Sapha Burnell is a Norwegian-Canadian author known for her dynamic speculative fiction and poetry. Blending the mythpunk and cyberpunk genres, she explores themes of genetic engineering, comparative mythology, and human potential. Her works include the mythpunk poetry collection Usurper Kings, hailed as "breathtakingly beautiful", and cyberpunk novels such as Neon Lieben and Cagewire. Burnell's stories bridge science, myth, and the human condition, captivating readers with her vivid imagination and razor-sharp prose.
Sapha Burnell was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She absorbed influences from diverse cultures, religions and gender activism, which later informed her writing. As a child, she witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and grew up with a deep awareness of global events and the transformative power of change. Burnell studied English and French literature, theatre, film and chemistry at Trinity Western University, where her artistic and analytical sensibilities flourished.
Burnell's creative work reflects her belief in humanity's ability to transform a dystopian trajectory into a utopian future. "We are the most capable and beautiful machines in the cosmos," she says, advocating the development of compassionate technologies to reshape the world. Her international travels, including volunteering in West Africa, have broadened her worldview and enriched her stories with global perspectives.
Her debut collection of poetry, Usurper Kings (Vræyda Literary), established her as a distinctive literary voice, combining raw emotion with mythological depth. Burnell's cyberpunk and genetic engineering novels, including Neon Love and The Cottonmouth Smile, have become bestsellers, captivating readers with their futuristic themes and gripping storytelling.
Sapha Burnell writes from her base in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.
Photo credit: www.saphaburnell.com