Adrian M. Gibson

My writing blurs the line between science fiction and fantasy. I lean heavily into the weird, exploring the liminal spaces of the human mind, history, technology, and nature. Through the lenses of complex, morally gray characters (including non-humans like mushroom people), I traverse strange worlds and dark circumstances, all the while blending sci-fi/fantasy with elements of noir, murder mysteries, cyberpunk, crime thrillers, and more.

I grew up on the west coast of Canada, on Vancouver Island. My upbringing was one that combined the monotony of suburbia and the vastness of nature. It gifted me with a love for books, video games, science, and technology, which I devoured at home and at school. But it also instilled in me a deep adoration for the natural world. For hours every week, I would be adventuring through the temperate rainforests close to my home, running beneath the gargantuan trees, past lush foliage, rotten logs, bugs, animals, and all the rest. Most importantly, it introduced me to fungi, which became one of my lifelong passions. To this day, I find myself engrossed by these alien organisms and the wondrous mysteries that they hold.

I was a voracious reader, mostly thanks to my mom and my grandma. They taught me to read and write, but also gave me the confidence to start charting my own journey with literature. That led me to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Redwall, and countless other classic fantasy series. But I also found myself indulging in the humorous and satirical, with series like A Series of Unfortunate Events and Captain Underpants (the latter of which opened my eyes to the incredible world of comic books). Basically, I read everything and anything growing up, including hours spent poring over atlases (I also love maps, as my father was a cartographer).

Jeff VanderMeer. His combination of poetic prose, vivid imagery, creeping atmosphere, and believable characters completely captured me ever since I read the first page of Annihilation. Reading his books is like taking in a captivating and bewildering piece of abstract art, except that his brushstrokes take the form of words on the page.

In no particular order: Jeff VanderMeer, Fonda Lee, China Miéville, Haruki Murakami, and Margaret Atwood.

I'm going to cheat a bit, as I have two: Jade City by Fonda Lee and Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames.

Koji Nameko. He is the mushroom-headed beat cop in Mushroom Blues who is forced to team up with the main character, Henrietta Hofmann. Koji is the first character that I ever created for my shared universe (called The Fungalverse), and he became so personal to me. Much like myself, he is an internal person who keeps much of himself hidden away from the outside world, despite that fact that he can be charming, confident, and capable of navigating difficult external situations. As well, deep down, even though he is flawed and has made countless mistakes in his life, he has a caring nature and a fierce sense of loyalty.

Koji also experiences intense alienation both from his own people—the fungals—and humans, so he finds himself in this weird cultural, racial, and social limbo. Unintentionally, that mirrored my experiences of living in different countries across the world and being separated from my family by thousands of kilometers. For most of my adult life, I've been confronted with discomfort and unfamiliar experiences born from differences in language, customs, cuisines, and more. Yet somehow, like Koji, I've managed to thrive by pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone.

I only have one published book out, Mushroom Blues, so I have to go with that one. But, there are books that I'm currently working on and will publish in the near-future that I'm even more proud of than my debut.

My writing space is basically wherever I can write. I have two young sons, so the demands of them and their high-energy personalities have forced me to write when I can, wherever I can. The ideal is to wake up early in the morning before everyone is up, sit down at my big wooden drawing desk, and type away.

I love reading in bed at night, cozying up under the blanket with pillows behind my back and warm lamplight to set the mood. Reading is my ultimate sleep aid and I love drifting away to fantastical worlds before actually drifting off to sleep.