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Benjamin Hollo
Winner of the Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize and the River Styx Prize in Fiction, my short stories have appeared in the North American Review, River Styx, and elsewhere. I hold a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Tibetan Buddhist literature. I publish academic work under the name Benjamin Wood. Originally from Toronto, I live in Vancouver, B.C.
Please see my (Anti-)AI Artist’s Statement on my Substack: here.
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Fiction
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Excellence Through Efficiency
Forthcoming in Toronto Journal, December 2026.
In a post-labour future, office romance becomes a carefully staged service.
North American Review, Summer 2026.
Winner of the 2026 Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize. Judged by Rachel Yoder.
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Into the Void
On a trip to Tokyo, retiree Paula’s chance encounter with a stranger unsettles her quiet life.
River Styx, December 2024. In print: River Styx 109: Posthuman, March, 2025.
Winner of the 2025 River Styx Prize in Fiction. Judged by Christopher Castellani.
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The Debt
The Laines reluctantly intervene in their teenage son’s troubled friendship with another boy.
The Lindenwood Review, volume 15, 2025.
You-you
Grappling with her son’s deadly illness, Erica undergoes an illegal mind-escape procedure.
The Write Launch, Winter 2024.
Foolproof
A college bookstore scam run by three friends unravels with the arrival of new technology.
Meniscus, volume 12, issue 1, 2024.
Awards and Honours
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“RetroDate,” Winner, 2026 Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize (North American Review). Judged by Rachel Yoder.
“Into the Void,” Winner, 2025 River Styx Prize in Fiction (River Styx Magazine). Judged by Christopher Castellani.
“The Pale Winter Moon Above,” Honourable Mention, 2026 Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize. Judged by Rachel Yoder.
“The Underground City,” Finalist, 2026 PolterGeist Writing Contest (Geist Magazine).
“Excellence Through Efficiency,” Semi-Finalist, 2026 American Literary Review Short Fiction Contest.
The Assembly, Semi-Finalist, 2024 University of New Orleans Press Publishing Lab Prize.
Author photo credit: Sarah Richards. All other photos above are by the author.
