Kellan McDaniel is the author of the young adult novel TILL DEATH (S&S/MTV, 2025), about generations of queer trauma, getting mad, and even kissing a vampire. As K.M. Szpara, he is the author of adult speculative novels FIRST, BECOME ASHES, and DOCILE (Macmillan, 2021 & 2020). Kellan’s short fiction appears in Tor.com, Uncanny, Lightspeed, and more and has been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards. He is queer and trans in Baltimore City and @kmszpara on Instagram.

I had the opportunity to interview Kellan, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello! Yes! I’m a queer speculative fiction writer living in Baltimore. When I’m not writing, I love playing collaborative tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, walking my dog around the city, and assembling Lego succulents (I kill real plants) before my cat can steal the pieces.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Till Death? What was the inspiration for this story?

You’ll have to thank my initial editor, Christian Trimmer, for having read a queer vampire novelette of mine and reaching out to ask if I want to write more. (Yes!) We spoke a lot about what it was like growing up queer throughout different generations and as gay men with different lived experiences. He brought me the seed of a story and together we grew it!

Were there any books/films/music/etc. that inspired you while writing this project?

Yes, and they’re name-checked in the book! I don’t want to spoil, so I’ll just say that both My Beautiful Laundrette and Heathers are worth the watch if you haven’t seen them. I also consumed a lot of modern stories about the height of the AIDS crisis, such as It’s A Sin and American Horror Story: New York, alongside reading numerous first-person testimonials. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t binge Elton John while writing Till Death. My mom’s been a big fan for decades, and when I was younger, she took me to see Elton and Billy Joel live. Such depth and joy and sorrow—it doesn’t leave you!

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, particularly speculative fiction?

Creation! I’m one of those people who can visualize fully-realized images and stories play like movies in my head. I’ve always had an active imagination and there is a power to putting your imagination on paper, to manifesting it. As for speculative fiction, well, it was always the fun stuff to me! I had a big ol’ crush on Peter Pan, as a kid, and really that was my first portal fantasy—take me away from the normal world! As an adult, I love imagining reality through the lens of what could be.

What draws you in specifically about vampires?

There’s something intimate about them. Pressing lips to skin, drinking blood. Bodies stuck in time, the potential of immortality. They are excellent subjects for illuminating queerness in both a metaphorical and physical sense.

How would you describe your writing process?

I used to be a cafe writer, but nowadays I have a home office with multiple monitors, good music, easy access to iced coffee, and a lava lamp. (Reliving my childhood!) Admittedly, I’m not one of those people who can bang out drafts on their phone or while commuting or during 15-minute lunch breaks. Writing is more like romance for me. I need to get warmed up, flirt with my ideas, settle in and find a groove… then I can go for hours.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating/challenging?

I live for the tension between two characters—pushing them apart, drawing them together. Writing a first kiss is almost like experiencing myself. But I also enjoy the stage of editing when the house-that-is-the-story is built and I can see the whole thing and begin to decorate, to find the patterns and details that stand out and really tie the story together in a meaningful way.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

I love body modifications and think you should get one if you want it! I consider all my tattoos and piercings to be gender affirming care. Especially during a time when trans people are being systematically erased from public life, it has been important to claim my body over and over. To make it a work of art. To love every part of it. To embrace that nothing—not even your skin—is unchanging or permanent.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

No one has ever asked which D&D subclass I most identify with so I’m going to tell you it’s the Archfey Warlock because the fey are alien and weird and intense and I would love an archfey magic daddy. (Lee Pace as Thranduil… call me!)

What advice might you have to give for any aspiring writers?

Don’t hold back. It’s what unlocked my first novel, Docile, and it’s what unlocked the final draft of Till Death. It’s tempting to write for other people or what they might think of you. Don’t. It will kill your creative spark and make you resent writing. No one else can tell a story like you do, so tell it.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I’m working on another vampire novel—for adults! The novelette that inspired Christian to reach out to me for Till Death is called “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” and is free to read in Uncanny Magazine. It also inspired my next book!

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

If you haven’t read Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, it’s incredible—and it won Best Novel at the Hugo Awards last year. A wild and ambitious endeavor that will live in your brain. In addition, I highly recommend checking out queer books published by Neon Hemlock, an independent press helmed by dave ring.