Droids & Dragons Author, Simon Johannes

Simon Johannes

Pub 518 welcomes Simon Johannes to the Droids & Dragons team. He lives in the 518, AKA Upstate New York.

This is Simon's 2nd stint in a Pub 518 anthology. His short story, 'The Washerwoman', is featured in the 2025 anthology, Catskill Chaos. He also has several horror short stories published in Nikkol Jelenic's "A Taste For Killing" magazine.

We asked Simon which book or author influenced his storytelling style the most and he replied, J.R.R. Tolkien and E.E. Smith. "The Lord of the Rings trilogy helped me with the vivid fantasy ambiance, whereas E.E. Smith's Lensman series was crucial for the sci-fi descriptions using real world physics and scientific theory."  

Simon's piece in Droids & Dragons is 'Chronus Infernus'. "My goal was to challenge myself as a writer by combining the two themes of Dragons and Droids to make a sci-fi/fantasy piece. To that end, I wanted to take the opportunity of showcasing myths and legends through the lens of physics and technology. Essentially, explaining how magic could theoretically work in a grounded scientific way." 

'Chronus Infernus' is a fast-paced short story that will keep you engaged. Here's a standout snippet.

“And like a true dragon, ELIJAH opened its gaping maw revealing a rotating tachyon

energy field pulsating with red illumination. Suddenly my craft blasted out fire, igniting several groups of Harpies in the skies above. ELIJAH: “The Flame Chariot”!”

Simon couldn't pin down what's his favorite book. "There are too many books. If I had to narrow it to a single person, it'd be Robert E. Howard and his collections of "Conan the Cimmerian" and "Solomon Kane".

Superpowers are important to writers. With Simon its being in an alternate reality. "I always had a knack for fantasizing myself in a fictional world to escape the ever-changing world and its problems. Currently, one might say it's a coping mechanism for those living in 2026 America."

If you like dragons and sci-fi, you have to read Simon's story, 'Chronus Infernus'. Droids & Dragons. is available on Amazon and drops 9/25/2026.