Climber, tattoo collector, peanut-butter addict, and loyal shiba-minion, Xan van Rooyen is a non-binary storyteller from South Africa, currently living in Finland where the heavy metal is soothing and the cold, dark forests inspiring. They have a Master’s degree in music, and–when not teaching–enjoy conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. You can find Xan’s short stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, and Bards & Sages Quarterly among others. You can also read their novels like I Heart Robot and By the Blood of Rowans. Feel free to hang out with Xan on Instagram and Twitter @xan_writer.