Ben and Karen Gibson have been quietly building an entire fantasy universe for years — not one book, not two, but an entire pipeline of stories forged through late-night collaboration, technical day jobs, parenting chaos, RPG design, and a shared obsession with speculative fiction. In the 53rd episode of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Factory, Mookie chats with the married writing duo behind Freedom’s Vow, the debut novel helping to launch Selene Press into fantasy territory.

Mookie encourages Ben and Karen to unpack the heartfelt and surprisingly functional mechanics of co-authoring as a married couple: outlining together, poking holes in each other’s logic, splitting scenes, revising each other’s prose, and learning how trust matters more than ego when building stories collaboratively. Along the way they talk about publishing, LibertyCon, developmental editing with Cannon’s John Holmes, the realities of indie and small press publishing, and why they intentionally waited years before activating their fiction.

At the center of the discussion is Freedom’s Vow, an epic fantasy steeped in Hellenistic and Greek-inspired mythology. The novel follows Arete, a magically gifted Shepherd, and Philon, a soldier whose city was shattered by the terrifying powers wielded by her kind. Avoiding bloated lore dumps and endless spell mechanics, the Gibsons focus on character, emotional tension, and the dangerous relationship forming between two people trapped between war, slavery, fear, and destiny. Mookie digs into why the book feels more human and grounded than much of modern fantasy — and the couple reveal how readers are already demanding more time with the characters after only book one.

The episode also spirals into a wildly entertaining tour through the Gibsons’ unpublished backlog: military sci-fi involving battered reservists fleeing annihilation aboard a logistics ship; underground middle-grade adventures inspired by Jules Verne; and a gloriously insane post-apocalyptic novel where America counter-invades Hell itself after demons emerge from portals at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Yes, that conversation eventually includes nuclear weapons, Tennessee militias, and “sniping the Devil in the face.”

Other topics include:

• Why most writers never finish a novel — and why the Gibsons kept writing anyway
• The danger of vanity presses and publishing scams
• Social media, AI slop, and why genuine human connection still matters
• The overlap between tabletop RPG audiences and fantasy readers
• Why unfinished fantasy series frustrate readers
• The difference between writing for money versus writing because you have stories clawing to get out
• How technical careers in chemistry and physics unexpectedly fuel their speculative fiction
• Why “Southern geekery” might be its own literary expertise

If you love fantasy rooted in myth, collaborative creativity, indie publishing war stories, or hearing two deeply nerdy and genuinely likable people talk shop with Mookie at full velocity, given them a listen. And if Freedom’s Vow is only the beginning, Ben and Karen Gibson may have enough stories waiting in the wings to keep readers and publishers busy for years.

The Guests

B.K. Gibson is the pen name for Ben and Karen Gibson, a married co-writing couple, who've turned their lifelong love of stories into worlds of imagination they delight to share with others. They live in the beautiful city of Huntsville, Alabama, working in science and engineering while raising three rambunctious and curious children. We hope you'll love joining us in the stories we tell. 

Their Books

Their Free Novella

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