S.M. Mack

Speculative fiction author

“Death Valley Blooms expertly toes the line between hopelessness and tenderness, between the horrors of what is to come and the small joys of today. Centering familial relationships, this novella explores everything we pass down: curses, love, and everything in between.”

— A.D. Sui, author of The Dragonfly Gambit

Available directly from my publisher, as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Bookshop.org, Books-a-Million, Mysterious Galaxy, and Powell’s, among many others. Be sure to check with your favorite indie bookstore!

Welcome!

I’m Smack, a speculative fiction writer and a 2019 MFA recipient in popular fiction from USM Stonecoast, the 2017 first place winner of the Katherine Patterson Prize for Young Adult Writing, and a Clarion 2012 grad. I also co-host of the Infinite TBR podcast. All my stories can be found under the name S.M. Mack.

I have other stories available in various anthologies, but one that isn’t behind a paywall appeared in Fireside Fiction issue #35, titled “Ariadne, Abandoned on Naxos,” about a the young woman in Greek mythology who helped Theseus escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth.

You can find content warnings for my work on the Bibliography page. They’re not particularly specific, so please reach out if you have any questions or need clarifications.

You can also find me online at whatsmacksaid.bsky.social and @what_smacksaid/.

More praise for Death Valley Blooms:

“Death Valley Blooms is a breathtaking, atmospheric novella that explores hard-hitting topics such as gendered inheritance, mourning, and sacrifice with an impressively light touch. S.M. Mack’s writing is full of humor and sobriety, which held my attention from start to finish. If you enjoy stories that bridge meditative slice-of-life scenes with fast-paced action, this book will not disappoint.”

— Liza Wemakor, author of Loving Sofoa

“This is a gorgeous novella from an important new talent–sharp, lyrical, and deeply honest about family relationships. Read S.M. Mack now, before everyone else discovers her work.”

— Theodora Goss, author of The Thord and the Blossom

Looking for some free fiction? Subscribe to the newsletter and receive a free short story!

*bimonthly, in this case, referring to every other month.

(And if you ever change your mind, there is an unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email!)

For information and instructions on how to whitelist email address I use to send newsletters, you can click here.