Anil Menon is an Indian computer scientist and writer of
speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...
. He has authored research papers and edited books on
evolutionary algorithm
Evolutionary algorithms (EA) reproduce essential elements of the biological evolution in a computer algorithm in order to solve "difficult" problems, at least Approximation, approximately, for which no exact or satisfactory solution methods are k ...
s. His research, in collaboration with Kishan Mehrotra, Chilukuri Mohan, and Sanjay Ranka, addresses the mathematical foundations of replicator systems, majorization, and reconstruction of
probabilistic database Most real databases contain data whose correctness is uncertain. In order to work with such data, there is a need to quantify the integrity of the data. This is achieved by using probabilistic databases.
A probabilistic database is an uncertain da ...
s. His short stories and reviews have appeared in the anthology series ''
Exotic Gothic
''Exotic Gothic'' is an anthology series of original short fiction and novel excerpts in the gothic, horror and fantasy genres. A recipient of a World Fantasy Award and a Shirley Jackson Award, it is conceptualized and edited by Danel Olson, a ...
'', ''
Strange Horizons
''Strange Horizons'' is an online magazine, online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and non-fiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables.
History and profile
It was launched in S ...
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet
''Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet'' (''LCRW'') is a twice-yearly small press zine published by Small Beer Press, edited by Gavin Grant and Kelly Link. It contains an eclectic mix of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, with an emphasis on specula ...
Zubaan Books
Zubaan Books is India's second feminist publishing house, set up in the year 2003. It is based in New Delhi and publishes fiction, nonfiction, academic and children's books for, by and about women in South Asia. It was founded by Urvashi Butalia ...
, India's leading feminist press, published his debut
young adult
In medicine and the social sciences, a young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence, sometimes with some overlap. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages ...
novel ''The Beast With Nine Billion Feet''. It was shortlisted for the 2010
Vodafone Crossword Book Award
The Crossword Book Award (formerly known as the Crossword Book Award (1998–2003), the Hutch Crossword Book Award (2004–07), the Vodafone Crossword Book Award (2008–10), the Economist Crossword Book Award (2011–13), Raymond & Crossword Bo ...
and the 2010 Parallax Prize. In 2009, in conjunction with
Vandana Singh
Vandana Singh is an Indian science fiction writer and physicist. She is a Professor of Physics and Environment at the Department of Environment, Society and Sustainability at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. Singh also serves on th ...
and
Suchitra Mathur
Suchitra Ramadurai, known mononymously as Suchitra, is an Indian radio jockey, popular playback singer, songwriter, composer, voice artist, dubbing artist and film actress. She has sung in multiple languages including Tamil, Malayalam, and Tel ...
, he helped organize India's first in-residence, three-week speculative fiction workshop at IIT-Kanpur. He co-edited the anthology ''Breaking the Bow''.
He is the author of the short story collection ''The Inconceivable Idea Of The Sun: Stories'' Menon’s novel, ''Half of What I Say'' was shortlisted for the 2016 ''The Hindu Literary Prize''. ''The Coincidence Plot'' (2013) is his latest novel.
Along with Pervin Saket and Akshat Nigam, Menon co-founded th Kolam Writers' Workshop (previously called the Dum Pukht Writers’ Workshop). This annual two-week residential workshop, currently in its fifth iteration, is held at the Adishakti Theatre Complex in the former French colony
Puducherry
Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to:
Places in India
* Puducherry (union territory), formerly known as Pondicherry
** Puducherry (city), capital of the union territory of Puducherry
** Puducherry district
The Puducherry District, also know ...
* "Love In A Hot Climate" in ''Tel: Stories'' (ed. Jay Lake), Wheatland Press, 2005. .
* "Archipelago" in ''
Strange Horizons
''Strange Horizons'' is an online magazine, online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and non-fiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables.
History and profile
It was launched in S ...
'' Magazine, April 2005. Shortlisted: 2006 Carl Brandon Society Parallax Award.
* "Eustace Albert" in ''Time For Bedlam'' (ed. Roger Arbuckle), Saltboy Publishers, 2005. .
* "Standard Deviation" in ''Chiaroscuro'' Magazine, March 2005. Reprinted in ''Kalkion Magazine'', July 2010. Honorable Mention: ''Year's Best Fantasy & Horror'' (ed. Ellen Datlow), 2006.
* "Dialetheia" in ''New Genre Magazine'', Issue No. 5, Spring 2007.
* "Invisible Hand" in ''
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet
''Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet'' (''LCRW'') is a twice-yearly small press zine published by Small Beer Press, edited by Gavin Grant and Kelly Link. It contains an eclectic mix of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, with an emphasis on specula ...
'', No. 20, June 2007.
* "A Sky Full Of Constants" in '' Albedo One'', Issue 33, 2007.
* "Vermillion" in ''Internova'' Magazine, Issue 10, January 2007.
* "Harris On The Pig: Practical Hints For The Pig-Farmer" in ''From The Trenches'' (ed. J. P. Haines & S. Henderson), Carnifax Press, 2006. . Reprinted in ''Apex'' Magazine, December 2008.
* "Into The Night" in '' Interzone'', January 2008. Reprinted in ''The Apex Book Of World SF'' (ed.
Lavie Tidhar
Lavie Tidhar (; born 16 November 1976) is an Israeli-born writer, working across multiple genres. He has lived in the United Kingdom and South Africa for long periods of time, as well as Laos and Vanuatu. As of 2013, Tidhar has lived in London ...
), 2008. Reprinted'' Apex Digest'', November 2008. Reprinted ''Galaxies'', January 2010.
* "The Scorching Glass" in ''Return of the Raven'' (ed. Maria Grazia Cavicchiolli), 2009.
* "The Poincaré Sutra" in '' Sybil's Garage'', Issue 7, 2011. Nominated for the 2010 Carl Brandon Society Parallax Award and the Carl Brandon Society Kindred Award.
* "The Uncertain Hour" in ''The Tangled Bank: Love, Wonder, and Evolution'' (ed. Chris Lynch), February 2011.
* "Haveli" in ''
Exotic Gothic
''Exotic Gothic'' is an anthology series of original short fiction and novel excerpts in the gothic, horror and fantasy genres. A recipient of a World Fantasy Award and a Shirley Jackson Award, it is conceptualized and edited by Danel Olson, a ...
5'', Vol. II (ed.
Danel Olson
Danel Olson is an American editor and fiction anthologist, video game analyst, historian of comics and genre films/studios, and scholar of Gothic and terrorism literature.
His thirteen books have been finalists for the Bram Stoker Award thrice, ...
),
PS Publishing
PS Publishing is an independent book publisher based in Hornsea, UK.
Background
PS Publishing was founded in 1999 by Peter Crowther.Scholastic India, 2011.
* "No More", ''Hoot'' Magazine, July 2011.
Novels
* ''The Beast with Nine Billion Feet,'' Zubaan Publishers (India), 2009, . Shortlisted for the 2010 Vodafone-Crossword Award.
* ''Half of What I Say,'' Bloomsbury (2016), . Shortlisted for the 2016 Hindu Literary Prize
* ''The Coincidence Plot,'' Simon & Schuster (2023), .
Anthologies
* ''Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana'' (eds. Anil Menon & Vandana Singh), Zubaan Books, December 2011.
* ''The Inconceivable Idea Of The Sun: Stories'' (2022), Hachette India, .