Recorded live at The Lost Church in San Francisco, September 15, 2024 ABOUT THE AUTHORS ANNALEE NEWITZ writes science fiction and nonfiction. Their background includes being a policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a lecturer in American Studies at UC Berkeley, the recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT, and they have a Ph.D. in English and American Studies from UC Berkeley. They are the author of three novels: The Terraformers, The Future of Another Timeline, and Autonomous, which won the Lambda Literary Award, and was nominated for the Nebula and Locus Awards. Their short story “When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis” was winner of the 2019 Sturgeon Award. In addition, they were the co-editor of the essay collection She’s Such A Geek and author of Pretend We’re Dead: Capitalist Monsters in American Pop Culture. ANDREA STEWART is the daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. Stewart is a Sunday Times Bestselling author whose short stories can be found in such venues as Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Daily Science Fiction, Galaxy’s Edge, and others. Her debut epic fantasy novel, The Bone Shard Daughter, was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel, the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy and Debut Novel, and the BookNest Award for Best Traditionally Published Novel. Her series, The Drowning Empire Trilogy, is now complete, with the titles The Bone Shard Daughter, The Bone Shard Emperor, and The Bone Shard War, all published by Orbit Books. Her brand new title, just out, is The Gods Below, the first in a new trilogy. The series is set in a world ravaged by ancient magic, where precious gemstones bestow magical abilities on the few individuals able to harness their power. Full of clandestine power struggles and the battles between gods, the story follows Hakara, a young woman searching for her missing sister and who will do anything to find her — even lead a rebellion against the gods themselves. JULIA VEE loves stories of magic and monsters. Add East Asian dishes to the mix and you have the flavor profile of her writing. Julia’s academic focus on Asian Studies at U.C Berkeley only deepened her appreciation for the history and lore of that region. Though she has spent over two decades as a trial lawyer in Silicon Valley, she has always nurtured her creative spark, all the while teaching courses on business and property law as an adjunct faculty member in colleges and law schools. Outside of the courtroom, her heart beats strongest for the fantastical. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise residential workshop. She often writes with co-author Ken Bebelle to craft fantasy adventure stories with East Asian elements. Their works include the Seattle Slayers series and their forthcoming trilogy, beginning with Ebony Gate, debuted from TOR in July of 2023, with Blood Jade published in July of 2024. A lifelong fan of comics, Julia met her spouse over a shared love of the medium. She is passionate about rescue dogs, knitting, and soup. Her fandoms include Elfquest, Avatar the Last Airbender, Kate Daniels, the Witcher, and Shang-Chi. Learn more at juliavee.com.