Contributor Bios:

Matthew Locke: Matthew Locke is an out-of-sequence merchant seaman from the late 1700s. He has adapted to life in the 22C, and enjoys flushing toilets and the VR-net. His story has been chronicled in the novel A Wrong Turn.

Preston Thomas: Preston is on death-row for the violent assassination of Jebediah Clinton. In a rare plea bargain he faces full acquittal if he can win either a Hugo or a Nebula within two years. This is his first published piece.

Rebekah Ladd: Rebekah is the brain-damaged host to a group-mind based on Titan. In the Ladd vs Dept of Creativity decision, it was deemed that:
i) after her near-fatal accident, the gestalt had increased her quality of life from a vegetative state to that of a promising young author
ii) that proceeds from Ladd’s works would not leave Earth and not contribute to the Titan Civil War
iii) that, while she was fit to be a high-profile writer, she was no longer fit to be a single mother. Custody of her children was awarded to the State.
Rebekah is a winner of the Writers of the Future contest and graduated from the 2109 Clarion West class.

Irwin Calloway: Irwin is a sentient Macaw, with glorious blue and green plumage.
His hind-brain was crafted of genetic material sourced from the legendary 20C singer Cab Calloway. He has on occasion successfully channelled his famous ancestor for private parties, séances, and once on the nationally syndicated Top Of The Day! variety show. This is his first published work.

Paeonia Obovata: A reference on the now defunct and archived Wikipedia, it was a page originally dedicated to a herbaceous plant. Paeonia Obovata appears to have evolved into an artificial intelligence, and the page updates itself daily, typically in the form of a serialised novel, a short story or an editorial piece. The Friends of Wikipedia submit these stories on its behalf, and these works have appeared in Future Strange #19, Strange Horizons (neuro-link here) and in Antarctica Fantastica #7