The Smugglers

Vanessa MacLaren-Wray writes stories and poems, makes robots and photographs, and works towards a more climate-safe energy paradigm. She grew up in a peripatetic military family, experiencing First Contact with strange beings and new worlds as a regular part of life. When she discovered science fiction magazines hidden in her grandmother’s attic, Vanessa finally felt she had arrived home.

Vanessa earned an engineering Ph.D., launching a thirty-year career in energy systems analysis while writing in her spare time. Often the only woman on a project, she never lost touch with the outsider’s viewpoint, using her insights to bridge such divides. A few years ago, Vanessa reshuffled priorities, keeping involved in the energy field, but shifting into high gear on story-telling. Not surprisingly, people coping with their differences is a recurring element in her work.