Derek Stéphane Künsken (born 1971) is a Canadian author of speculative fiction.
Künsken was born in Cobourg on March 13, 1971. He attended the University of Guelph and McMaster University, earning a master's degree in molecular biology from the latter. He has held many jobs, including working with street children in Honduras and working for the Canadian Federal Public Service. As of 2019, he lived with his son in Ottawa.
Awards and honours Locus named “Schools of Clay” one of the best novelettes of 2014, The Quantum Magician one of the best first novels of 2018, The House of Styx one of the best science fiction novels of 2021, and "The Last Lunar New Year" one of the best short stories of 2025. Barnes & Noble also named The Quantum Magician one of the best alternate universe novels of 2018.
In 2019, 2020, and 2023, Künsken and Marie Bilodeau won the Aurora Award for Best Fan Related Work as co-chairs of CAN-CON. +Awards for Künsken's workYearWorkAwardResult2012Aurora Award for Best Short FictionFinalist2013Analog AnLab Award for Best NoveletteWinner2018Analog AnLab Award for Best Fact ArticleFinalist2019Locus Award for Best First NovelFinalistAurora Award for Best NovelFinalistXingyun Award for Best Translated FictionFinalistSunburst Award for Adult FictionLonglist2020Aurora Award for Best NovelFinalistAsimov’s Readers’ Award for Best NovellaFinalist2021Analog AnLab Award for Best Short StoryFinalistAurora Award for Best Novelette/NovellaWinner2022Aurora Award for Best NovelFinalist2024Analog AnLab Award for Best Short StoryFinalist
Publications
Quantum Universe duology
Quantum Universe: Venus Ascendent duology
Collections
References