Ben grew up on the outskirts of a hillside forest inhabited by wild animals, reclusive cranks, and primeval spirits. When he wasn’t venturing into abandoned buildings or searching in vain for signs that dinosaurs still roamed the earth, he consumed fantasy and science fiction stories that were not remotely appropriate for his age. He took an early interest in history, especially wherever the historical record was sparse enough for him to fill in the gaps with his imagination.
When Ben began writing his own stories, he combined the visceral action and weird stylings of the pulp tradition with a gritty realism drawn from historical research. Many of his early short stories, inspired by the writing of Robert E. Howard, HP Lovecraft, and Michael Moorcock, found a natural home in online and print magazines specializing in vivid, fast-paced speculative fiction. His first two novels, The Walls of Dalgorod and Mirona’s Law, incorporate elements of medieval and early modern Russian history to present an epic, dark fantasy saga that straddles the line between mythic folklore and horror. The novel Blackspire marked a shift toward more immersive, character-driven work that draws upon the New Weird tradition of writers such as China Mieville and Jeff Vandermeer.
Ben’s current writing slithers across the boundaries of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi to explore zones of conflict and patterns of thought that build and reinforce systems of oppression. By integrating these themes with outsider characters who push back against the status quo, his stories explore how identity is constructed (and might be reimagined) under cultural, social, and economic pressures. If weird creatures, bizarre technology, and dangerous magic can be thrown into the mix, so much the better.
After relocating to the swamps of Florida, Ben opted to earn multiple degrees in political science, history, and creative writing over pursuing continuous gainful employment. Along the way, he has edited academic journals, written and published roleplaying games, recorded multiple albums of electronic music, participated in convention panels, and collaborated on art installations. He remains optimistic that his writing will one day be banned by the State of Florida or cause it to sink into the ocean.