Lucas J. W. Johnson (he/him) is a writer, game designer, and entrepreneur. He is the author of several works of fiction including his 2022 debut novel The Clockwork Empire, and the Founder and Studio Director of Silverstring Media Inc., a narrative design and videogame studio. He has written several critically acclaimed and award-winning games including Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between, Glitchhikers: First Drive (finalist for Best Indie Game of 2014 at the Canadian Videogame Awards), Extrasolar (Indiecade finalist), and Timespinner. Lucas lives with his husband and cats in Vancouver, BC.
What’s your latest published work?
The Clockwork Empire, a novel published 2022 by Fireside Fiction Company. It is the height of the industrial revolution, and the Roman Empire has stood for thousands of years. Airborne fortresses and mechanically remade soldiers guard against threats outside the empire’s vast borders—even as it rots from the inside…
The Clockwork Empire is my debut novel, steampunk alt-history about queer found family fighting fascism. Also airships.
What are your most recent awards?
Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between, a videogame I wrote with my game studio Silverstring Media, received the Gay Gaming Professionals Honors Award 2022.
How did your time in the Creative Writing Program influence your work?
The Creative Writing undergrad gave me the time and experience to hone my writing, encouraged my pursuits and confidence, and helped me understand what kinds of writing to pursue. The group critique process taught me a lot about how to give and take feedback, and how to get the most value out of peer review. Some of the stories I wrote during my time there became the basis of The Clockwork Empire, my debut novel.
After graduation, I founded the indie game studio Silverstring Media. We focus on narrative videogames, and I have written for several critically-acclaimed indie games including Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, Timespinner, and our own Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between.
Website: https://www.lucasjwjohnson.com/