Photo by Pat Rose, patrosephotography.com
Joe Pitkin was born in Logan, Utah, in 1970.
A poet in youth, Joe published his first short stories in 2009. His work has since appeared in such magazines and podcasts as Boston Review, Analog, Cosmos, Podcastle, Kaleidotrope, Eclectica, Black Static, and elsewhere. His stories have been chosen for David G. Hartwell’s Year’s Best SF 18, Gardner Dozois’ The Year’s Best Science Fiction #33, and twice for Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Joe wrote Stranger Bird, his first fantasy novel, for his young daughters. The book is an homage to the fantasy authors of his youth—Ursula Le Guin, Richard Adams, Lloyd Alexander—and a nostalgic look back at the dark and mythical tales of an earlier generation.
His latest novel, Exit Black, is a near-future science fiction thriller that will be released by Blackstone Publishing in February 2024.
Joe teaches writing at Clark College in Vancouver, WA. He lives with his wife in Portland, Oregon, in the shadow of a small extinct volcano.
The Subway Test 
Just read The Daughters of John Demetrius in Sci To 29 anthology and really enjoyed it. Is there going to be anymore stories in this setting. Would like to read how the world got to where it is in this story.
Keep up the good work
Regards
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Hi, James–thanks for the good word! Oddly enough, when I saw your comment today I was about to go over the galley proofs for my next John Demetrius story coming out in Analog. It’s called “Proteus” and is set 3-4 generations before “The Daughters of John Demetrius.” The setting of “Proteus” is somewhat different, but the universe is the same, and this new story will (hopefully) provide some of the backstory on the world of John Demetrius.
The story should come out in the next few months–I’ll definitely post when it comes out!
Thanks for reading!
Joe
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Hi, Joe.
I just finished “The Daughters of John Demetrius” and my first thought was “I want to read more about this world”. You left plenty of threads hanging, inviting additional stories, or maybe a novel or even a series. I think it has legs.
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Hi, Alan: Thank you for the good word! Forgive the lateness of my reply–I took an unanticipated hiatus from my blog and only saw your comment last night. I do hope to stitch together a story cycle on John Demetrius as soon as I’ve finished the current draft of my next novel, Pacifica. For now, the sister story of “The Daughters of John Demetrius” is out in Analog (the April 2017 issue). Thanks again for reaching out!
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Hi Joe. Contacting you from Dazed Media about a writing inquiry. do you have an email address i can contact you on? Best Tish
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Hi, Tish–thanks for reaching out! Feel free to contact me at joepitkin@gmail.com with any inquiries.
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Thank you for sharing your impressive achievements as a writer, including your publications in magazines and podcasts, and being selected for esteemed anthologies like David G. Hartwell’s Year’s Best SF and Gardner Dozois’ The Year’s Best Science Fiction. It’s heartwarming to hear that you wrote your first fantasy novel, Stranger Bird, for your young daughters, drawing inspiration from fantasy authors like Ursula Le Guin, Richard Adams, and Lloyd Alexander.
I find your journey as a writer and your nostalgic appreciation for dark and mythical tales from earlier generations fascinating. It’s also commendable that you teach writing at Clark College in Vancouver, WA, and that you live in Portland, Oregon, near a small extinct volcano, which sounds like an interesting setting for a writer!
I look forward to learning more about your work and following your literary endeavors. Keep up the great work!
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Thanks for the good wishes! I will follow your blog with interest…
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