About Olivie
For an official bio, find my press kit.
Olivie Blake, the pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth, is the author of internationally bestselling speculative fiction for adults. She is a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.
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Olivie tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. Her New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling The Atlas Six released in 2022 from Tor Books, with The Atlas Paradox and The Atlas Complex rounding out the bestselling trilogy in 2024. The re-release of her viral literary romance Alone With You in the Ether was followed by backlist titles One for My Enemy and New York Times bestselling Masters of Death, with brand new titles Gifted & Talented and Girl Dinner to release in 2025. She has also been published as the writer for the graphic series Clara and the Devil and a variety of other adult SFF books. As Alexene, she is the author of young adult fiction (alexenefarolfollmuth.com).
Olivie lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and son. She has trained in boxing for the last seven years and enjoys dinner conversation, art made by humans, and overindulging her sweet tooth.
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Please note: I will never solicit you via social media, I do not have a Facebook profile, and I do not offer any paid services—all of my writing advice is free.
Author Photo © Michelle Terris​
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Represented by
Amelia Appel, Triada US
Keep in touch
Currently . . .
Writing
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NEWPHORIA!, a standalone SFF set three generations in the future of Western technocracy about an archivist, a pop star, a neo-Luddite cult, and clicktivism in the digital dark age.
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AFTERPARTY, formerly STARGAZING IS NECROPHILIA, an Alone with You in the Ether-esque romantic narrative about life, disappointment, desire, and the uncertainty of art.
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UNTITLED ASSASSIN WIFE, a '90s inspired SFF action/adventure about a very healthy marriage.
Reading
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EBONY GATE by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle. I picked this one up because we did a panel together for Comic-Con, and wow, it really sweeps you right into the world and into the life of a very cool former assassin, Emiko. I started reading shortly after watching K-Pop Demon Hunters, and I really do think there are shared vibes here. It’s a great pick for people who love grounded, urban fantasy, but I also sense there’s a significant familial element to the plot.
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WE LOVE YOU, BUNNY by Mona Awad. I loved BUNNY, but since it was my first Mona Awad, I spent most of the book wondering where the hell it was going. Now I know that’s just the experience of reading Mona, and by those standards, this one is more of a straightforward story (remember, by Mona Standards, not a normal book’s). It’s basically a Frankenstein retelling, in a sense, but incredibly hilarious. It’s also allegorically about the process of making and teaching art, which was certainly an aspect of BUNNY, but comes through unavoidably here.
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BLOB: A LOVE STORY by Maggie Su. This one really spoke to me as a biracial woman of Asian descent. This is the kind of heroine I would classify as an Ottessa Moshfegh type—there’s something fascinating and disgusting about the way she lives her life, and yet you can’t help but be a little awed by her even while you’re cringing. Funnily enough, there’s kind of a Frankenstein element here, too. And there’s a sweetness at the core of it, with multiple unexpectedly heart-crushing moments for a book that's about a total, borderline sociopathic disaster who takes home a sentient blob.
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THE DARK DESCENT edited by David G. Hartwell. I picked up this horror reprint anthology from the 80s because I saw Reactor doing a read-along where they mentioned an Edith Wharton short story in the collection. I love Edith Wharton, and also found myself very curious what kind of horror story she might have written. When I saw the rest of the authors, like Shirley Jackson, Joanna Russ, and Joyce Carol Oates, I absolutely had to see what that was about. I love the notes on every story, and the definitive explanation for what horror means as a genre. The attention to allegory, the way horror reflects the deepest longings of the human heart—fascinating. I initially jumped right to the Wharton (sorry), but now I’m reading in order, as intended. It feels like a treasure trove.
Listening
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Twin Flame by The Aces. As soon as I listened to this little EP, I thought: oh, I have to tell someone about this, but who? The opener, “Twin Flame,” reminded me of the sort of lyrics that would show up everywhere on Tumblr circa 2016 (complimentary). Like, someone would be asking me to write a sapphic one-shot inspired by “I can’t put out a twin flame” if this was a slightly different version of my life. All these songs are so fun and pop-adjacent, but my favorite is definitely “Jealous.” It’s a bop. (Also, I just went to their Apple Music page and saw that a full album is coming later this month, so assume that on August 15 I’m listening to Gold Star Baby, the full LP.) I would also add, slightly in this vein, the album Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me? by FLETCHER.
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A Minute, A Moment... by Myles Smith. You just cannot miss with Myles Smith. I think generally speaking I’d probably comp him to… Ed Sheeran? That sort of very melodic, love song situation? Which is admittedly sometimes the mood. “Gold,” for example, is very, very charming, and “Stargazing” is a great song. The first time I brought him up it was for a cover of Billie Eilish’s “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” which I honestly prefer to the original (only available on Apple Music). But here I was really struck by the lyrics of “My First Heartbreak,” which is about his father.
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The Cosmic Selector, Vol. 1 by Lord Huron. Let me open with: I had a hard time choosing which particular alt-folk album I wanted to put in this list because I feel like I’ve been alternately putting on quite a few, like Copper Changes Color by Caamp and Songs From the Road, Vol. 1 by Tors. I’m going with Lord Huron because it’s my go-to lately for when someone else is in my car. I originally listened to this album after liking the first single, “Nothing I Need,” and I find the album very cohesive. Very listenable, as they say.
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shut up and love me by Aidan Bissett. I basically will never say no to anything by Aidan Bissett. It’s completely possible that he can’t actually miss? I think this probably falls into the Conan Gray school of emotionally fraught songs, but Aidan seems to be influenced by alternative as a genre, sonically, which is a blend that greatly appeals. “are we in love yet” has already been played a thousand times, “ricochet” is bouncy and fun, “2 much 2 handle” really builds in the most satisfying way, “dance around it” feels a little bit Elvis Costello… just a really good album.