Robin Sloan is an American author known for his innovative approach to literature and digital culture. His debut novel, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, was a New York Times Bestseller, translated into over twenty languages.
Robin Sloan is an American author known for his innovative approach to literature and digital culture. His debut novel, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, was a New York Times Best Seller, translated into over twenty languages.
Robin Sloan was born in Troy, Michigan. While majoring in economics at Michigan State University, he co-founded the literary magazine Oats. After completing a fellowship at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, he delved into diverse groundbreaking digital projects.
During his tenure at Current TV and Twitter, Sloan demonstrated a flair for anticipating the future of media and technology. One of his most notable collaborations was Epic 2014, which envisioned a media landscape dominated by Googlezon in 2004.
Subsequently, he played a significant role in pioneering the integration of live Twitter data into television broadcasts during the 2008 presidential campaign. In 2010, Sloan became the manager of media partnerships at Twitter.
Despite initial scepticism about pursuing a literary career, Robin Sloan embarked on a path marked by unconventional publishing strategies.
Sloan's breakthrough came with his debut novel, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, a captivating narrative blending technology, mystery, and the allure of ancient secret societies.
The story follows a web designer drawn into a 500-year-old bibliophilic conspiracy intersecting with the formidable Google empire.
Following his literary pursuits, Sloan released Sourdough (2017), showcasing his unique narrative style and deep-seated fascination with the intersection of food and technology. He has also written numerous short stories and digital projects.
In 2020, his serial Annabel Scheme and the Adventure of the New Golden Gate was published daily for two weeks on the front page of the Mercury News and the East Bay Times.
It features a bustling city built on a filled-in San Francisco Bay, a pop star tech genius named Quintessandra, and internet teeth.
Thousands of bosses joined a crowdfunding campaign after the serialization, paying $9 each for a digital copy and unlocking the web edition for everyone.
His new novel will be released in June 2024 by MCD Books, a new division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Robin Sloan lives in Oakland.
Photo credit: www.robinsloan.com
