# Maurice Broaddus

Maurice Broaddus is an American author who has published fiction across a number of genres including young adult, horror, fantasy and science fiction. Among his books are The Knights of Breton Court urban fantasy trilogy from Angry Robot, the steampunk novel Pimp My Airship from Apex Publications, and the young adult novel The Usual Suspects from HarperCollins. His Afrofuturist space trilogy Astra Black will be released by Tor Books beginning in March, 2022. He has also published dozens of short stories in magazines such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Black Static, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Weird Tales along with anthologies including Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda, The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy and Sunspot Jungle.

## Life

Broaddus was born in London, United Kingdom, but grew up in Indianapolis, United States. His mother is from Jamaica, where many of his relatives still live.
Broaddus earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Purdue University and worked for two decades as an environmental toxicologist. He was formerly the executive director of Cities of Refuge Ministries, which provides transitional housing and employment opportunities for people dealing with addiction, reentry, or homelessness. He currently works at the Oaks Academy Middle School as a teacher librarian and at the Kheprw Institute, a neighborhood association focusing on youth leadership development, community wealth building, and improving the lives of local residents.
He still resides in Indianapolis, where he lives with his wife and two sons.

## Writing

Broaddus has published dozens of short stories and hundreds of essays (including as a columnist for the Indianapolis Star and as a reviewer for HollywoodJesus.com). His fiction has been published in magazines such as Asimov's Science Fiction, Cemetery Dance, Fiyah Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Apex Magazine, Black Static, Weird Tales, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Fantasy & Science Fiction, along with stories in original and reprint anthologies such as Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda, The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy and Sunspot Jungle.
In 2010 Angry Robot published Broaddus’ urban fantasy novel King Maker, a "retelling of the Arthurian mythos involving street gangs." The novel was called a "triumph" by SF Book Reviews and was followed up by two sequels, King's Justice and King’s War. In 2012 Angry Robot published the trilogy in an omnibus edition entitled The Knights of Breton Court.
His steampunk novella Buffalo Soldier was released in 2017 by Tor and was described by the New York Times Book Review as an "exciting" story packed with "alternate American history, fantastic technology and father-son bonding." His short story collection The Voices of Martyrs was released in 2016 by Rosarium Publishing. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the collection "evocative and moving" with "lush, descriptive prose (that) tantalizes all the senses."
In 2019 Broaddus sold his Afrofuturist space trilogy Astra Black to Tor. The first novel in the series, Sweep of Stars, was released in March 2022. His 2020 novella Sorcerers about a hip hop inspired sorcerer, is being adapted into a show by AMC Networks. Broaddus wrote the novella with "Otis Whitaker," a pseudonym for a collective of storytellers at NeoText, and illustrated by Jim Mahfood.

## Editing

Broaddus has also edited and co-edited several well-received anthologies, including Dark Faith (alongside fellow editor Jerry Gordon), which focused on the intersection between horror and religious faith. He also co-edited the "People of Colo(u)r Destroy Fantasy" and "People of Colo(u)r Destroy Horror" special issues of Fantasy and Nightmare magazines.
He also works as an editor at Apex Magazine.
In late 2020 Broaddus guest edited a special issue of Fireside Magazine dealing with grief and loss. One of the essays selected by Broaddus was "Da Art of Speculatin'" by Regina N. Bradley, which discussed how hip-hop duo Outkast "blended Black Southern life of the past and present in their music to paint possibilities of their lives in the future." Despite the first line of the essay identifying Bradley as a "southern Black woman who stands in the long shadow of the Civil Rights Movement," without the knowledge of Broaddus the magazine's publisher released an audio version of the essay narrated by a white man "who spoke in an accent that listeners interpreted as something that would appear in a minstrel show." The audio version was called "auditory blackface" and resulted in national media attention. The audio version was later deleted and the publisher apologized to Bradley and Broaddus.

## Awards

Broaddus, along with co-editor Jerry Gordon, was a finalist for the 2010 Bram Stoker Award for Best Anthology for Dark Faith and won the Kitschies award for debut novel for King Maker. He was also a finalist for the Black Quill Award.
His novel Pimp My Airship won the 2020 genre award at the 2022 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards, presented by Indiana Humanities. Additionally, in 2024, Broaddus received two Indiana Author Awards for Best Middle Grade Novel titled Unfadeable and Genre Shortlist for Sweep of Stars.