Sci-Fi Ireland team
Sci-Fi Ireland is brought to you by Editor--in--Chief Mark Mullan, Lead Editor Alex Johnston and our readers Courtney, Ellen, Cónal and Luke. Mark and Alex met while studying their MA in creative writing at Queens University Belfast and bonded over a shared love of anything nerdy they could sink their teeth into.
From Vonnegut, Le Guinn on through Thursday Next and Ashely Stokes to our one true lord and saviour Douglas Adams; they’ve sat in a dimly lit pub discussing, debating and otherwise bathing in the warm glow of sci-fi genius. Now they've joined forces to create a magazine and we hope you'll join us for the ride.
If you're interested in joining the Sci-FI Ireland team scroll to the lower half of the page for all the necessary information. It's worth it, we have beer, and cookies, and friendly robots that give you flowers.
Mark Mullan
- Founder
- Editor (and idiot) in Chief
Mark Mullan is an Irish writer born, raised - and after a ten-year sojourn around the world - living once more in Belfast. He studied his MA in creative writing at Queens University and also has a master’s degree in chiropractic with which he keeps a roof over his and Benji’s heads. Benji is a Yucca plant and an accidental bonsai tree.
Mark has been published in The Apiary, The Blackbird and commissioned for radio by the BBC Storytellers project. His great writing passion is science-fiction, specifically that which interrogates the technologies of the now and near future through a comedic lens.
Alex Johnston
- Lead Editor
- Interplanetary Wotsit Inspector
Alex Johnston is a writer from a land down under now locked into Belfast for the long haul having completed his MA in creative writing at Queen's University.
His favourite authors are Jasper Fforde and Ursula Le Guin, and like them he looks to merge different genres and concepts, taking great delight in seeing what weird and wonderful mixes occur as a result. He actually despises long walks on the beach because of all the sand-squeak underfoot. In his downtime you can find him strolling around parklands looking for wotsits.
Courtney Smyth
Junior Editor
Courtney Smyth is a caffeine fiend from Dublin, one web search away from their newest fixation, and, most relevantly, a writer of stories. They are the author of science--fantasy mystery series The Undetectables (Titan Books).
Their work has also appeared in anthologies from Sans Press and in Paper Lanterns Literary Journal. Courtney is a 2024 recipient of the ESFS Chrysalis Award. They are currently living and writing with their partner, two criminal kittens, and their pet corn snake, Steve.
Caolán Mac an Aircinn
Translations Editor
Caolán Mac an Aircinn is a translator and former classicist from Dublin who writes speculative fiction both in English and in his native Irish. His writing has been published in Comhar, Flame Tree Press' Fever Dreams anthology, Slab Press' Obsidian anthology and elsewhere.
When he is not writing or working, he enjoys playing traditional Irish music and bothering his wife, Shannon, and his cats, Uwe and Cathal Brugha.
Cónal McGlinchey
Fiction reader
Cónal is a fiction writer from Northern Ireland with a passion for short stories and all things Science Fiction. His favourite authors are George Saunders, Shirley Jackson, Kurt Vonnegut and Karen Russell.
Cónal is an international man of mystery who avoids publicity at all costs. Yet despite his best attempts to remain anonymous he's been published by University of Ulster, won writing bursaries from the Irish Writers Centre, was a New Voices North 2026 author, been mentored by Sc-Fi Ireland legend R.B Kelly, and is a member of the west NI writers consortium 'This writing thing'.
Eileen Stelter
Fiction reader
Eileen (she/they) is a non-binary writer of fantasy and science fiction. They made their creative debut with a heartfelt apology to spiders and have since stayed loyal to writing love letters to working-class heroes and those who perform invisible labour.
Their speculative fiction and poetry is published in various independent publications, including Feign, Moss Puppy and Amsterdam Quarterly. They have won bursaries and awards from the Irish Writers Centre and have been shortlisted for MONO poetry prize 2023.
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Michael Curran-Dorsano
Fiction reader
Originally from Minneapolis, Michael Curran-Dorsano (he/him) is an international artist, whose career as an actor, writer, and teacher has spanned the globe. He’s also a proud graduate of Juilliard’s Drama Division and NUI Galway’s MA in Writing.
As an actor, he’s performed on stage, screen and behind the mic in the US, EU and UK. Some notable highlights include 5 seasons on TNT’s The Last Ship, Richard III at the Lyric Theatre Belfast, and narrating Pax and Pax Journey Homewith Harper Collins.
His poetry has been published in journals such as Vox Galvia, Wayfarer Magazine, Smashing Times, Tintreach, and Spellweaver. His debut collection Where The Dead Poets Sing was released in February, 2026 with Wayfarer Books.
You??
Fiction Reader
(aka Assistant Literary Detective)
Readership applications are currently open for Sci-FI Ireland 2027 🚀🧬🤖🛸 We'll be taking on just one more reader and reading will take place in December and January
Please scroll down just a little further and click the blue "Join us" button located where the kindly robot is handing out flowers.
