This Is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death

by Неизвестный

  RYAN NORTH is the author of Dinosaur Comics, which you can read at DINOSAURCOMICS.COM. He writes the bestselling Adventure Time comics published by BOOM! Studios, and his choose-your-own-path version of Hamlet, called To Be or Not to Be, recently became the most funded publishing project ever on Kickstarter. You can check that out at HAMLETBOOK.COM! He lives in Toronto with his rad wife and sweet dog.

  Authors

  KAREN STAY AHLSTROM has written dozens of English adaptations for manga, several volumes of which landed on national bestseller lists. She also had an epic poem published in Leading Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy, the magazine for which she also served as Fiction Director. While working at the magazine she met her husband, Peter Ahlstrom, as well as the writers Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells, for whom she now serves as an alpha reader. Karen lives in Utah raising three daughters as future lepidopterists.

  LIZ ARGALL grew up in Canberra, China, and Australia. Her first real job was at a women’s refuge and her last normal job was managing a circus. She writes love letters to inanimate objects and creates the sporadic webcomic Things Without Arms and Without Legs. LIZARGALL.COM

  REBECCA BLACK has taught English in Japan, studied linguistics in New York, and is currently in Maryland studying math, so that she may have the luxury of spending her life showing people how beautiful mathematics is. In her spare time she muses about the use of language, designs websites and then rarely updates them (MYRIADBALLOONS.NET/REBECCA), sings along to Japanese pop songs, reads fiction aimed at twelve-year-olds, and laments not having more time to paint or write.

  ’NATHAN BURGOINE lives in Ottawa with his husband, Daniel. His short fiction appears in Fool for Love, I Do Two, Saints + Sinners 2011: New Fiction from the Festival, Men of the Mean Streets, Boys of Summer, The Touch of the Sea, Night Shadows, and Mortis Operandi. His non-fiction appears in I Like It Like That and 5x5 literary magazine. His first novel, Light, is forthcoming from Bold Strokes Books. You can find him online at REDROOM.COM/MEMBER/NATHAN-BURGOINE.

  DALISO CHAPONDA is a Malawian writer and stand-up comedian whose fiction has appeared in publications such as Ellery Queen, Apex Magazine, and the first Machine of Death anthology. His last one-man show, “Laughrica,” got him in trouble with the Malawian censorship board. He cowrote a radio play called “When the Laughter Stopped” inspired by these experiences. It will air on BBC Radio 4 in 2013. DALISO.COM

  BILL CHERNEGA is best known for being John Chernega’s brother, but he’s also a picture editor, digital asset manager, screenwriter, programmer, and whatever other crazy thing he can think of doing. He lives with his amazing wife and two awesome kids in Los Angeles, and you can find out about his latest projects at BILLCHERNEGA.COM. His death prediction card simply reads, “Robot.”

  JOHN CHERNEGA is an English professor in southeastern Minnesota, where he lives with his awesome wife, Jenna, and their two amazing sons. John’s first published work was “Almond” from the first volume of Machine of Death. His hobbies include singing, playing board games, and saving Christmas. CHERNEGA.COM

  RYAN ESTRADA is an artist/adventurer who travels the world making comics, videos, and trouble. He is the author of the graphic novels Aki Alliance, The Kind, Plagued, and the short “Mystical Monkey” from Flight: Volume 4. He loves saying yes to random new experiences just in case he ever needs to write a story about them, so he knew that buying those illegal goods in that Mumbai black market and wandering through all those riots would pay off one day! RYANESTRADA.COM

  TOM FRANCIS plays and writes about video games for a living at PC Gamer, and in his spare time he’s making one called Gunpoint. He writes about that, entertainment, happiness, and plane seats on his blog, PENTADACT.COM.

  ERIKA HAMMERSCHMIDT is the author of Born on the Wrong Planet, a memoir about autism, and Kea’s Flight, a science fiction novel about parrots, robots, and embryos in space. She has a webcomic called Abby and Norma and lives in Minnesota with her husband, John. ERIKAHAMMERSCHMIDT.COM

  ADA HOFFMANN’s fiction has appeared in Imaginarium 2012: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing. She lives a nerdy, awkward life in southern Ontario and is currently taking a break in between different grad schools. She is online at ADA-HOFFMANN.LIVEJOURNAL.COM and on Twitter as @XASYMPTOTE.

  CHANDLER KAIDEN is an Affiliate Member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA). Previous short fiction has appeared in the anthology The Mothman Files, as well as a number of small press magazines. He lives and works in the Midwest.

  RHIANNON KELLY was not old enough to sign a legally binding contract when she sold her story to the Machine of Death people. She is now reveling in such adult rights and studying English at Cal Poly SLO. You can find her daily bite-sized pieces of writing at 55WORD STORIES.TUMBLR.COM.

  HOLLAN LANE lives in Spokane, Washington, and writes stories and books for a living under various pen names. She writes weird flash fiction and short stories, epic YA space operas, and gay erotic romance—mixing genres how she sees fit. In her spare time, she collects vintage pins and dresses like she lives in the 1950s. THEVINTAGEUNICORN.BLOGSPOT.COM

  M.J. LEITCH lives nocturnally in Ontario, Canada. She enjoys reading, writing, and engaging critically with TV shows that may or may not deserve such attention. She can be reached at MJ.LYNHURST@GMAIL.COM.

  MARTIN LIVINGS is a West Australian writer who has had more than eighty short stories published in a variety of magazines and anthologies both locally and internationally. His first novel, Carnies, was published in Australia in 2006 by Hachette Livre, and his first collection of short fiction, Living with the Dead, was published by Dark Prints Press in 2012. MARTINLIVINGS.COM

  MARLEIGH NORTON is a game design consultant currently residing in Boston. She occasionally gets tricked into writing things. Don’t read this book, it will only encourage her. WEB.MIT.EDU/MARLEIGH

  BRIGITA OREL has had her stories and poems published in Rose & Thorn Journal, Cantaraville, Autumn Sky Poetry, Islet, and other print and online magazines and collections. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Micro Award. She studied writing at Swinburne, Australia, and she lives and creates in Slovenia. BSOULFLOWERS.BLOGSPOT.COM

  GEORGE PAGE III is a Texan who writes fiction, exports heavy equipment to Asia, and bounces at a nightclub. His short stories have appeared in a number of anthologies, and he wrote the business novel Under the Gun. He lives with three dogs and a turtle—all of whom are worthless with dictation and editing. More info can be found at TGAPGEORGE.COM.

  SARAH PAVIS is a mechanical engineer and writer who wants to play board games with you. SARAHPAVIS.COM

  D.L.E. ROGER is Ian Stoner. Ian earned his B.A. from St. John’s College in 1999, and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Minnesota in 2011. WWW.TC.UMN.EDU/~STON0235/

  TOBY W. RUSH is a professor of music theory by day and an author by night, or at least whenever the kids are in bed and only after the dishes are done. He lives in Centerville, Ohio, where the drivers are friendly and the Wi-Fi is strong. By the time you are reading this, he hopes to have scraped something together worth discovering at TOBYRUSH.COM.

  RICHARD SALTER is a British writer and editor living near Toronto, Canada. He has had more than twenty short stories published and has edited two short story anthologies, most recently the shared-world collection World’s Collider, a mosaic novel about the end of the world. His debut horror novel, The Patchwork House, should be available to buy before the end of 2013. Check for updates at RICHARDSALTER.COM.

  KYLE SCHOENFELD took a westbound train one day and ended up in Seattle, where he recently finished graduate school. This is his first published story, but you can follow future projects at KYLESCHOENFELD.WORDPRESS.COM.

  GORD SELLAR is a Canadian author and screenwriter who was born in Malawi and spent more than a decade working in South Korea. He attended Clarion West in 2006 and was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2009. For more information on his writing, see his website at GORDSELLAR.COM.


  GRACE SEYBOLD is a science fiction writer and poet. She lives in Montreal, where she spends her time working as a copy editor and waiting for her latent superpowers to manifest.

  JOHN TAKIS is a part-time librarian and freelance writer, specializing in film music journalism. His short fiction has appeared in several volumes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and in the anthology Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places. JOHNTAKIS.COM

  ED TURNER is a writer, RPG designer, and academic with a scholarly interest in games and the interaction between mechanics and narratives. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife and their hamster. THOUGHTCHECKGAMES.WORDPRESS.COM

  REN WAROM is a writer of the strange, dark, and bizarre, residing in Middle England. Ren’s stories are published here and there, and her novels are represented by the fabulous Jennifer Udden of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. RENWAROMSUMWELT.WORDPRESS.COM

  Illustrators

  NICK ABADZIS is a British cartoonist, writer, graphic novelist, and visual and editorial consultant of international renown. As an author, he has been honored with various awards including the prestigious Eisner for his graphic novel Laika. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. For more info, portfolios, and links, please visit NICKABADZIS.MY-EXPRESSIONS.COM.

  GRAHAM ANNABLE is a Canadian cartoonist living in Portland, Oregon. When he’s not busy creating new Grickle comics and animation, he spends his time working as a storyboard artist at Laika Entertainment. GRICKLE.COM

  C.BILLADEAU is an illustrator working out of Chicago, variably spending her time freelancing her skills or drawing a graphic novel. Portfolio and prints of her work are available at BILLET-DEAUX.COM.

  SAM BOSMA is an illustrator living and working out of a burrow in Baltimore, Maryland. He works largely on editorial and book illustrations and more specifically, the kind of illustrations with monsters and swords and stuff. SBOSMA.COM

  TONY CLIFF is a contributor to the Flight series of comic anthologies, has been nominated for Shuster, Harvey, and Eisner awards, and is the author of Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, a light-hearted adventure tale available at delilahdirk.com. He owes his draftsmanship skills to a series of teachers who emphasized strong fundamentals, hard work, good manners, proper nutrition, and regular flossing. He internets at TONYCLIFF.COM.

  SHARI CHANKHAMMA is a comic artist, illustrator, reluctant writer, and technology enthusiast. SHARII.COM

  ANTHONY CLARK is a cartoonist and illustrator from Indiana. You can see more of his drawings at NEDROID.COM.

  TRUDY COOPER, as a child, was annoyed that Betty’s and Veronica’s skirts didn’t ride up when they bent over. She now illustrates the dirty webcomic Oglaf. OGLAF.COM

  MIKE DAWSON’S graphic novels include Freddie & Me: A Coming-of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody (Bloomsbury USA), Ace-Face: The Mod with the Metal Arms (AdHouse), and Troop 142 (Secret Acres). He is also the cohost of the popular comics-related podcast, “The Ink Panthers Show!” His next book, Angie Bongiolatti, will be published by Secret Acres in late 2013. MIKEDAWSONCOMICS.COM

  AARON DIAZ is an ex-professor and dread cartoonist. Creator of the science webcomic Dresden Codak and the art theory blog “Indistinguishable from Magic,” he currently resides in Brooklyn. DRESDENCODAK.COM

  ALEXANDRA “LEXXY” DOUGLASS is a freelance fantasy and sci-fi illustrator, working for clients all over the world from the comfort of her pajamas. In her free time, she plays video games and works on her pet project, The Cloud Factory. ALEXANDRA-DOUGLASS.COM

  BECKY DREISTADT is a painter and comic artist living in Los Angeles. She mostly works with her partner Frank on the hand-painted webcomic Tiny Kitten Teeth, the vintage-style children’s book series Tigerbuttah, and the 151-painting project Capture Creatures. Becky likes animals, old cartoons, and Bavarian folk art. BECKYDREISTADT.COM

  ALICE DUKE is an illustrator and concept artist. She has also illustrated several comics for anthologies, including The Graphic Canon Volumes 1 & 2 (Seven Stories Press), The Lovecraft Anthology Volume 1 (Self Made Hero) and Nelson (Blank Slate Books). Find her online at ALICE-DUKE.COM.

  MEREDITH GRAN is a freelance cartoonist, animator, and writer from Brooklyn, New York. She spends a lot of time taking pictures of her dog. OCTOPUSPIE.COM

  KC GREEN is currently possibly on the East Coast drawing comics and stuff. He might, however, be on the West Coast still drawing a bunch, but possibly not as many, comics as he used to. Wherever he is, you can be sure he is second-guessing his every move. KCGREENDOTCOM.COM

  DUSTIN HARBIN is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has never died before. More information, comics, and even more information at DHARBIN.COM.

  TYSON HESSE has a college degree in who cares from the school of whatever. He’s animated characters on video games like Skullgirls and illustrated on comic books like Bravest Warriors. He has two comics of his own: Boxer Hockey and Diesel. The Machine has predicted he will die before he finishes either of them. BOXERHOCKEY.COM/TYSON

  CLAIRE HUMMEL grew up in Los Angeles, went to school in Rhode Island, and ended up in Seattle, working as an associate production designer for Microsoft Studios. When she isn’t drawing art for video games, she spends time with her two boa constrictors and tries not to think too much about what her Machine reading would be. Preferably not “SNAKES.” SHOOMLAH.COM

  INDIGO KELLEIGH is an illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. His latest projects and interests are tracked online at LUNARBISTRO.COM.

  BRADEN LAMB is a Boston-based illustrator. He and his wife, Shelli, are the series artists for the Adventure Time and Ice Age comics, as well as some self-published comics that are less lucrative. BRADENLAMB.COM

  LES MCCLAINE has worked as a librarian, a janitor, a record store clerk, and a Santa wrangler. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where he sits in a big room with his friends and draws cartoons all day. LESMCCLAINE.COM

  CARLA SPEED MCNEIL is the author of the Eisner Award–winning science fiction series Finder. Her forthcoming book, recently serialized in Dark Horse Presents, is titled Third World. Her latest book, written by Sara Ryan, is called Bad Houses and will begin life as a webcomic any split second. Her websites: LIGHTSPEEDPRESS.COM and FINDERCOMICS.COM

  KEVIN MCSHANE is a cartoonist, designer, actor, filmmaker, writer, photographer, and a dozen other things that won’t impress you either. He can be found digitally at KEVINMCSHANE.ORG.

  BEN MCSWEENEY is an illustrator, animator, and director on projects such as The Way of Kings, PostHuman, and Darksiders II. Find out more at INKTHINKER.NET.

  CARLY MONARDO lives and draws in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and their ridiculous dog. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts Animation Program, Carly has worked on projects as diverse as Venture Bros. and Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel. You can find more of her art at WHIRRINGBLENDER.COM.

  DANICA NOVGORODOFF is a painter, comic book artist, writer, graphic designer and horse wrangler from Kentucky who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has published three graphic novels: A Late Freeze (2006 winner of the Isotope Award), Slow Storm (2008, First Second Books), and Refresh, Refresh (included in Best American Comics 2011). Her fourth graphic novel, The Undertaking of Lily Chen, is forthcoming from First Second Books in 2014. DANICANOVGORODOFF.COM

  EMILY PARTRIDGE is an illustrator/cartoonist from British Columbia, Canada. She is a cutie-pie. EMPARTRIDGE.COM

  RYAN PEQUIN is a tiny man who lives in Canada and draws cartoons for a living somehow. If he had to choose a way to die, he would probably choose being carried off by an eagle and then eaten by its young. You can read his comics at THREEWORDPHRASE.COM if you want to do that.

  RAMóN PéREZ is the multiple-award-winning cartoonist best known for his graphic novel adaptation of Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand for Archaia Entertainment. Currently he’s illustrating Wolverine & the X-Men for Marvel. Notable recent works also include John Carter: The Gods of Mars, Captain America and the First Thirteen, and Deadpool Team-Up for Marvel Co
mics, as well as his creator-owned endeavors Butternutsquash and Kukuburi. RAMONPEREZ.COM

  MIKE PETERSON, aka Halcyon Snow, is suspiciously comfortable with nameless dread and gibbering horrors. Approach with caution. HALCYONSNOW.BLOGSPOT.COM

  GREG RUTH is the Spectrum Award–winning artist and writer whose most recent projects include Red Kite, Blue Kite (with Ji-Li Jiang), A Pirate’s Guide to Recess (with James Preller), INDEH (with Ethan Hawke) from Hyperion/ABC, and his latest creator-owned graphic novel from Scholastic/Graphix!, The Lost Boy. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and two boys.GREGTHINGS.COM

  CHRIS SCHWEIZER is the cartoonist behind The Crogan Adventures, a historical fiction graphic novel series. He grew up in Kentucky and now lives with his wife and daughter outside of Atlanta, where he teaches comics at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. CROGANADVENTURES.BLOGSPOT.COM

  KRIS STRAUB is the author of the comic strips Chainsawsuit, Starslip, and Broodhollow. He lives in Seattle, where he can be frequently seen on Penny Arcade TV. KRISSTRAUB.COM

  LISSA TREIMAN was born in the city of Los Angeles and has never managed to leave it. After graduating CalArts with a degree in cartoons, she began working at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 2007. She’s been storyboarding there ever since, contributing to films such as Tangled and Wreck-it Ralph. She loves dogs. All dogs. At the time of writing this, she still does not know how to ride a bicycle. LISSABT.BLOGSPOT.COM