***Elana Gomel*** *is an academic and an award-winning writer. Born in Ukraine, she has lived and taught in many countries, including the US, Israel, Italy, and Hong Kong. She is the author of six non-fiction books and numerous articles on subjects such as narrative theory, posthumanism, science fiction, and serial killers. As a fiction writer, she has published more than a hundred fantasy and science fiction stories, several novellas, and four novels. She is a member of HWA and can be found at* [www.citiesoflightanddarkness.com](https://www.citiesoflightanddarkness.com/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElanaGomel), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/elana.gomel ), *and* [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/elanagomel/).