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.
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 internationally 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 such as Gifted & Talented, Girl Dinner, and Dreamland releasing in 2025 and beyond. Several of her works are currently be adapted for film. She is also the writer for the graphic series Clara and the Devil with co-creator Little Chmura. 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.
Please note: I will never solicit you via social media on any platform. I do not use or offer any paid services—all of my writing advice is free.
Author Photo © Michelle Terris
Represented by
Amelia Appel, Triada US
Keep in touch
Forthcoming Releases
Currently . . .
Writing
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Dead Weight, a play about a complicated pair of frenemies and some priests on LSD. Currently in revision.
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CALL ME WHEN YOU MAKE IT, formerly STARGAZING IS NECROPHILIA, an Alone with You in the Ether-esque romantic narrative about life, disappointment, desire, and the uncertainty of art. Currently in production.
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ASSASSIN WIFE, a '90s inspired SFF action/adventure about the multiverse. Also, a very healthy marriage. Currently in revision.
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UNTITLED AMERICAN ROAD TRIP NOVEL, in which a shape-shifting death doula and a DoorDash for Sorcerers(™) driver hit the road in pursuit of an entry to another realm. Currently drafting.
Reading
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EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck. I mentioned in a recent Not Writing episode that my Californian public education included a lot of Steinbeck—THE PEARL, OF MICE AND MEN, THE GRAPES OF WRATH—so I’m what I would call well-versed in his style and themes. I know this one is a hot choice this year because of the new Zoe Kazan adaptation (I did not know about her grandfather, Elia Kazan) but I actually decided to read it recently because of a very loose connection to NEWPHORIA!’s setting and themes. I kept picking it up and putting it down for various reasons mostly related to time and other obligations, but I had forgotten how eminently readable Steinbeck is. EAST OF EDEN is a tome, but it reads so engrossingly I never found myself bored. I wonder what Steinbeck thought of Cathy Ames. Was she really a monster to him? I hadn’t initially planned to watch the adaptation, but I am quite curious to see what Florence Pugh does with her.
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THE HOUNDING by Xenobe Purvis. I was initially curious about the comp to The Virgin Suicides, which is yet again a film that I recently watched on an airplane while traveling for work (also on this list: Mother Mary, which was plainly not the cinematic experience its creators intended). Ultimately, this book is compelling, atmospheric, a total stunner—an incredibly original way to write a Gothic about community alienation by literally alienating the main characters’ perspective from the narrative.
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THE SEVENTH BANISHER by A.K. Larkwood. This is probably my favorite fantasy novel of the year so far, so I’m sorry to tell you it doesn’t come out until next year. Calling it fantasy is perhaps not even fair—it’s also an Agatha Christie-esque locked room mystery, not to mention a family drama about the question of succession, all wrapped up in one of the best and most compelling narrative voices this side of speculative fiction. If you like Tamsyn Muir and Emily Tesh, you will love THE SEVENTH BANISHER.
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BIG LITTLE TRUTHS by Lianne Moriarty. I am a massive Lianne Moriarty fan, only increasingly so as her books continue to diverge from true domestic thrillers to something a bit more eccentric. It’s something about her sense of humor, her skill with portraiture—I always devour them in one sitting. While all her books are thrillers, there’s something so fundamentally intimate and honest within them that the enjoyment of the story is never really dependent on a twist. As a craftsman, I admire it. As a reader, I adore it. I wouldn’t say I was particularly interested in reading a sequel to BIG LITTLE LIES, but because it was Moriarty, I paid full price for a brand-new hardcover and it was totally worth it. She simply never misses. And quite unexpectedly, I also found many aspects of the book to be worth thinking about for weeks after. No spoilers, but I felt there was a comparison worth drawing between one of the characters’ medical storylines and the Lindsay Clancy case; how should we treat complex medical issues, and what happens when danger signs are misdiagnosed or worse, ignored?
Listening
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The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore by Taylor Swift. Okay, let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t like this and I didn’t particularly like The Life of a Showgirl as an album, either (my favorite songs on it are “Elizabeth Taylor” and “Father Figure”; I hope I never have to hear “Wood” ever again). I did like The Tortured Poet Society even though I think on the whole Taylor trends self-indulgent these days; she also seems too aware of what her naysayers think, which is, as Mr. Blake pointed out, very strange, considering she has no meaningful reason to believe she is more hated than she is loved. Her ticket sales—the fact that she is a billionaire on her art alone—should be enough to rewrite the interior narrative that she’s a victim, or that she will ever be a victim again. She should be having fun, and while you could argue “Cleveland!” is fun, I would argue the opposite—it spends more time and detail on criticism than it spends on love. It’s similar thematically to “Call it What You Want,” but she does not sound at peace. Not that I blame her, entirely—lord knows I’m guilty of the same self-pity from time to time, and the long-term effects of social media use are on par with ingesting poison as far as I’m concerned. Travis Kelce is corny and the songs about him are corny. But, you know, if she’s as happy as she says she is, why isn’t her happiness all that convincing? Might be nice to hit pause and see what comes with a little actual enjoyment.
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Sacred Hearts Club by Foster the People. I was reminded the other day how much I like Foster the People, “Pumped Up Kicks” aside (one of the last truly overplayed songs, I think, back when ubiquity was actually unavoidable pre-streaming). There’s something very relaxed and cool about this album. I really think “Sit Next to Me” is a very cool love song in the specific way Roy Kent approached romance in season 1 of Ted Lasso (don’t talk to me about whatever happened later, it’s harder for me to wrap my mind around). Back to the song—it’s atmospheric. It makes me want to write a book about what specifically preceded this chorus.
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OUTSIDE - EP by The Wrecks. I love The Wrecks. They often do a pop-punk thing that speaks to my musical origins but are just as likely to suddenly break genre as publishing thinks I am. “Mint Tobacco” was a surprise; every now and then I hear a song and I’m like, oh yeah, whoever wrote this has totally been on the same SSRIs as me. Which is always a fun thing to think! Solidarity (?) I guess.
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How to Quit Smoking by Dominic Fike. For the record, I think we as a culture are in danger of forgetting the dangers of smoking, which is stupid. Never forget that tobacco can’t possibly be punk (it is, like, essentially the direct product of the evils of industry, so—). I keep seeing characters smoke cigarettes in books lately where they talk about how bad it is as a way to reinforce its coolness but it’s not cool, you smell bad and your teeth are gross. Anyway, that's really not relevant, and I love Dominic Fike. So despite not having listened to this album at the time of writing this (it comes out October 9), I know I will be listening to it eventually. The lead single, “Wallflower,” is already perfection. I listened to “Chicken Fingers” so much that Mr. Blake begged me to stop. Looking forward to another instance of this, personally.