Arcx - Usman T. Malik

Arcx is all about literary inspiration. In this episode, we speak to doctor and speculative fiction writer Usman T. Malik. Usman’s work has been published extensively, and featured in platforms such as Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Black Static, and Nightmare. 

In 2014, he became the first Pakistani to win the Bram Stoker Award for Short Fiction for his work The Vaporization Enthalpy of a Peculiar Pakistani Family. He also won a British Fantasy Award in 2016 for The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn. The story was also nominated for Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy awards. He has also received Locus award nominations for his stories In the Ruins of Mohenjo-Daro and The Fortune of Sparrows. In 2018, he received another Stoker nomination for Dead Lovers on Each Blade, Hung.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of accurate history, authentic storytelling, the often missed nuances of desi stories, and the horror of everyday realities. 

You can follow Usman on Twitter @usmantm

Arcx is a series of the Subverse, the podcast of Dark ‘n’ Light, a digital space that chronicles the times we live in and reimagining futures with a focus on science, nature, social justice and culture. Follow us on social media @darknlightzine, or at darknlight.com for episode details and show notes.