Nancy Kress is the author of thirty-five novels, four story collections, and three books on writing fiction (Writer’s Digest Books). Her science fiction has won six Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Her most recent fiction is Observer, a novel about the nature of consciousness, reality, and love, cowritten with Dr. Robert Lanza. Nancy’s work has been translated into two dozen languages including Klingon, none of which she can read. She teaches writing at various venues in the United States and abroad, including a guest lectureship at the University of Leipzig, an intensive seminar in Beijing, and the annual SF-writing intensive workshop Taos Toolbox with Walter Jon Williams. She lives in Seattle with her husband, writer Jack Skillingstead.
Nancy says this about her story: “When the Covid pandemic struck in the winter of 2019–2020, epidemiologists were not surprised. They had been saying for decades that Earth was overdue for another major epidemic. They wrote articles and books and made podcasts warning that some unknown epidemic, of some unknown severity, was coming. Very few people in positions of power listened.
“Covid, like most infections, thrives by destroying its hosts’ cells. It brought no good to anybody. However, there exist pathogens that have other effects. One is the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In mice, it removes the fear of cats, and recent research suggests that even after symptoms disappear, changes in the brain may be permanent. This is great for hungry cats, not so good for the mice. In humans, multiple research studies suggest that toxoplasmosis increases risk-taking.
“I have always been fascinated by epidemiologists, those hunters, controllers, and trackers of disease. So I asked myself—because that’s what SF writers do—a what-if. What if an emerging virus affected human brains in a permanent way, but with far different effects than increased risk-taking? What cell receptors might it target, and what might be the consequences?”
Thus, “Halo.”
Growing up in a creative household, it was inevitable that Lucas Durham would pursue a life as an artist. He knew it was his calling as soon as he could hold a pencil. After receiving a BFA at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Lucas honed his craft by painting illustrations for the tabletop games industry. He quickly developed a reputation for his impactful narrative illustrations.
Over the past decade, Lucas has had a varied career, working on projects that involved a diverse list of licenses and intellectual properties, including NFL, MLB, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. His work has been showcased in multiple illustration annuals, magazines, and gallery invitationals, such as Infected by Art, Imagine FX, and the Maleficium Dark Art Exhibit. He currently considers his crowning achievement being invited to participate in the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program for two years, where he had the opportunity to design a congressional gold medal that is part of a permanent exhibit in Indianapolis, IN, and is part of the Smithsonian Collection.
He is currently working as a senior game development artist at Light and Wonder in Chicago, designing exciting casino games for national and international markets.
Lucas is a former winner of the Illustrators of the Future Contest and was first featured in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 29.
To see more of his work, go to https://www.lucasdurham.com.