Valerie Sirenko

About

Valerie Sirenko believes stories can change people's lives.

A speculative fiction writer living in the Bay Area, California, Valerie has written two novels and numerous short stories. Her best-of nominated story, "Just Listed: Hardwood Floors and a Generous Curse," was recently published in Orion's Belt. Her work has also appeared in Eldritch Science and the anthology Fire and Ash. She is an alum of the Futurescapes Writers Workshop and a Codex member.

In her academic work, she taught literature and writing at the University of Texas at Austin and Seattle Pacific University. Her scholarship and book reviews have appeared in journals such as American Literature . She received her Ph.D. in English in 2019.

"Just Listed: Hardwood Floors and a Generous Curse"

Nominated for ECO25: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction

Author Valerie Sirenko looking off into a forest

New Fiction Out Now in the Fantasy Anthology FIRE AND ASH

Available now on Amazon and Kindle

Fiction

Selected Work

Short Fiction

"Just Listed: Hardwood Floors and a Generous Curse" A realtor tries to sell a house with unusual complications.
READ NOW in Orion's Belt
Nominated for ECO25: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction

"The Firebird Plains" The firebirds dive for the biggest, shiniest targets—which is usually us.
READ NOW in Eldritch Science

"How Not to Retire from Dragon Hibernation Maintenance" A dragon hibernation maintenance worker just wants to retire and take a long-overdue vacation. Instead, she wakes a dragon.
OUT NOW! in FIRE AND ASH. Order on Amazon

Echoing Howl

This anthropomorphic fantasy novel about wolves with magical powers shows us we are nothing without our packs. Ryka, a scrappy loner, needs to find a pack before winter or starve, but she was born without access to the elemental powers necessary for survival. Can she turn her weaknesses into strengths? The story's dramatic landscapes are inspired by the author's many visits to National Parks like Acadia, Yosemite, and the North Cascades. It will appeal to fans of Redwall, His Dark Materials , and Watership Down.

Coming Fall 2026

Break A Few Eggs

In this cozy mystery, a baker who is allergic to eggs must uncover who poisoned her cupcakes before her cafe goes out of business. Featuring futuristic plants, a simmering romance, an enemies-to-allies friendship, and an adorable collie, it will appeal to fans of Emily Henry, Sangu Mandanna, and Misha Popp.

Work in Progress

Academics

Research and Scholarship

An article on African American Literature and Critical Race Theory in American Literature (2023)
A book chapter on Pauline Hopkins, the first Black US speculative fiction writer in Yours for Humanity: New Essays on Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins, ed. JoAnn Pavletich. University of Georgia Press, 2022.
An article on early US culture featuring author Charles Brockden Brown in Early American Literature (2022)
A cultural studies piece on Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton and nineteenth-century Latinx Literature in Western American Literature (2020)
An analysis of James Fenimore Cooper's early work in ESQ: A Journal of American Literature and Culture (2017)

Teaching

Valerie has taught courses on Writing and Rhetoric, Literary Analysis, American Literature, African American Literature, Southern Literature, and Racial and Social Justice

For a full CV click here.

Say hello

For rights, events, or teaching inquiries:

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