Friends, Auran, Countrymen -
Today I want to briefly introduce you to the authors whose contributions have made Annals of the Auran Empire possible.

John C Wright
John C. Wright is a retired attorney, newspaperman, newspaper editor, only once a fugitive from the police, who presently works as a writer in Virginia, where he lives in fairytalelike happiness with his wife, the authoress L. Jagi Lamplighter, and their four children.

Mr. Wright's debut novel, The Golden Age was published in 2002 to wide critical acclaim, with Publishers Weekly celebrating him as "this fledgling century's most important new SF talent." He is also known for the Chronicles of Chaos series, which includes Orphans of Chaos, a finalist for the 2005 Nebula Award for Best Novel.

In 2015, Mr. Wright received a record-breaking six Hugo Award nominations, including four in the Best Novella category (for "One Bright Star to Guide Them," "The Plural of Helen of Troy," "Yes, Virginia, the is a Santa Claus" and "Pale Realms of Shade"); one for Best Short Story ("The Parliament of Beasts and Birds"); and one for Best Related Work (Transhuman and Subhuman: Essays on Science Fiction and Awful Truth).  In 2016, his novel Somewhither won the first Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. You can visit his website at https://scifiwright.com/ to learn more.

Personal Note: Mr. Wright and I first met when I was Senior Vice-President of DEFY Media. Among my many tasks, I served as editor-in-chief of Everyjoe.com. I recruited Mr. Wright as a columnist there, where his column The Wright Stuff introduced philosophy for the everyday man. He is a man of traditional formality who still often calls me Mr. Macris despite 10 years of acquaintance. It is a great pleasure to finally be able to collaborate with him in the field of fiction.

A. Kristina Casasent
Anna and Tod write together as A. Kristina Casasent. By day they work in the sciences; by night they compose fiction. They live in Texas with a cheerfully demanding household: Newfoundland and Mini American Shepherd dogs, a Maine Coon, a calico cat, and a crested gecko — all of whom believe the writing schedule revolves around them. As A. Kristina Casasent they write across genres — often science fiction and fantasy — usually with a slight touch of humor. The stories are delightfully weird and occasionally dark. But they promise: the dog, cat, or other pet-like animal will never die.

Anna has a PhD in biomedical sciences and a background as a bioinformatician. She is an avid dog (and cat) trainer and the driving force behind A. Kristina Casasent. Tod is a software developer who has worked across a variety of industries. He learned to fly the space shuttle in docking maneuvers and work with the space station thermal bus. Anna turned him into a writer. You can visit their website at https://https://akristinacasasent.com/ to learn more.

Personal Note: Anna and Tod belong to the Alpha Mercs, a writing group of dedicated fantasy and science-fiction aficionados that has collaborated on many projects. I was introduced to the Alpha Mercs, and hence to Anna and Tod, by Zane Voss, who wrangled the Alpha Mercs into writing on the Annals. I'm grateful to get to have them join the anthology.

Ruth Clara
A Midwest native, Ruth’s interests include dogs, textile crafts, and stories that aren’t intended for her. She can usually be found at home, writing or desperately trying to reduce her vast pile of unfinished sewing projects. She has previously been published in the anthology Wyrd Warfare (by Raconteur Press) and the 2026 High Caliber Awards anthology (by Cannon Publishing), and won second place for the 2026 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award.

Personal Note: Ruth also belongs to the Alpha Mercs writing group and this is my first time working with her. Longtime fans of ACKS, who know that I ran a lengthy campaign inspired by the culture and folklore of the Middle East, will immediately understand why Ruth's story submission, "Debts on the Long Road," appealed to me.

B. K. Gibson
Ben and Karen Gibson cowrite fantasy and sci Fi novels and short stories under the name B.K Gibson. They live in Huntsville Al with three rambunctious kiddos, taking delight in the worlds they create. Ben's imprint Coldlight Press also publishes TTRPG modules and contests. You can visit their website at https://www.bkgibson.com/ to learn more.

Personal Note: Ben Gibson has been a prolific contributor to the same old-school tabletop role-playing game communities that I participate in, and he and I became friends on the Autarch Discord. His company Coldlight Press (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/11446/coldlight-press) publishes adventures, some of which are compatible with ACKS II. He plans to do a major ACKS II mega-dungeon using our soon-to-be-released SRD and license. Like many of the other contributors, Ben and Kara are also members of the Alpha Mercs and were recruited by Zane for the anthology. It's a pleasure to have them writing for the Annals.  

Nathaniel McIntyre
Nathaniel McIntyre is a former Army medic, current IT guy, TTRPG enthusiast, MFA graduate, and lifelong sci-fi and fantasy geek. He loves writing stories that blend genres and bend tropes to create interesting and unique stories. When he isn't wrangling technology or spending time with his family, he is working on whatever new idea has taken his brain hostage.

Personal Note: Nathaniel also came to the project by way of the Alpha Mercs. His story stood out for its realistic portrayal of military life. During developmental editing, I left him a note - "you must be a veteran," and of course he was. As it happens, Nathaniel is actually making his professional fiction debut with Annals of the Auran Empire. It is very gratifying to be the first to publish a bright new talent and I hope it is the beginning of a long literary career for him.

Jonathan Oldenburg
Jonathan Oldenburg grew up on a steady diet of fantasy and science fiction from J.R.R. Tolkien to Jerry
Pournelle along with a fascination for history which led him to the United States Military Academy at
West Point. An avid fan of Avalon Hill games since childhood, he found a home in the academy’s
Wargames Committee where, along with historical games, he was introduced to RPGs such as D&D,
Cyberpunk, and Mekton. It was in the role-playing medium that his fascination with characterization
first found its footing alongside history and worldbuilding.

In 1999, during his service as an armor officer at Fort Hood, TX, his paracosm, Isfalinis, began to take
shape. Perched atop an M1A2 tank at the National Training Center, CA, his cold and sandy MRE sitting
beside him, he penned one of his first works of short fiction. It was only after leaving the service,
however, that he turned his focus to writing novels. His first work, Tears from Iron, was published by Autarch in
2018. His second, a novel told across nine acts, is planned for release in 2027.

A student of history and of character, Jonathan seeks to bring forth stories with gripping narratives that
explore people and places more similar to our own experiences than we might initially imagine.
Whether that be amid the cataclysmic fires of Isfalinis or the crises of the Auran Empire, it is his
intention to spend the rest of his days weaving tales of hope amid the darkness. You can visit his website at https://jonathanoldenburg.com/ to learn more.

Personal Note: Mr. Oldenburg and I were classmates at West Point together from 1993 to 1995. We joined the Wargames Committee together and he gave me my first defeat in its halls. He later was a player in my epic Ravenloft and Cyberpunk campaigns at the Academy. We collaborated on the earliest framework for the world of Isfalinis, and reunited for the Grey Brotherhood YouTube show.

Brian Renninger
Raised in Alaska, Brian Renninger works as an engineer in industrial air quality doing everything from oil production, gas turbines, aerospace, forges & foundries, sawmills, crematories, and human composting. His favorite job was as a mine surveyor. Brian has been published in Pilum Press's New Voices series and by IM-1776 (https://im1776.com/). His gaming content can be found at his website https://fluiddruid.blog/., He is currently working on a novel of weird tales during the Alaskan Gold Rush.  
 
Personal Note: Like Ben Gibson, Brian circulates within the same old-school RPG circles I do, and we have known each other for several years. When I reached out to my friends at Pilum Press to see if anyone wanted to submit to the Annals of the Auran Empire, Brian stepped up. His story, The Seat of Contemplation, features my favorite magic item in the ACKS II Treasure Tome.

Sam Robb
Sam Robb is a former Navy officer and a software developer. He writes SF/F inspired by Pittsburgh’s back alleys, graffiti, and old buildings. He has published numerous short stories and books, including the flash fiction collection One October Night, the urban fantasy novel Sigils, and the dark fantasy novel A Sense of Murder. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, three daughters, and several unimpressed quadrupeds. You can visit his website  athttps://www.samrobbwrites.com/ to learn more, or check out his Substack at https://samrobbwrites.substack.com/.

Personal Note: Like most of the other contributors, Sam is a member of the Alpha Mercs. I didn't realize when I started working with him that he was a fellow Pittsburgher. I grew up in Pittsburgh (1979 - 1993) and if I ever make it back to my childhood home we're grabbing drinks. I need to get him drunk to find out why his Substack bio says "Former Presidential candidate."

Zane Voss
Zane Voss is an author of science fiction, fantasy, and alternate history living in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife and three children. When not shuttling kids around to activities, he writes, reads, and plays a mean game of Battletech. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the Missouri University of Science & Technology and occasionally works on his day job as an engineer in the steel industry. You can visit his website at https://zanevoss.com/ to learn more or check out his Substack at  https://zanevoss.substack.com/.

Personal Note: Zane worked as managing editor to wrangle together the Alpha Mercs for the Annals of the Auran Empire and without his efforts this project would not have come together. Like Sam Robb, he is a Pittsburgher and presumably he already knows the secret of Sam's presidential candidacy.

And that's our list! Would you be interested in me interviewing any or all of the writers on a live stream, or hosting them for a panel? If so, let me know in the comments below! In the meantime, please join me in thanking all of the writers for contributing their authorial expertise and writerly talents to Annals of the Auran Empire.