We’re so excited to share “Saint Zero of the Hollows and the Eagle Knight” with Lightspeed’s readers! Can you tell us where the seed for this story came from?

I’m honored Lightspeed enjoyed “Saint Zero” and published it, it’s such a dream home for this story. The idea behind it was a twofold, very random thought sequence: “What if A Knight’s Tale were sapphic?” and then “No, wait, what if it were set in space?” This was followed by a lot of complicated emotions existing in this current political climate (“Saint Zero” was written in 2025, so these emotions have only intensified since), and then realizing this story wasn’t going to end well for either Zero or Silvi.

A lot of my work tends to end on a bittersweet note; the characters often make it out, albeit sometimes only temporarily or very scarred. “Saint Zero” is one answer to a question my brain was circling a lot at the time: “What happens when two people can’t break out of their trajectory?” It’s messier than usual for me, with less clear-cut answers, and it was fun to write outside of my norm in that sense.

This story combines typically fantasy genre-related elements such as magical creatures and jousting with things usually associated with SF: an asteroid setting and mech-like neural link systems. Other than contributing to the rich texture of the story, how did genre-blending allow you to tell this story in a way that strict genre conventions might not?

I love existing in that zone where science fiction and fantasy overlap, it’s my favorite place to play worldbuilding-wise. I adore epic space operas and science fantasy, which don’t shy away from pulling in fantastic elements. It allows me to tackle some narratives in pretty over-the-top ways.

By setting Zero and Silvi’s story on an asteroid, an object trapped in the sun’s orbit, I can reinforce them being locked into their inevitable end via setting. By making it a jousting tournament to the death, I can give it an almost tragic tavern tale in atmosphere as well. If I had gone for purely fantasy in setting or purely harder science fiction, that combination of grounded yet fantastical might not have landed the way I wanted. Plus, at the end of the day, I simply love blending SF and fantasy with my stories—and making them pretty queer and mixed race like me as an added bonus. Sometimes I think about this intentionally, sometimes it’s as simple as “this vibe feels right, let’s run with it.”

For this story I did overthink the aesthetic a lot though. I’ve been going through a phase with my space opera where I want it to be Vampire Hunter D-esque in visuals, this beautifully gothic, dying and decaying setting, but in space. That’s where the mechanical, almost clockwork pegasus came from.

My touchstones tend to be extremely millennial, raised on Toonami things like Gundam Wing, but also video games like Final Fantasy X and novels like Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga or Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire. I pull a lot from games and animated inspirations, but I love how fiction gives you an interiority visual mediums can’t (without a voiceover). That and my chaotically anxious and ADHD brain logic (and sentences within sentences, I can’t leave out a good parenthetical) tend to inform my prose style, preferences, themes, and so on.

You’re a cofounder of the queer speculative magazine OTHERSIDE. What has starting your own publication taught you about the editorial process and your own writing?

I’m so proud of OTHERSIDE (othersidespec.com/) and everyone involved with it! We’ve only recently launched our debut issue (bit.ly/4rjpyI0). It’s been a journey, and the initial reaction to and love for all the queer stories and poems and our amazing cover and interior art have made it all worthwhile. I’ve always had the utmost respect for speculative magazines out there—I knew it was tough work, keeping a magazine afloat. But now that I have to pay attention to production timelines of my own? I have even more respect for the editorial teams that keep things going. You have to read the queue in a timely manner, upkeep socials, ensure contracts are signed, authors are paid, and then edit everything, make sure it’s all formatted correctly and hope nothing goes catastrophically wrong.

I’m glad to be doing all that with an amazing group of people because that’s far too much for any single person to do alone! My fellow cofounders, Ash Vale and MR Robinson, have often said it feels like putting down train tracks just before the train derails, barely keeping the thing going, and that’s accurate. It’s a lot of excited screaming and learning our process still. I’m lucky to be a part of it.

As for lessons about my own writing, I would say: First read for a magazine, get involved in the magazine editorial process if you’re able, even for a little bit. You’ll learn so much.

First reading, which is reading a magazine’s submission queue, allows you to a) get a feel for what stories are out there, the common tropes, etc., and b) what resonates with you and your own desires when it comes to your own work. Reading and solidifying the table of contents for Issue 1 evolved my awareness of my own storytelling preferences and what common mistakes I’m making like it was a Pokémon or something (and we all make these mistakes, to be clear; that’s what revisions and editing are for). I think it’s made me a better writer, or at least a more self-aware one, and that can only help me tell the stories I want to going forward.

What’s next for you? Anything you’re working on that you’re able to tell us about?

Currently I’m working on a new novel while I ponder and revise a prior one. This new novel’s working title was simply “asteroids” until I consulted a professional, who politely explained what I described was not asteroids but, in fact, moonlets. So I’m working on a new novel whose working title is simply “moonlets”! It’s a battle royale Hunger Games style, but if the contestants were merged with deities vying for the power to control reality itself. There’s some sapphic Eddie/Venom level shenanigans in there for sure, with some gender feelings as a treat because I’m me.

Other than that, a few more short stories are in the works, as well as one other novel idea that’s vaguely simmering in the background. I have an extremely chaotic process; I need at least three to six stories of varying lengths and vibes oscillating wildly around in my brain at any given point in time or I don’t want to write anything.

And of course I’ll be working on OTHERSIDE things! When this comes out, we’ll be well into the process of reading and preparing for Issue 2! Which is so exciting to think about.