Bio
Olivie Blake, the pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth, is the author of bestselling fantasy and sci-fi crossover titles 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 2022 from Tor Books, rounding out the bestselling trilogy with The Atlas Paradox and The Atlas Complex 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 forthcoming 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 goblin prince/toddler.
Represented by
Amelia Appel, Triada US
Keep in touch
Currently . . .
Writing
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KISS YOUR DEVILS IN LOS ANGELES, previously UNTITLED HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC, a Gothic romance inspired by the Black Dahlia featuring extended immigrant families, the noble sport of pigeon seduction, and some demonic Santa Ana winds.​
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NEWPHORIA, a standalone SFF set three generations into the future of Western technocracy about an archivist, a pop star, a survivalist cult, and clicktivism in the digital dark age.
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STARGAZING IS NECROPHILIA, an Alone with You in the Ether-esque romantic narrative about life, disappointment, desire, and the way love shapes us.
Reading
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HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty. This has been one of my worst reading years by far, ever since my son dropped his nap and I lost the two hour period that used to be reserved solely for reading for pleasure. The fact that it took me TWO DAYS to read a Liane Moriarty is insane, because every other Moriarty I've read has been devoured in one sitting. Still, it has everything I love about a Liane Moriarty book: a twisty plot, an expansive ensemble cast, and a lot of humor. Every time, I ask myself if her books can possibly as good as I remember them being, and every time, I answer myself: YES.
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THE WOODS ALL BLACK by Lee Mandelo. I recently saw my close personal friend Alix E. Harrow who told me to read this book by her close personal friend Lee Mandelo, and I really don't have to be told twice. I have no idea what it's about but it has been sold to me in a very compelling way by a person whose taste I trust implicitly. It also feels appropriate, seasonally speaking. Haunted woods! Appalachia! Go off diva, or whatever the kids say.
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THE WORKS OF VERMIN by Hiron Ennes. Part of the reason I'm doing such a poor job keeping up with reading for pleasure is the reading I have to do for work, although often it gets to be both, as with this title releasing in 2025. (I also got an early read of KATABASIS, but it's simply too soon for me to say anything about that.) I think Hiron Ennes's LEECH is brilliant and spectacular, sort of like THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER but with a virus and also, kind of, rats. Their second book, THE WORKS OF VERMIN, is like THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and LES MISERABLES got tangled up with infectious disease and toxic bugs. I have been using the term "whimsi-grotesquerie" to describe it. Part of the story is almost like a novel of manners, but again, toxic bugs.
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BRIGHTER THAN SCALE, SWIFTER THAN FLAME by Neon Yang. I've been so excited to get into Neon Yang's stuff (THE GENESIS OF MISERY is supposed to be a space opera retelling of Joan of Arc; preempted Joan's moment in the zeitgeist, I feel) and a novella is always a really good way to dip a toe in when one is struggling with time. This is guildknights! And hot queens! And dragons! It honestly kind of sounds like HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON but with a hot lady knight, so obviously I am in.
Listening
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Black Boys on the Radio, Pt. II by Benjamin Carter. I was so looking forward to this album and it didn't let me down. Very poppy alternative, very much exactly what I typically enjoy, with my favorites being "Sticks n' Stones," "SKIN," and "m.m.s.l.g.g.g.h." (miss me, say less, get gone, go home).
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Hello Stranger by Thunder Jackson. My introduction to Thunder Jackson was the titular track, and for whatever reason it brought me right back to the first time I ever heard "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" by Rufus Wainwright, which remains one of my favorite songs. Anything that brings me that powerfully back to a sensory moment in my life is worth mentioning, but I am just generally very into Thunder Jackson's sonic dexterity. I also really like "Steady Freddy," another early single, though I need to spend more time with the album to decide on faves.
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Persona by half-alive. The goblin prince doesn't often request music, so when he does, it's a very notable occasion; for example, he once said "again!" unexpectedly when I was listening to "My Shot" from the Hamilton soundtrack. He has now also requested on separate, unrelated occasions that I play both the singles on this album, "Sophie's House" and "Automatic," and he also specifically asked me what the latter was called. They are both definitely excellent songs that I have on repeat, although I'm not sure how to identify what about them speaks to my three-year-old son's musical taste. Doesn't matter! I'm confident enough to put it on the list.
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The Great Impersonator by Halsey. This album is very introspective for obvious reasons (it was written by a dying musician; abruptly the song that has come to mind as I've written that phrase is "The Artist in the Ambulance" by Thrice). I will say it doesn't speak to my musical taste as much as Halsey's work usually does; much of it is a little down-tempo and you know me, I'm a simple girl, I need bops. But Halsey is an artist, and she had a life (two lives, really, considering her son) to reckon with in her art, so I don't think this is about me or my opinions anyway. So far, my favorite on the album is definitely "Dog Years."