Ben Francisco (they/them) is a queer Puerto Rican writer born in the Bronx and raised in New Jersey. They encountered the original STAR WARS movie in the womb and remain convinced it left a permanent imprint. Ben grew up watching STAR WARS and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION and reading space adventure novels by authors like Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. They thrilled to the possibilities of science fiction, but rarely saw their mixed Latinx family or LGBTQ lived experience reflected in those imagined futures. Their first novel, VAL VEGA: SECRET AMBASSADOR OF EARTH, is the book their younger self longed for, affirming that the wonder of the stars belongs to all of us. Ben’s short stories have been published in STRANGE HORIZONS, PODCASTLE, and FROM MACHO TO MARIPOSA: NEW GAY LATINO FICTION. They won the INDIANA REVIEW 2022 Fiction Prize, and their short stories have been featured in several year’s best LGBTQ fiction anthologies and annual speculative fiction recommended reading lists. Outside of writing fiction, Ben has two decades of experience in nonprofits and philanthropy working for immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, and racial justice. They’ve also worked as a church receptionist, middle school teacher, and highly unsuccessful gardener. They live with their husband, Juan, in Brooklyn.