction, plus several Australian and US small press anthologies including Winds of Change, Flesh & Bone, Hit Men, Novus Creatura and others. Greg reached the finals of the 2009 Aurealis Awards, Best Short SF category. His stories regularly receive mentions (honourable and otherwise) and tend to crop up on recommended reading lists around the internet.

In his spare time (is there such a thing?) he reads about consciousness, philosophy, psychology, physics, astronomy, history and evolution. This is usually followed by a self-help book so that he can still feel good about the world. Occasionally he’ll flick through the books of Paul Davies, one of his professors at uni . . . spot the name drop. Then he’ll follow this up with the odd fiction book or two, referencing Keats for soulful quotes and Wilde for the brutal truth about human nature. Then, when he can’t cram any more in, he will occasionally get back to his writing in the hope that the collage of ideas makes more sense on paper than it does in his head.

Greg was delighted when Ticonderoga Publications accepted his debut collection, “Wild Chrome”. Now he faces the daunting prospect of the SF novel.

He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSFG), and the ACT Writers' Centre.

Visit www.gregmellor.com to see pictures of his cat.

I like cats, cars and consciousness theories.

Talie Helene was News Editor for the Australian Horror Writers’ Association for four years, for which she was nominated for a Ditmar Award; she is also a musician and freelance journalist. She is the co-editor of The Year's Best Australian Fantasy and Horror.