Ian Randal Strock (www.IanRandalStrock.com) is the winner of two AnLab Awards for his works appearing in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and the recipient of the 2025 Edward E. Smith Memorial "Skylark" Award. His short fiction has appeared in Analog, Nature, Amazing Stories, several anthologies, and the 2024 collection Wandering Through Time. His non-fiction includes three books of presidential history and the brand-new Punctilious Punctuation, a light-hearted look at the history, usage, and misusage of the punctuation marks.
His writing career has taken a back seat to his editing and publishing work. He is the editor, publisher, and owner of Fantastic Books (www.FantasticBooks.biz), an eclectic publisher of speculative fiction anthologies, collections, and novels. Fantastic authors include Susan Casper, Alan Dean Foster, Daniel Kimmel, Tanith Lee, Shariann Lewitt, Michael Moorcock, Tom Purdom, Allen Steele, Michael Ventrella, and many more. Previously, he was a member of the editorial staffs of Analog, Asimov's, Realms of Fantasy, Science Fiction Chronicle, Baen Books, and a slew of non-genre publishers.
Beyond publishing, he has worked on Wall Street, as a teacher, in commercial aerospace, as a tour guide, and other---less savory---endeavors. As a volunteer, he served as the treasurer of SFWA, in several posts on American Mensa's board of directors, as vice president of the Moon Society, and in many other positions in every organization he every joined.