Rob O'Connor

Dr Rob O'Connor is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at York St John University, affiliated with the School of Humanities. He holds a PhD exploring China Miéville’s use of monsters and landscapes for social commentary. His academic roles include leading the MA in Publishing and teaching modules like Working with Words: Publishing and Performance and Genre and Audience. O'Connor’s research focuses on speculative fiction, posthumanism, and publishing pedagogy, with notable work on genre boundaries and contemporary literary theory.

Education: BA (English Literature and Language) from University College of Ripon & York St John (1999), MA in Literature (York St John, 2010), PhD (2020).

Research interests: Miéville’s monstrous archetypes, conceptual landscapes in genre fiction, publishing industry dynamics, and the pedagogical value of creative writing. He actively bridges academic and professional spheres through festival committees (York Literature Festival since 2010) and editorial roles (e.g., Beyond the Walls anthology).

Publications span academic journals (Fantastika Journal, Vector), edited volumes, and creative works in anthologies like Over Yonder and Science Fiction for Survival. His conference presentations address topics like posthuman identity in Blade Runner and Gothic temporal displacement in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiars.