Shane Schmidt (he/him) is a northern Michigan-born author who has been with the Crooked Tree Writing Group for five years, writing screenplays, poetry, short fiction and long fiction, and documenting their many outings and retreats with his camera.

He is also incredibly excited to present his short story for Migration of Monsters titled Rifts. Rifts is a fantasy story based on the concept, “What if your little brother was the chosen one?” and revolves around the troubled relationship of a sister and her little brother who has recently “ascended”. The two of them must learn to grapple with her brother’s new station—and the strange powers that come with it—while venturing out into a dangerous storm in the middle of the night to make some coin or else fail spectacularly, and possibly perish entirely.

He has short fiction forthcoming from Shacklebound Books and is working on his first fantasy-science fiction novel. He currently lives in Chicago with his fiancée and cats.