Ursula K. LeGuin

I grew up immersed in sci-fi and fantasy, and I’ve seen all kinds of worlds; LeGuin’s have always been the most imaginative and engaging.

Octavia Butler

Butler makes *character* the central part of her characters. They are intensely personal, believable, and relatable.

Piers Anthony

As a youngster I was endlessly entertained by his clever novels. As I got older and discovered his short stories, I learned about the real depth and breadth a single writer can cover.

James Tiptree, Jr. / Alice B. Sheldon

I grew up on cyberpunk between the 1980s and the millennium. I hadn’t read Philip K. Dick yet, but when I stumbled upon Tiptree I discovered that cyberpunk has a longer and *much* richer history than I could have imagined.

Samuel R. Delany

No one plays with words and language like Delany. To call his work “jazz” only scratches the surface of what he has accomplished.

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Bola C. King-Rushing is a dad first and foremost. He’s also a professional writer, reader, editor, Oxford comma-ist, and community-college English instructor.