I'm an independent writer and artist who writes science fiction as a way to explore ideas about plasma intelligence, the impact of technology on the role of the caregiver, mentalism, genetic engineering and whatever else captures my interest. I started writing in 2009 while working as a librarian, because my friends were writers and I thought I could pose as one and help them get published. I quickly fell in love with the craft and haven't looked back.

Since my childhood in the Pacific Northwest, libraries have been sanctuaries where I explored arcane philosophies. Most readers and writers enjoy the weight and feel of holding a book and then flipping the pages to unlock a new universe, a window into another mind. I was that kid, too. I never considered myself a master of the written word, but I was imaginative and eager to learn storytelling to entertain.

And I've not shied away from burying the metaphysical influences of my degree in philosophy within the world-building of my books. I have also found wisdom in the first nations teachings I received from family, and it guides every narrative I produce. And with a graduate degree in Information from Vic Uni in Wellington, New Zealand, I've sought to further enrich my stories with deep research. In fact, I toil for years collecting research, but then write for mere months.

I would say my strength as a writer is in hinting at interesting concepts and meticulous world-building. But spiritual growth, personal development, and striving for success despite personal hardship is the true heartbeat of my work. I infuse my characters with tales of resilience. I was widowed young and struggled with single parenthood. I developed a chronic illness with hearing and balance features that isolated me in social environments—many of my characters endure as I have endured. In reflection on the terrible, they find beauty. In the absurd, humor. In suffering, clarity of purpose. In loss, the seeds of new beginnings. But they're not necessarily likable. They're just ordinary selfish people trying to get ahead with the least amount of effort needed.

But conspiracy theories! I love them, and my work is riddled with the slowly unraveling evidence of hidden power structures.

Current projects include:

• A coloring book on the Mandela Effect
• Novel "Ghost Trucker", about kidnappings amid an interdimensional labor shortage
• A rewrite of The Ishim Underground, my first post-apocalyptic fantasy novel
• A novel about the Annunaki, Namtar, who works as a Virologist in Mesopotamia

You can find me sipping coffee and walking around Vermont’s Green Mountains with my miniature schnauzer. Or visit me on X @peevishpenman.

Delcath - Sci-fi Colonization Series

More Writing by OA Allen