Ben Francisco is a writer of fictions. His stories range from magic realism to space opera, and have been known to feature oversexed ghosts, epidemics of phosphorescence, zombie musicals, and pantheistic vampire aliens who reproduce like moss. Common themes include cultural misunderstandings, family dysfunctions, LGBT experiences, and spiritual searches Also, lasers. Ben’s first story, “This is My Blood,” co-written with Chris Lynch, was published in 2008 in Dreaming Again, an anthology of Australian science fiction and fantasy edited by Jack Dann. Another story, “Tio Gilberto and the 27 Ghosts,” is forthcoming in Realms of Fantasy. He has also written nonfiction columns and articles for Fantasy Magazine.

Ben is a graduate of the Clarion South 2007 writers workshop in Brisbane, Australia, a science fiction boot camp where he spent six weeks writing non-stop, playing Mafia, and staying up till the wee hours of the morning talking about the physics of cannonballs, unicorns, and zombie watermelons. He is also a graduate of Taos Toolbox 2008, another intensive workshop, taking place at very high altitudes in New Mexico. His friends and family may soon have to perform an intervention to help him break his workshop habit.

He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Hassan. Their diet consists mainly of chicken.