Mike Allen (poet)

Mike Allen (born 1969) is an American editor and writer of speculative fiction and poetry. He currently lives in Roanoke, Virginia.

His short story "The Button Bin," published in the October 2007 issue of Helix SF, was a finalist for the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.^[1]

The Philadelphia Inquirer has described Allen as being "[a]mong the better-known practitioners of speculative poetry"^[2] and said his poems "work best when his bizarre lyricism is put in the service of a scary and taut narrative."^[3]

Allen has won the Rhysling Award for best speculative poem three times, in 2003, 2006, and 2007.^[4] He served as President of the Science Fiction Poetry Association from 2004 to 2006.

He created the small press poetry journal Mythic Delirium in 1998.^[5][6] Published biannually, the journal has included poems by authors such as Suzette Haden Elgin, Neil Gaiman, Theodora Goss, Joe Haldeman, Ursula K. Le Guin, Darrell Schweitzer, Sonya Taaffe, Catherynne M. Valente, Ian Watson and Jane Yolen.

Bibliography

Poetry collections

• Disturbing Muses (Prime Books, 2005)
• Strange Wisdoms of the Dead (Wildside Press, 2006)
• The Journey to Kailash (Norilana Books, 2008)

As editor

• The Alchemy of Stars: Rhysling Award Winners Showcase (with Roger Dutcher, Science Fiction Poetry Association, 2005)
• Mythic (Mythic Delirium Books, 2006)
• Mythic 2 (Mythic Delirium Books, 2006)
• Clockwork Phoenix: Tales of Beauty and Strangeness (Norilana Books, 2008)
• Clockwork Phoenix 2: More Tales of Beauty and Strangeness (Norilana Books, 2009)
• Clockwork Phoenix 3: New Tales of Beauty and Strangeness (Norilana Books, 2010)

References

1. ^ 2008 Nebula Award Ballot
2. ^ Strange Wisdoms of the Dead by Mike Allen - PopMatters Book Review
3. ^ ibid.
4. ^ The Locus Index to SF Awards
5. ^ Book review: Reporter was Nebula contender, The Roanoke Times, May 3, 2009
6. ^ The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984-1998

External links

• Official site
• Mike Allen at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• A Conversation with Mike Allen at The Mumpsimus
• Twisting Paths: An Interview with Mike Allen at Virginia Libraries

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Name	Allen, Mike
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Date of birth	1969
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