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FONDA LEE is the author of the epic urban fantasy Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy, and the science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo, and Cross Fire. Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, a three-time winner of the Aurora Award, and a multiple finalist for the Nebula Award and the Locus Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Fonda is a former corporate strategist, black-belt martial artist, and Eggs Benedict enthusiast. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, she currently resides in Portland, Oregon.
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CHRISTOPHER RUOCCHIO is the author of The Sun Eater, a space opera fantasy series, as well as the Assistant Editor at Baen Books, where he has co-edited four anthologies. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he studied English Rhetoric and the Classics. Christopher has been writing since he was eight and sold his first novel, Empire of Silence, at twenty-two. To date, his books have been published in five languages. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Jenna. He may be found on both Facebook and Twitter with the handle TheRuocchio.
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DAVID BRIN is best-known for shining light—plausibly and entertainingly—on technology, society, and countless challenges confronting our rambunctious civilization. His bestselling novels include The Postman (filmed in 1997) plus explorations of our near future in Earth and Existence. Other novels are translated into more than twenty-five languages. His short stories explore vividly speculative ideas. Brin's nonfiction book The Transparent Society won the American Library Association's Freedom of Speech Award for exploring twenty-first-century concerns about security, secrecy, accountability, and privacy. As a scientist, tech-consultant, and world-known author, he speaks, advises, and writes widely on topics from national defense and homeland security to astronomy and space exploration, SETI and nanotechnology, future/prediction, creativity, and philanthropy.
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D. J. (DAVE) BUTLER has been a lawyer, a consultant, an editor, and a corporate trainer. His novels published by Baen Books include Witchy Eye, Witchy Winter, Witchy Kingdom, Serpent Daughter, and In the Palace of Shadow and Joy, as well as The Cunning Man, co-written with Aaron Michael Ritchey. He also writes for children: The Kidnap Plot, The Giant's Seat, and The Library Machine are published by Knopf. Other novels include City of the Saints from WordFire Press and The Wilding Probate from Immortal Works. Dave also organizes writing retreats and anarcho-libertarian writers' events, and travels the country to sell books. He plays guitar and banjo whenever he can and likes to hang out in Utah with his novel-writing wife and their three children.
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DR. CHARLES E. GANNON‘s Caine Riordan hard-SF novels have all been national bestsellers. Four have been Nebula finalists, two have been Dragon Award finalists, and the first was also a Compton Crook winner. An overlapping series, Murphy's Lawless, launched in 2020. His epic fantasy series, The Vortex of Worlds, debuts in 2021. He collaborates with Eric Flint in the New York Times/Wall Street Journal-bestselling Ring of Fire series, has written solo novels in John Ringo's Black Tide Rising series, and has contributed to the Starfire, Honorverse, Man-Kzin, and War World universes. Other credits include a lot of short fiction, game design/writing, and scriptwriter/producer. As a Distinguished Professor of English, Gannon received five Fulbrights. His book Rumors of War & Infernal Machines won the 2006 ALA Choice Award for Outstanding Book. He is a frequent subject-matter expert in national media venues (NPR, Discovery, etc.) and for various intelligence and defense agencies.
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DAVID WEBER was born in Cleveland a long, long time ago, and grew up in rural South Carolina, with a father who collected autographed copies of every E. E. Smith hardcover and a mother who ran her own ad agency and encouraged him to write. From that start, with a love of history (and as a practitioner of RPGs before the world ever heard of something called Dungeons & Dragons), it was inevitable he would embrace the dark side and become a sci-fi writer himself. He sold his first novel to Jim Baen, his enabler at Baen Books, in 1989. Since then, he has perpetrated more than seventy solo and collaborative novels and an unconscionable number of anthologies. He is perhaps best known for his character Honor Harrington, whom he hopes never to meet in a dark alley, given all the bones she has to pick with him. Casual acquaintances are warned never to press his “talk button.”
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JOE HALDEMAN is the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Forever War, The Hemingway Hoax, Forever Peace, and many others (more than two dozen), a SFWA Grand Master and a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Joe has also won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Locus Award, the Rhysling Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. For thirty years, Joe was an Adjunct Professor teaching writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is also the fictional setting for his 2007 novel, The Accidental Time Machine. His most recent novel is Work Done for Hire. A painter and poet as well as author, Joe resides in Gainesville, Florida, with Gay, his wife of fifty-five years.
Acknowledgements
This anthology would not have been possible without the generous support of the many people who pledged to back it on Kickstarter. You not only made this terrific collection of science fiction and fantasy stories possible, you’ve set the stage for more Shapers of Worlds anthologies in the future. This anthology only includes guests from the first year of The Worldshapers podcast. With luck and supporters like you, there’ll be a Volume II next year featuring guests from the podcast’s second year—an equally stellar collection of authors. Huge thanks to everyone listed below (the names they backed under), and to those who chose to remain anonymous, for helping to bring this book to life.
Kickstarter Backers
Adam Eaton, Adam Rajski, Adderbane, Adora Hoose, Alex Claman, Alex McGilvery, Allan Harsmann, Amy Blume, Amy Kimmel, Andrea Fry, Andrea R, Andrew, Andrew I Renshaw, Andrew MacLeod, Andrew Maletz, Andrew Miller, Andromeda Taylor, Anna Fultz, Anne Hueser, Anne Walker, Arthur Slade, Aura Roy, Barbara Butler Long, BCurtis, BE Stewart, Beebs, Ben H, Ben Janseen, Benjamin Wheeler, Benoit Chartier, Beth Lobdell, Bradley Hogland, Bren Hawk, Brendan Coffey, Brendan Rose-Silverberg, Brian Bygland, Bruce Trick, Byron Aytoun, Camille Lofters, Carl Swan, Caroline Kierstead, Caroline Westra, Cata Mari, Catherine Fiorello, Catherine Gross-Colten, Catherine Seeligson, Cathy Green, Celeste Stuart, Cern McAtee, Chawin Narkraksa, Chris, Chris Gerrib, Chris Lisy, Chris McLean, Christer Boräng, Christine Schmidt, Cindy, Cindy Ferguson, Claire Sims, Connor Bliss, Corey, Craig Neumeier, Cristina Alves, Curt Frye, Cyn Wise, D.J. Schreffler, Dagmar, Dan Pollack, Daniel Blatt, Daryl Putman, David Butler, David Edmonds, David Hopkinson, David Perlmutter, David Rowe, David Schumacher, David Strutton, David Teare, david wilkerson, Debbie Matsuura, Deodand, Devin, Diego Elio Pettenò, Dino Hicks, Donna Levett, Duane Warnecke, Dwight Willett, Edgar Middel, Edward Ellis, Edward Kuruliouk, Elizabeth Doherty, Elizabeth Farley-Dawson, Elizabeth Furr, Elizabeth Lundquist, Elly Carlson, Elyse M Grasso, Emily, Emily Collins, Eric Brown, Erin, Erin McLaughlin, Ernesto, Ethaisa, Evan Ladouceur, Faye Onley, Fazia Rizvi, Felaguin, Fiannawolf, filkferengi, Frank Nissen, Frankie, Fred Bailey, Gareth JOnes, Garth Rose, Gary Moore, Gary Phillips, Genevieve Fitzsimmons, GMark C, Gregory Cherlin, Hayden Trenholm, Heather Nickel, Heidi Lambert, Ian H., Ina Gur, Ira Nayman, Isaac ‘Will It Work’ Dansicker, Jackson Yuen, Jaime Bolton, Jakub Narębski, James Alan Gardner, james coates, James Gotaas, James Lucas, James McCoy, Jarrod Coad, Jeanne Hartley, Jeffrey Carver, Jen & Eric, Jennifer Berk, Jennifer Brozek, Jennifer Della'Zanna, Jennifer Flora Black, Jennifer Pease, Jennifer Whitworth, Jeremiah Johnston, Jermaine Kanhai, Jeroen Teitsma, Jess Turner, Jesse Klein, Jessica Enfante, Jessica Williams, Jessica Willson, Jill Keppeler, Jim Willett, Joann Koch, Joanne Burrows, Joe Geary, John, John McCann, John Tilden, Jonathan Mansfield, Josh Levin, Joshua Palmatier,
Jowen, Joy Auburn, JT, juli, Julian White, June m downey, kamalloy, Kamara Willett, karen, Karen McGee, Kari Blocker, Karl Mehler, Kat Munro Glass, Kate Mackay, Katharine Kolb, Kathryn Taylor, Kathy Magruder, Katie Schmirler, Katya, Keith, Keith West, Kenneth Patterson, Kent Pollard, Kerry Kuhn, Khristian McCutchan, Kim, Kim Stoker, Kris Vasquez, Krystal Bohannan, Krystal Windsor, Larry Strome, Lawrence Amrose, Leah Webber, LexiBanner, Lily Connors, Linda Bruno, Linda Cox, Lisa Johnson, Liz M, logosshadow, Louise DiMarcello, maileguy, Manuel Tants, Marc D. Long, Margaret Anderson, Margaret Bumby, Margaret Chambers, Margaret Hodges, Margaret St. John, MARGOT HARRIS, Mark Newman, Mark Thompson, Martin Beijer, Martina James, Martyn Smedley, Mary Alice Wuerz, Mary Haldeman, Maryrita Steinhour, Mate Beljan, Matt, Matt Knepper, Matthew Gaglio, Matthew Runyon, Matthew Wang, Max Kaehn, Max Smolev, Melanie Marttila, Melissa Hawley, Michael Bernardi, Michael Esparza, Michael F. Stewart, Michael Fedrowitz, Michael Feir, Michael Kirpes, Michael Spath, Michael Weckworth, Michael Yigdall, Michala, Michelle, Mike Mancini, Mike Miller, Mike OBrien, Miranda Floyd, Monica cormier, Nancy, Nancy Steffan, Nancy Tseng Glassman, Ned Donovan, Nicholas Trandem, Nicole Hunter, Nina Hill, PABrown, parkrrrr, Pat, Pat H, Patricia Anne Wilson, Patricia Miller, Patrick Curtis, Patti Short, paul, Peggy Kimbell, Peter Friedman, Peter O'Meara, Poisontaster, Rachel Hagen, Rafe Richards, randomscrub, Rethyn, Richard L. Hamilton, Richard Norton, RIchard W Maxton, Rick Straker, RipL, RJHopkinson, Rob Easton, Rob Elderkin, Rob Menaul, Robert, Robert Claney, Robert Gottlieb, Robert Woods Tienken, Roberta Webb, Ross Qualls, Russell J Handelman, Russell Ventimeglia, Ruth, Sandi Pitura, Scott Kohtz, Scott Kuntzelman, Sean CW Korsgaard, Shael Hawman, Shana, Shannon Mason, Sharon Eisbrenner, Sian, Simo Muinonen, Simon Matthews, Software Bloke, Stephanie Lucas, Stephen, Stephen Ballentine, Steven Callen, Steven Lord, Steven Peiper, Stu Glennie, Stu White, Sue Archer, Susan Baur, Susan Forest, Susan K Jolly, Susan O'Fearna, Susanne Schörner, Sven, T R Jacobs, Tania, Tanja Wooten, Tara Zrymiak, Tero Heikkinen, Thomas Bull, Thomas Hendricksen, Thomas Lockett, Thomas Wiegand, Tiff Reynolds, Tiffany Hall, Tina Good, Tom, Tom Knapik, Tony Calidonna, V Joy Stang, vincentursus, Vivien Limon, Wade Waldron, William McKissack, William Woodford, Yankton Robins, Zachary Williams, Zara.
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