Young Simon was a geek back in the 90s, back before the 'Big Bang Theory' made it cool. He often found himself on the wrong side of a bully’s sneakers. It didn’t matter though, because Mum was the primary school’s librarian, and Young Simon was constantly surrounded by the best friends of all: books.

Some of my fondest memories link back to those early discoveries – ‘Animorphs,’ ‘Goosebumps’, and the copy of War of the Worlds I still have sitting on my desk some 20-odd years later. I am also a Chernobyl baby, an avid ‘Doctor Who’ fan and I passionately believe that chocolate milk can make any situation better. I could spend the rest of this bio regaling you with my love of Lego, Pop Culture, and the like, but I’m going to get on with the show.

My name is Simon Taylor. I am a writer and creative consultant known for my best-selling Audible Original Podcast Series, 'Beyond Strange Lands.' With a background in development and production, I have worked with several Australian production companies and have had the privilege of working with some amazing talent from Australia and beyond. I was honoured to be part of the International Emmy award-winning team on ‘Doodles Season 3’ (LUDO Studio).

I am currently developing a diverse slate of multiplatform projects with development support from Screen Queensland and Screen Australia. I pride myself on being platform agnostic and seek to try out every creative avenue I can.

After my appearance in season 6 of 'You Can't Ask That,' I have become an advocate for mental illness and invisible disabilities, using my personal experiences to inform my work. To help me cope with OCD I have adopted a plush toy T-Rex called Hans. He goes everywhere with me and has become a self-proclaimed cultural icon amongst my university students.

I aim to create diverse characters and stories that make neurodiverse people feel seen and understood. I also hope to foster empathy by providing people with glimpses into minds that work differently.

In saying that, I am a big fan of escapism and telling wicked fun stories. Whether it be dinosaurs, monsters, or sentient Blu-Tack, I want to transport people to other worlds.  They'll smile, cry, and even shout in enwrapped frustration. Like I have done many times while reading a Matthew Reilly joint. I love that man but will never forgive him for killing off Libby Gant. Spoilers.

Other favourite authors include Naomi Novik (Temeraire is everything), Rick Riordan, Brandon Sanderson, Becky Chambers and Creig Beck.

Regular comfort viewings include ‘It’s Always Sunny,’ ‘Scrubs,’ ‘The Office (US),’ ‘X-Files,’ and anything with ‘Stargate’ in the title.

‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas movie.