A.C. Wise Books In Order

Publication Order of Go West Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Clockwork Phoenix Books

Publication Order of Best Horror of the Year Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

A.C. Wise

A.C. Wise is the pen name of a Canadian writer who has been creating stories in the science-fiction and fantasy genres since 2005. While a few of her very early pieces were published under her full name, Alison Campbell-Wise, she quickly became known to readers by her chosen initials. Her work invites people into worlds that are different from our own, filled with imagination and possibility. She has spent many years sharing her unique visions with a growing audience.

Wise has a real talent for building characters that feel genuine and easy to connect with. The people in her stories, including the main protagonists, often feel like someone you might meet, even in the most fantastical of settings. This focus on relatable personalities helps readers become invested in their journeys and what happens to them next. It is a skill that makes her fiction feel both personal and welcoming.

Beyond her character work, Wise is known for crafting narratives that are simply engaging and fun to follow. Her stories tend to flow in a way that keeps a reader’s attention from beginning to end, offering an entertaining escape. Whether she is writing about the future or other worlds entirely, her gift is in creating a compelling path through her plots. For anyone looking for a friendly entry into speculative fiction, her work is a great place to start.

The stories themselves offer something a little different for fans of the genres. Wise finds ways to bring a fresh point of view to familiar ideas, making the narratives feel new without being complicated. She guides readers through these inventive settings by using the characters as a friendly and reliable anchor. This approach ensures the unique aspects of her worlds are explored in a way that always feels personal and grounded.

Looking ahead, there is more on the way from this Canadian author. Readers who enjoy her work can expect new stories and adventures in the future. A. C. Wise continues to write and share her ideas, adding to the worlds she has already built. It is a nice thought for fans of science fiction and fantasy that her creative journey is still going.

Early and Personal Life

Growing up in Montreal, the author developed an early connection to stories and the worlds found inside books. Like many writers, she spent time reading widely, which naturally led to an interest in crafting her own tales. This foundation built during her childhood in Canada would later support her career as a fiction writer.

Today, she makes her home in the Philadelphia area, where she continues to write and share her work. Her stories have found homes in respected places like Uncanny Magazine, Tor.com, and Shimmer Magazine, as well as several Year’s Best anthologies. This warm reception from the publishing world shows how her craft has grown and connected with readers over time.

Beyond her fiction, she also gives back to the writing community through regular review columns. Her work ‘Women to Read’ and ‘Non-Binary Authors to Read’ helps highlight other voices in the field, while ‘Words for Thought’ appears in Apex Magazine. She previously co-edited the e-magazine Unlikely Story with Bernie Mojzes, showing her dedication to supporting and promoting speculative fiction in multiple ways.

Writing Career

A. C. Wise has built a steady career in speculative fiction since her first published story in 2005. Her body of work includes novels like Wendy Darling and Hooked, the novella Out of the Drowning Deep, and collections such as The Ghost Sequences. She has also written many short stories that have appeared in magazines and anthologies over the years.

Her writing has earned recognition from award jurors along the way. ‘The Last Sailing of the Henry Charles Morgan in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw (1841)’ was awarded the 2017 Sunburst Award, while Catfish Lullaby received a Nebula Award nomination. She continues to write and share new work, with more stories still to come.

Hooked

The historical fantasy novel Hooked by A. C. Wise was published on July 12, 2022. Titan Books released the title as the second book in the Wendy, Darling series. It serves as a follow-up within that two-book collection of stories.

In this follow-up to the novel Wendy, Darling, author A. C. Wise continues her literary exploration of the characters from the classic Peter Pan story. The story follows Captain James Hook, the immortal pirate who escaped Neverland at great cost. Now living in London twenty-two years later, he finds himself discovered again by the monster from that world. A chance encounter brings him together with the grown Wendy Darling, the only other person who truly understands the darkness of the place they left behind.

This book offers readers a thoughtful return to familiar characters from a classic story. The author presents Wendy and Hook as grown individuals shaped by their past experiences in Neverland. Their meeting as adults creates an engaging dynamic worth exploring. Fans of character-driven fantasy will find much to appreciate here.

Out of the Drowning Deep

The science fiction fantasy novella Out of the Drowning Deep by A. C. Wise was published on September 3, 2024. Titan Books released the title as a standalone work of shorter fiction. It represented another addition to the author’s growing body of speculative work.

In the distant future, an obsolete automaton named Scribe IV lives peacefully at a secluded monastery called the Bastion. When the visiting Pope is found murdered there, he knows the terrifying Sisters of the Drowned Deep will soon rise up to punish the residents. A recovering addict turned private investigator discovers a scrambled signal from the Bastion and agrees to take the case, while an angel from Heaven descends to offer divine assistance. Together, this unlikely group races to find out who really committed the murder and why, as the Drowned Sisters close in around them.

It’s a novel that brings together an unlikely group of characters in a far-off corner of the galaxy. Readers who enjoy tales with angels, automatons, and mystery will find much to like here. The setup promises an engaging journey as the team works to solve the central crime. It offers a fresh blend of science fiction and fantasy elements.